Beasley Family Heart Recipe

Beasley Family Heart Recipe

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Spruce Root Hearts Photo Credit and Creator: Caity Potter

The first fall Morgan and I were dating, he went on a caribou hunt with friend Evan of Talkeetna 4×4 Adventures check them out. He is an awesome guide and all around great guy. That epic hunt is a story worth telling over and over again…. But that is not my story to tell.

When Morgan called to say he had had a successful hunt, I was excited to experiment with cooking caribou. Never before had I tasted this kind of wild game and wanted to try it all. For a first introduction, he said he was going to make a Beasley specialty.

Never having eaten organ meats before, I was a little skeptical. But now, heart is the meal most looked forward to after a hunt. Rich, delicious, and a delicacy.  Morgan’s dad had taught him the recipe, and now he shares it with others.

Experiment with eating all parts of the animal! The heart is the tip of the iceberg.

Caribou Heart from the field. Photo Credit: Makiko Yoshida

Beasley Family Heart Recipe:

1. Prepare the heart: If the heart was damaged, trim off ragged areas.
2. Soak heart in a saltwater overnight– extremely important!
3. Squeeze out the liquid
4. Simmer/lightly boil in brine with 1/2 cup pickling spices. Water to cover at least an inch.
5. Boil the heart until it shrinks in size and is cooked through
6. Chill & Slice thin
7. Enjoy!
8. Morgan prefers the heart sliced thin for sandwiches. As a Texan, I prefer it fried for taco meat. Enjoy however you like.

This recipe is for Caribou heart, so adjust for Moose, Deer, Dall Sheep, Elk, Mountain Goat… Whatever you have on hand.