Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation Elk liver?

I really like liver, but I know that I shouldn't eat much. That is usually not a problem, because I don't generally kill more than two deer a year. I also don't particularly like it after being frozen. I suppose most liver has that irony taste and distinctive smell. This year while as I was cleaning/preparing my elk liver, I noticed little smell. When I cooked it, it was about the best that I had ever eaten. Is this normal, or did I just get lucky? Could it be that the liver was sliced, but not too damaged by the shot and bled out? capt david

never figured liver out. Some stronger tasting than others. Elk and moose seem to me more mild in taste than deer.

Have soaked in milk, salt water. I do like thin slice , shake in a bag of flour and cooked with onions. I deglaze at the end of cooking with brandy and seems to mellow out flavor.

I like mine salt, pepper, flour, onions and olive oil. I want it about 1/2" thick and between medium-rare and medium. capt david

I've never tried elk liver. Kinda firured it would taste like liver. Coyotes need to eat too.

AAAAHHHHHHGGGGGG!

You feed fresh liver to coyotes - tell me it ain't so. I wait all year for the first slices of liver and heart. The whole camp waits until we have enough to feed everyone, and that is quite a bit some years. YUMMY stuff if perpared well and fresh.

Terry

When I do actually gut a critter, I take the liver and throw it as far away from me as possible. Its a tradition, and I wind up like a discus thrower.

The heart on the other hand...I get pissy when a bullet tears it up.

Not wanting to start anything, but how many of those, who say that they don't like liver, have actually tried it?

I use to eat it all the time,but ony fresh killed and fresh cooked in camp the day it was killed,never did like it frozen.
If you are treating high cholestrol it is one of the worst things to eat.I have trouble keeping my level down below 200 even with meds.Without them it's 350.

When I did eat it, I would line the bottom of the skillet with onions, carmelize them, lay thin cut strips of liver over them and cook until the pink was just gone. Then I would take the onions and liver out and pour a a can of drained peas over the leavings in the skillet and brown them making the whole meal.

Yes, I have tried liver several times. Elk, deer, antelope, beef and other critters.

I never could stand the smell or taste of it. Heart is my absolute favorite part of a critter though. Go figure...

Different tastes for different folks for sure...

I had to eat it when I was a kid. I've tried it a couple of times since and just don't care for it. I probably haven't had it fresh though. It's full of cholesterol, and my blood hemoglobin goes out of spec high if I don't donate regularly, so I'm not really going to put a lot of effort into trying to like it. Anyone who wants the liver from anything I shoot can have it. I did come home with 1 elk and 3 elk hearts last year.

Growing up my day always put the elk,deer heart in the pelvic cavity created when field dressed. Then put the liver in the chest cavity and 'tried' to keep it from falling out when we drug the animal back to the vehicle. He always ate the liver right away (never froze it). Mom always pickled the heart. Dad got the liver and the rest of us had to fight to get a part of the pickled heart.

I Can't wait for venison liver and onions at 8000 feet every year! At least 4 out of 5 that I hunt with don't like it. That leaves any liver gained to about three or four of us in camp at best, to have one hell of a meal! I have some frozen in the garage right now, may have to thaw it out for our Jr Pheasant Hunt we are putting on next weekend for the kids and women that passed the Hunter Saftey Course at our club this year. That would make me, Doug, Richard, and maybe Loren to split one deer liver! Bonfire, booze, and bbq the night before. Always a good time.

PS............Sorry, never have had an Elk liver. Wouldn't scare me though, and fresh is best. Take what I can get.

If we were neighbors, I'd bring it back for you.

I used to save livers until I sliced one and found a liver fluke about an inch long - that was the last one. I still save hearts and sometimes kidneys.

I always examine hearts and livers for parasites. Never found parasites in elk organ. Have foundvthem in WT deer.

Elk Liver - isn't that a town in Minnesota? I think that Craig Dollansky is from there.

After foraging about in the innards of a deer, I can't bring myself to appreciate being reminded of the experience by reacquaintace with the liver. Have never had access to elk.
Beef liver I like very much. Pork liver I don't care for. Chicken liver is strictly for flatheads.

I have, more times then I can count had to pause while I was skinning an animal to eat the fresh liver my dad has made for me.

I do keep thinking that I want some heart as I havent had heart in quite a few years, but I do enjoy liver. My grandfather does as well.

I have, more times then I can count had to pause while I was skinning an animal to eat the fresh liver my dad has made for me.

I do keep thinking that I want some heart as I havent had heart in quite a few years, but I do enjoy liver. My grandfather does as well.