Deer liver does have a different smell than a cow or hog n goats. I am going to say it's because of the browse they consume. Where domestic unless grazing are being fed commercial grains of Lord knows what in it.

 

I used to always save the liver for my mom. Then one year she said not to. I am not a fan of any liver, so I only saved for my mom. I don't remember an odor.

 

I like chicken and 🦃 liver. Tried deer liver once and spit it out.

 

I have no intention to eat the liver. I plan to make it for the dog. Just not sure if its normal to have an odd oder

 

Liver does have a distinct odor. I'm a huge fan of deer liver. When I bring mine home, I thoroughly rinse it off and soak it in a bowl of salted water overnight. Some folks soak theirs in milk, but I haven't tried that. After soaking, I rinse it again and slice it down to a little over 1/2 inch thick and separate it into serving size portions and freeze it in zip lock bags till I'm ready to use it. It freezes well.

When I'm ready to cook it I just thaw it, rinse it again and pat it dry with paper towels. I then roll the liver pieces in flour, making sure they're thoroughly coated. Put olive oil into a pan and heat it until its hot, and then drop the floured liver in and turn the heat down to medium, add salt and pepper to taste and cook until it's golden brown on the outside and not bloody when cut through.

I then mix cold water and flour together in a shaker and pour it over the liver and stir well making sure to pick up and mix in the darkened cracklings from the frying to make the gravy brown. Cook until the gravy bubbles and thickens. The key is making sure you don't over cook the liver, if you do, it will get chewy.

I serve mine over cubed, boiled and fork smashed potatoes. One of my favorite meals ever.

 

Liver does have a distinct odor. I'm a huge fan of deer liver. When I bring mine home, I thoroughly rinse it off and soak it in a bowl of salted water overnight. Some folks soak theirs in milk, but I haven't tried that. After soaking, I rinse it again and slice it down to a little over 1/2 inch thick and separate it into serving size portions and freeze it in zip lock bags till I'm ready to use it. It freezes well.

When I'm ready to cook it I just thaw it, rinse it again and pat it dry with paper towels. I then roll the liver pieces in flour, making sure they're thoroughly coated. Put olive oil into a pan and heat it until its hot, and then drop the floured liver in and turn the heat down to medium, add salt and pepper to taste and cook until it's golden brown on the outside and not bloody when cut through.

I then mix cold water and flour together in a shaker and pour it over the liver and stir well making sure to pick up and mix in the darkened cracklings from the frying to make the gravy brown. Cook until the gravy bubbles and thickens. The key is making sure you don't over cook the liver, if you do, it will get chewy.

I serve mine over cubed, boiled and fork smashed potatoes. One of my favorite meals ever.

Thank you

 

For a bit my wife was making all natural food for the dogs. She had me keep the liver and heart for her doggy stew a couple times. You think it smells bad now, try pressure cooking it. The house smelled like ass for days. 🤮

 

If ever you are on the fence about eating liver, go online and look up some articles on liver function processes.........that will convince you to let it stay in the woods. Deer heart, on the other hand, is delicious. My favorite way is boiled, cooled, sliced, and then pickled.

 

I absolutely love deer liver and heart. I soak the whole sliced liver in water overnight, after changing the water a few times, until clear. Once the water is clear, I slice it about a half inch thick or so. Then I sweat some sliced onions in a skillet and brown nicely with a little butter. Dredge the sliced liver in flour. Little oil in skillet, brown/ cook , leave slightly pink. Slap some onions over it. In my opinion the best liver there is. Though I do love chicken livers. Never made gravy with liver, I'm sure it's good, as well. I forgot the smell is normal,it disipates,after rinsing.

 

All liver smells funny....😖

 

Good info, thank you all!

 

I was lazy and gutless quartered my deer this year. Never even saw the internal organs.

 

Only way to go

 

I do not like any liver. I don’t like it on a bus or train. I don’t like it with a girl named Jane. I don’t like liver cold or hot. I don’t like it from a chicken or cow, I don’t like it from a boar or sow. Liver is nasty

 

Thank you @Dockrat Suess!! 😂🤣

 

If you don't gut em, your missing out on the tender loins. The most tender meat on the deer. Don't much care for liver but eat the heart every chance I get.

 

You can remove the tenderloins without gutting them.

 

Liver is very rich in a dogs diet. don't feed one more than 3-4 oz. in a meal. Will cause them to have the pot trots as I learned over the years feeding it to my fur babies.

 

Had a neighbor a Armenian older lady. I always gave the liver to her and she was very grateful. One year I shot a very large buck it weighed 265 lbs. dressed, she told me a week later don't save the liver from any deer for her any more it was terrible. So since then I alway save them for the dogs they just love them, given in small portions.

 

Robert you type faster lol.

 

I use 2 fingers. Mostly 1 though.

 

Please explain how you remove the tenderloins with out guting the animal?

 

 

deer liver is delicious! very mild flavor. just cook it rare salt n pepper with sweet onions.

 

Liver has a metallic iron smell.
I like some liver. Grass fed lamb liver is good.
I have sliced deer liver and oven dehydrated for dog treats and the dogs went crazy for it.

Liver is like the animals oil filter.
Don’t eat it unless you know what it’s filtering.

 

Deer eat very healthy diets. Not worrying about what a deer's liver is filtering. I grew up eating deer liver and to quote Monty Python "I'm not quite dead yet!!!"

 

Thank you sir for posting tenderloin removal.
I had never seen that done. I always keep the ribs on all I kill so I gut em all. Guess I will have to eat crow on that one. Hope it don't taste like liver.

 

deer eat all kinds of stuff true. big woodlot areas and mountains would be great id think. but farmland and population heavy areas mite not all be healthy feed. fields get sprayed with roundup type stuff. rivers they drink from mite be contaminated by industry/field runoff. deer feeders all over now days. even in fair chase states feeders going most or all year. do you know whats in those feeds? im sure some are juiced with hormones/steroids' for antler growth!! i dont think there is any regulations on deer feed manufacturers are there? just saying populated/farm country areas like mine are prone to deer eating about anything. ever think about it? i have but maybe not enough? i still eat deer livers so maybe im putting my family at risk?

 

Your point is taken. However, I'm still going to enjoy my deer liver for the time being.

 

Best way I have ever had deer liver was from a butcher in Pa. My buddy would bring him a few and he would make liver worst out of it. On fresh rye with a thin sliced onion, it was pretty good.

 

like braunschweiger i bet! yum! i do that sandwich. rye, red onion, spicy mustard, and braunschweiger slabs. great for ice fishing snacks.