# HELP! Need venison recipes!!!



## jswordy (Dec 11, 2022)

The guy who hunts my place has been extraordinarily blessed with gunfire this year. I have a freezer full of steaks, backstrap, stew meat and etc. Looking for your fav recipes and marinades. I love it grilled and just tonight made streaks with commercial marinade that turned out pretty good. Help!!! Please...


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## Boatboy24 (Dec 11, 2022)

Can't help ya with recipes, but would be happy to help you eat it.


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## vinny (Dec 12, 2022)

I personally wouldn't look for venison specific recipes, I'd focus on cut. Treat steaks like steaks, season or marinade. Anything can become kabobs, Greek, Mediterranean? Play with roasts. I love braised roasts. Wine and beer braised are amazing and you can reach excellence with thyme and rosemary, or really reach out into exciting places with star anise or curries.

I have a couple tried and true's that I would be happy to share if you're interested.


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## bearpaw8491 (Dec 12, 2022)

Try this slow cooker recipe - it works great with beef stew meat so I'll bet its even better with venison. Yup, its a "dump and go" recipe and is better with canned vegetables than fresh!

*Slow Cooker Beef Vegetable Soup
Servings: *6

*Ingredients*

1 pound cubed beef stew meat 
1 cup water 
1 (15 ounce) can green beans 
1 (15 ounce) can carrots with juice 
1 (15 ounce) can diced potatoes with juice 
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes 
1 (1.25 ounce) package beef with onion soup mix 
salt and pepper to taste 
*Method:*

Slightly brown stew meat in frying pan to develop light crust.
Place colander in crockpot and drain liquid from beans, carrots, and potatoes into pot.
Add 1 cup of water
Add beef & onion soup mix and whisk to dissolve.
Stir in tomatoes
Stir in vegetables
Stir in meat
Cook on LOW for at least 6 hours. 
Adjust with salt and pepper to taste


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## jswordy (Dec 12, 2022)

vinny said:


> I personally wouldn't look for venison specific recipes, I'd focus on cut. Treat steaks like steaks, season or marinade. Anything can become kabobs, Greek, Mediterranean? Play with roasts. I love braised roasts. Wine and beer braised are amazing and you can reach excellence with thyme and rosemary, or really reach out into exciting places with star anise or curries.
> 
> I have a couple tried and true's that I would be happy to share if you're interested.



Sure, post them up! I am especially interested in various homemade marinades. These were done with 2 hours in Country Bob's Marinade and sprinkled with Penzey's Mitchell Street steak rub while cooking. Mitchell Street is my go-to steak rub.

The one thing I am glad I was warned about is that grilled venison doesn't need much time on the flame or it will get tough. Internal of 120, and that is a low temp by beef standards. The more over that, the tougher they'll be, I understand. That means laying them on, flipping them all over, then starting to remove the ones you first laid down and flipped. About one minute to 1:30 max per side does it on my Weber. Pouring warm melted butter over them and allowing a 10-15 minute rest helps loosen the proteins, I've been told, so I did that, too.


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## salcoco (Dec 12, 2022)

ground venison makes great meatballs


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## ChuckD (Dec 12, 2022)

I never make chili with anything but venison. Just slice & dice the partially thawed meat into 1/4”-1/2” cubes and proceed as normal. It may take a little more simmering to tenderize.

Same for vegetable venison soup.


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## jswordy (Dec 12, 2022)

Boatboy24 said:


> Can't help ya with recipes, but would be happy to help you eat it.



C'mon over!


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## jswordy (Dec 12, 2022)

salcoco said:


> ground venison makes great meatballs



We love it in meatloaf. Used to get it all ground and no other way. Mix it with pork sausage to get the fats needed, add your stuff and man, that is good. That mix combined with oregano, garlic and Parmesan cheese also works for burgers.


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## jswordy (Dec 12, 2022)

ChuckD said:


> I never make chili with anything but venison. Just slice & dice the partially thawed meat into 1/4”-1/2” cubes and proceed as normal. It may take a little more simmering to tenderize.
> 
> Same for vegetable venison soup.



Thanks. I have loads of packs of stew meat.


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## ibglowin (Dec 12, 2022)

The problem with venison is that there is hardly any fat at all so you either have to cook it very rare or pound it (literally) into submission and then chicken fry it in order for it to be tender. Growing up we ate it quite often as we had a deer lease and usually got one and sometimes two deer a season. Much of it we made into sausage (both pan and link) but you have to mix it 50/50 with pork butt. Other cuts like backstrap were marinated in milk overnight (takes the gaminess out of it) and then chicken fried steak. Stew meat was used to make chili (Texas style) which was pretty good way to cover the taste as well LOL


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## vinny (Dec 12, 2022)

The advice for chilli and stew is brilliant.

This is my short rib recipe, but it is great for roasts, large chunked meat, shanks, or anything you have.


Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
*2 *pieces bacon, diced
*2* *tbsp.* Avocado oil (whatever you usually use)
*1* small onion, fine dice
*1 large* carrot, fine dice
*2 cloves garlic*, peeled and finely minced
*2* *c.* red wine. This is where all the glory comes form!
*2* *c.* beef or chicken broth (enough to almost cover meat)
*2* sprigs thyme
*2* sprigs rosemary
corn starch/flour and water

If you have a ceramic coated dutch oven, that would be my choice. Season your meat with salt and pepper. Add bacon to pan and crisp, then remove. Add a few tbsp of oil to the pan and sear meat on high on all sides until well browned. Remove and lower heat to medium high. Add in carrots onion and celery. when slightly browned, add garlic. Stir for another minute and deglaze with wine. When the bottom of the pan is free of all charred bits add meat back and top up with broth till meat is mostly covered, top with a sprig of thyme and rosemary.

Every oven is going to be different, I preheat mine to 300 and find it simmers the sauce at about 280. I put the covered pot in, drop it to 280 and check on it in 15. Once you have an easy simmer. walk away for about 2 hours.

After 2 hours I pull the roast/meat and adjust seasoning. I am usually so aggressive when I season the meat I don't need to adjust. You can thicken the sauce a bit with corn starch or a flour slurry. serve with potatoes, salad, or any vegetable. You could also add mushrooms or whole carrots and potatoes to the pot in the last 45 minutes or so.


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## SVEN (Dec 12, 2022)

jswordy said:


> The guy who hunts my place has been extraordinarily blessed with gunfire this year. I have a freezer full of steaks, backstrap, stew meat and etc. Looking for your fav recipes and marinades. I love it grilled and just tonight made streaks with commercial marinade that turned out pretty good. Help!!! Please...
> 
> View attachment 96270


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## vinny (Dec 12, 2022)

You can tell I don't even follow my own recipes, with there being celery mentioned in the instructions and a bay leaf in the photo. I believe recipes are guidelines. Add what you like, omit what you don't.


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## SVEN (Dec 12, 2022)

jswordy:

The 2 attached recipes have satisfied my family and hunting buddies for 50 years.
I think you will enjoy them as well.

Best,

Sven


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## Brant (Dec 12, 2022)

This is my all time favorite recipe for venison. I dreamt this up a while back and it's never failed to impress. I've also made it with beef roast but oddly enough, it doesn't come out as good as venison. My kids love it as well. Honestly I didn't like venison unless it was a backstrap. This recipe has permanently changed this. I probably make it a couple times a month as long as we have deer in the freezer. It also works well on crappy parts like the front shoulders. It takes a while to trim off all the meat from a shoulder but the effort is worth the result.

2.5 to 3 lbs venison (cut up into small cubes/pieces, approx. 1/2" size)
1 packet dry ranch dressing/seasoning
1 packet dry italian dressing/seasoning
1 can cream of ** soup (I prefer cream of jalapeno but cream of celery or mushroom works well also if people don't like spicy)
1/2 stick of butter
1/8 cup lemon juice (more if desired)
10 Mezzetta medium or hot peperoncini peppers (leave whole with stem on, add more or less depending on how spicy you want it)

combine it all in a crockpot and cook on low for 8 to 10 hrs

Serve meat/sauce on a bed of Zatarain's dirty rice.

I promise that you will not regret making this- enjoy!


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## Brant (Dec 12, 2022)

Also, the key to my recipe is cutting the meat into small pieces. It allows the meat to take on the flavors of the ingredients and also makes sure that it ends up as tender as possible. Good cuts or bad- end result is the same. It probably sounds like I'm bragging but it really is a game changing recipe.

The other thing that I like to do with venison is grind it up with a good amount of bacon and make burgers. The bacon makes it a lot less healthy but it transforms the venison into a very decent burger. Without the bacon, it would be dry, dry, dry.


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## winemaker81 (Dec 12, 2022)

Last time a buddy gave a deer I ground the entire deer, mixing it half-n-half with pork loin. I did about 1/3 ground meat, 1/3 Italian sausage, and 1/3 breakfast sausage. If you start with 50/50 venison/pork, any sausage recipe works.

The best spaghetti sauce is made with v. meatballs and v. sausage!


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## vinny (Dec 12, 2022)

Don't forget shepherd's pie if you have ground!


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## Brant (Dec 12, 2022)

We also make breakfast sausage (grind/mix with trimmed pork butt). Sausage is versatile for everything from breakfast to dinner. Make patties or scramble loose for various recipes. 

You can buy a cheap grinder and seasoning mix on Amazon and make your own. I prefer to make everything myself because I know how the deer is being processed and handled. I've seen meat markets that process deer by weight and if you drop off 50lbs of meat, you'll get 50lbs back but it might not be your deer. This scares me because many hunters do a poor job of cleaning their game.


