This classic Peruvian grill recipe is the perfect choice for cooking your deer hearts this season
Deer Heart Anticuchos
30 Min
Prep Time
10 Min
Cook Time
3-5
Servings
Easy
Difficulty
Walk down just about any street in Peru, and you'll see and smell clouds of smoke rising from charcoal grills. These grills belong to anticucheras, the women who traditionally cook and sell anticuchos, one of the most popular foods in Peru. These grilled skewers of highly seasoned beef heart are usually served with boiled potatoes and corn. The anticuchos tradition has been part of Peruvian history since the country's colonial days.
Ingredients
2 venison hearts, trimmed and cut into 2-inch squares
Bamboo skewers, soaked in water
Marinade
4 dried chile peppers, soaked in warm water to soften (such as ancho or guajillo)
1 cup red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups olive oil, divided
Cooking Instructions
Soak the dried chiles in warm water to soften; about 15 minutes should do it. Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers. Add the seeded chiles, red wine vinegar, cumin, salt, black pepper, garlic, parsley, and cilantro to a blender, along with 1/2 cup of the olive oil. Process to a smooth paste. Soak the bamboo skewers in water.
Blend the remaining third of the marinade paste into the remaining cup of olive oil. Whisk well to combine. Use this mixture to brush the anticuchos as they grill.
Remove the heart pieces from the bowl and thread 3 to 5 pieces onto each of the soaked bamboo skewers. Grill over hot coals for 3 to 5 minutes, rotating midway through the cook. Brush the venison with the reserved marinade-oil mixture heavily on both sides as it cooks.
We like to serve the anticuchos with the traditional sides of ají panca (a sauce made from dried chiles; find it online if your market doesn't carry it), corn, and boiled potatoes.
