Spinach, Mushroom, and Italian Sausage Stuffed Elk Heart

Filled with this tasty mix, a single elk heart can feed an entire family

By author of Timber 2 Table Wild Game Recipes Print Recipe
prep time
cook time
4-6
serves
11
ingredients
Medium
difficulty

Just like whitetail and mule deer, elk hearts are one of the most underutilized cuts on the animal. That’s too bad. They are pure muscle, just like a steak from the same animal, and taste delicious. Since elk hearts are big enough to make a family meal, we love to leave them whole and stuff them, then smoke them on the Traeger Grill.

Grill the heart to medium-rare, allow to rest, then slice for serving.

Just like any wild game, heart is better when cooked to rare or medium-rare to prevent the meat from drying out. The flavorful spinach, mushroom, and Italian sausage stuffing for this one also helps keep the meat moist and juicy as it cooks.

To prep an elk heart, or that of any game animal, simply trim away all the thick fat from the top and outside of the heart. If you aren’t stuffing, you can open the heart up flat to make removing the tough inner fibers easier. If you want to leave it whole for stuffing, like this recipe, just use a sharp fillet knife to remove the inner chambers and all the fibrous connective tissue around them, leaving the heart shaped like an empty pocket.

Trim the fat deposits from around the top of the heart and remove the connective tissue inside.

Ingredients

1 well-trimmed elk heart (works for moose or large deer as well)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon honey

Traeger Big Game Rub

Stuffing

8 ounces Italian sausage, crumbled

8 ounces shiitake, button, or oyster mushrooms, chopped

8 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves

4 ounces Italian breadcrumbs

4 ounces parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon each salt and cracked black pepper

 

Cooking Instructions

Make the stuffing. In a large skillet, brown the sausage and sliced mushrooms over medium heat. Once the sausage is just about cooked through and the mushrooms have softened and released their moisture, add the spinach, then stir well. Cover and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes to wilt the spinach. Stir in the breadcrumbs and cheese and remove the pan from the heat. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Brown the sausage and mushrooms, then stir in the spinach.

Add the stuffing mixture to the heart, using a spoon to pack it in tightly.

Fill the heart completely with the stuffing mixture.

Combine the soy, Worcestershire, and honey. Brush the mixture over the outer surface of the heart. Coat the meat well with Traeger Big Game Rub.

Brush the heart with the marinade, then coat well with Traeger Big Game seasoning.

Place the heart directly on the grill grate and cook for 30 to 45 minutes or until the thickest part of the meat (not the stuffing) registers 135 on a digital meat thermometer. Allow the heart to rest, covered loosely with foil, for 10 minutes, then slice into pinwheels with a sharp knife.

 

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