Green Eggs and Venison Heart Recipe

This simple recipe utilizes a fresh green herb sauce to complement two of the best protein sources around: venison heart and fresh chicken eggs.

December 12, 2024 By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley

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Venison heart and fresh eggs are two of nature's finest protein-packed ingredients, and this recipe brings them together with a vibrant, herbaceous green sauce. When it comes to searing venison heart to perfection, nothing in my kitchen beats cast iron—and it's incredibly easy to care for, too.

Whip up this delicious venison heart dish in just 30 minutes by following my step-by-step instructions. Then, keep reading to learn how to care for your trusty cast-iron cookware and explore its history.

How to Make Green Eggs and Venison Heart

Serves: 2-3
Prep time: 4 hours or overnight
Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 venison heart
1 teaspoon of kosher salt, plus extra
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup minced onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of brown sugar, packed
Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
2 to 3 eggs, or more
2 tablespoons of oil
Sliced bread

venisonhearteggs_1 — Venison heart ready to cut and trim. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo)

Green Herb Sauce:

¾ cup (total) of chopped parsley, cilantro and scallion
Juice of half a lemon
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil, plus extra
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
½ teaspoon of brown sugar, packed

venisonhearteggs_41 — Ingredients like parsley, cilantro, scallion, and lemon give the green herb sauce a bright, vibrant flavor. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo)

Directions:

Begin cutting the venison heart along the seam that winds around one side of the heart. Go slowly as you work your way through each ventricle to open up the heart so that it lies flat. To make the thick side lie flat, make shallow, vertical cuts. Trim off valves, strings and silver skin. Rinse the heart and pat dry with paper towels.

How to cut a venison heart, step by step. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo)
In a bowl or zip-top bag, combine 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, onion, garlic and brown sugar. Add the trimmed heart to coat and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight, flipping halfway through.

Marinate the trimmed venison heart for a minimum of 4 hours. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo)
One hour prior to cooking, take the heart out of the cooler. Gradually heat a 10-inch cast iron pan for medium-high heat cooking. When hot, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil to coat. When oil shimmers and slightly smokes, carefully add eggs and leave undisturbed to fry until bottoms and edges turn golden; they should easily release at this time. Remove eggs and set aside to keep warm.

Fry the eggs in a cast-iron pan until the edges turn golden. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo)
Take the venison heart out of the marinade and pat completely dry with paper towels. If needed, move the cast iron pan off the heat to keep the oil from burning until ready. Sprinkle cracked pepper over the heart and sear on both sides until browned, about 3-4 minutes each side; heart should be served pink or red. Remove from heat, tent with foil and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.

Sear each side of the trimmed and marinated venison heart for approximately 3-4 minutes. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo)
Combine the green herb sauce ingredients and season to taste; add more oil if desired.
Slice venison heart thinly against the grain and on the bias. Serve sliced heart with fried eggs, green herb sauce and toasted bread.

Why You Should Use a Cast-Iron Pan for this Venison Heart Dish

No piece of cookware in my kitchen sears steak or venison heart as beautifully as cast iron, nor is any piece as low maintenance. Typically, a quick scrub with water is all that’s needed to clean a cast iron skillet, and there’s no other cookware that you could put away greasy, which protects the metal from rust. This is a benefit when cooking in the outdoors – there’s no messing with hot water and soap, usually.

Two cooked steaks in a Cast Iron Skillet — Camp Chef's Heritage Cast Iron Skillet is seasoned and ready for cooking in base camp.

History of Cast Iron

Although cast iron’s history dates back to 5^th century BC China, cast iron did not become an important metal in Europe until 15^th century AD – nearly 2,000 years after the oldest cast iron artifact in China. Still, early uses of cast iron in Europe were mainly military, not culinary. It was Henry VIII who called for the casting of cannon and shot in England, which replaced more expensive bronze cannons, allowing England to bolster her Navy.

The use of cast iron for cooking remained limited until 1707, when English inventor Abraham Darby created a new method of casting pots and kettles more cheaply than by traditional methods, thus launching more widespread use of cast iron in western cooking. The bottoms of these early pots were raised by three feet at the base and ideal for cooking over live fire, similar to the types of Dutch ovens we use today to cook over coals, according to Southern Kitchen.

As indoor kitchens became more accessible, flat-bottomed cast iron cookware became popular in American kitchens throughout the late 18^th and mid-19^th centuries. These resemble the Lodge, Griswold or Wagner skillets and pots we recognize today.

Caring for Cast Iron

Cast iron can last for generations with proper care. If you’re looking to purchase your first piece, look for pre-seasoned cast iron to save yourself from work. This seasoning is the shiny black patina that protects the metal from rust and keeps it nonstick. However, this patina won’t last forever. You will have to maintain cast iron after each use and occasionally re-season your cookware.

After each use, wash cast iron with water, a brush and/or scraper to clean off food stuck onto the surface. Dry cast iron completely before lightly rubbing vegetable oil onto the entire surface before storage. For stubborn messes, boil water in the pan to loosen stuck food. I also will occasionally use soap, which won’t hurt the cast iron too much as long as it’s done sparingly.

Expect to re-season your cast iron pieces throughout its lifetime, perhaps once or several times a year, depending on the amount of use. Cooking with acidic foods, excessively high heat or using abrasive utensils and scouring pads can strip cast iron of its seasoning. When food starts sticking and the surface of your skillet begins to look dull, it is time to re-season.

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to re-season your cast iron cookware. There are countless videos and tutorials online.

venisonhearteggs_82 — This delicious eggs and venison heart dish is best prepared in a dependable cast-iron skillet. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo)

Cooking With Cast Iron

If you’re lucky, you’ve might’ve inherited a Griswold or Wagner skillet. These pieces were truly non-stick, as the bottoms were polished smooth after casting. However, the same isn’t true for newer cast iron, such as Lodge, which most of us own. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the surface on Lodge cookware is rough, which could hinder its non-stick performance. To get the most out of your cast iron, here are some tips:

To cook foods that can easily stick, such as fried eggs and fish, make sure to start out with a well-seasoned pan. Use fat and do not disturb the food until a good crust has formed, which will help with release.
Cold pan equals stuck-on food: Allow the skillet to heat up before cooking.
Start with the food that sticks easily first. For example, if cooking steak and eggs, cook the eggs first.
Tomato, wine, vinegar, etc. – do not simmer acidic ingredients for longer than 10 minutes in cast iron, which can pull metal particles from the pan and impart a metallic taste in your food. Instead, use enameled cast iron for these types of recipes.