Deer heart, sliced thin and fried, or sautéed with onions and mushrooms, is a hunting camp delicacy. Traditionally, the heart is the first part of the animal to be consumed, soon after the harvest is made. Why not do the same with wild turkey hearts? This simple recipe is perfect for an appetizer for your next wild game dinner.

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While many hunters save the hearts from larger game, few realize that turkey hearts are just as good. All images by Michael Pendley

The issue with turkey hearts is that they aren’t very large, and it takes a few of them to make this recipe. If you or your family doesn’t harvest four or five birds per year, get all of your turkey hunting buddies to save theirs as well and freeze until you have enough. I like at least five hearts for this one, but anywhere from 4-10 will work, depending on how many folks you are serving.

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Get your buddies to save their hearts to make a full meal.

Start by trimming away fat, connective tissue and the valves from around the top of the hearts. Slice the hearts in half, lengthwise, and rinse well under cold water. Place the cleaned heart halves in a ziplock bag and add a half cup of teriyaki sauce, half of the sesame seeds, and the remaining marinade ingredients. I like to use freshly grated ginger for this one for better flavor.

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Add the cleaned and halved hearts along with the marinade ingredients to a bag and refrigerate.

Marinate, refrigerated, for 2-4 hours. Remove the hearts from the marinade and place, lengthwise, on a wood or metal skewer.

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Skewer the hearts to make grilling easier and prevent the halves from falling through the grill grates.

Grill over high heat, basting often with additional teriyaki sauce, for 4-6 minutes per side.

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Brush with marinade as the hearts grill.

Serve over rice to stretch the appetizer or make it a light meal. Top with remaining sesame seeds for garnish.