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## jswordy (Dec 12, 2022)

ibglowin said:


> The problem with venison is that there is hardly any fat at all so you either have to cook it very rare or pound it (literally) into submission and then chicken fry it in order for it to be tender. Growing up we ate it quite often as we had a deer lease and usually got one and sometimes two deer a season. Much of it we made into sausage (both pan and link) but you have to mix it 50/50 with pork butt. Other cuts like backstrap were marinated in milk overnight (takes the gaminess out of it) and then chicken fried steak. Stew meat was used to make chili (Texas style) which was pretty good way to cover the taste as well LOL



I like the taste of properly killed venison, but I know some don't. Many who dislike venison have had adrenaline tainted meat, though. If the deer is killed and drops on the spot, which is the way my friend kills them, then the meat is mild. I prefer doe to buck. My friend studies the bullets he digs out of his prey to dial in his projectile and his charge, and he has his rifle zeroed in perfectly.

On the other hand, if the deer walks or runs more than a couple steps after being shot, the adrenaline gets going and that turns the meat. It's the same when we were slaughtering goats. The quick, accurate, surprise kill is the way to go.


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## jswordy (Dec 12, 2022)

SVEN said:


> jswordy:
> 
> The 2 attached recipes have satisfied my family and hunting buddies for 50 years.
> I think you will enjoy them as well.
> ...





vinny said:


> The advice for chilli and stew is brilliant.
> 
> This is my short rib recipe, but it is great for roasts, large chunked meat, shanks, or anything you have.
> 
> ...



I happen to have a bunch of short ribs left over from cutting ribeyes out of rib roasts. Thanks!


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## wineview (Dec 12, 2022)

bearpaw8491 said:


> Try this slow cooker recipe - it works great with beef stew meat so I'll bet its even better with venison. Yup, its a "dump and go" recipe and is better with canned vegetables than fresh!
> 
> *Slow Cooker Beef Vegetable Soup
> Servings: *6
> ...


 Canned vegetables are soft to begin with. What happens to them after cooking for six hours?


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## bearpaw8491 (Dec 12, 2022)

wineview said:


> Canned vegetables are soft to begin with. What happens to them after cooking for six hours?


That was my question the first time too but believe it or not they hold up well and don't turn to mush. Of course, they're not "crisp-tender" but very tasty nevertheless. A quick and easy recipe that's pretty good on a cold winter's night especially with a wedge of cornbread and wine of choice.


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## Brant (Dec 12, 2022)

jswordy said:


> I like the taste of properly killed venison, but I know some don't. Many who dislike venison have had adrenaline tainted meat, though. If the deer is killed and drops on the spot, which is the way my friend kills them, then the meat is mild. I prefer doe to buck. My friend studies the bullets he digs out of his prey to dial in his projectile and his charge, and he has his rifle zeroed in perfectly.
> 
> On the other hand, if the deer walks or runs more than a couple steps after being shot, the adrenaline gets going and that turns the meat. It's the same when we were slaughtering goats. The quick, accurate, surprise kill is the way to go.


I've killed deer with head shots and ones that ran a bit. Never noticed a difference in taste but maybe I wasn't paying attention. To me, deer isn't horrible tasting if seasoned correctly. For me it's more about how chewy the meat is. Doesn't matter if the flavor is right, if it chews like a leather boot, it's never a good meal.


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## winemaker81 (Dec 12, 2022)

Brant said:


> I've killed deer with head shots and ones that ran a bit. Never noticed a difference in taste but maybe I wasn't paying attention. To me, deer isn't horrible tasting if seasoned correctly. For me it's more about how chewy the meat is. Doesn't matter if the flavor is right, if it chews like a leather boot, it's never a good meal.


That's why I got in the habit of grinding the deer -- it's all tender. Plus v. hamburg makes great everything (especially tacos!), and we love sausage.


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## TurkeyHollow (Dec 12, 2022)

jswordy said:


> We love it in meatloaf. Used to get it all ground and no other way. Mix it with pork sausage to get the fats needed, add your stuff and man, that is good. That mix combined with oregano, garlic and Parmesan cheese also works for burgers.


Don't even eat it as meatloaf. Refrigerate it then slice it thick and grill it (preferably with wood) the following day for the best meatloaf sandwiches! We do it with a little NC BBQ sauce - not to derail but we like the NC over the KC BBQ for this (we like both but mixed with the pork which we do, the NC style is best).


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## jswordy (Dec 13, 2022)

Brant said:


> I've killed deer with head shots and ones that ran a bit. Never noticed a difference in taste but maybe I wasn't paying attention. To me, deer isn't horrible tasting if seasoned correctly. For me it's more about how chewy the meat is. Doesn't matter if the flavor is right, if it chews like a leather boot, it's never a good meal.



Oh, there's a definite difference in the taste of meat depending on how it is killed, no matter the animal. Especially so if you don't aim to stamp out all the natural flavor with marinades and spices. I don't hunt but I've killed my share of domesticated animals. The best meat comes when the kill is a surprise and quick. That's why they walk cattle single file around an arced galley so they can't see the guy hidden behind the panel on the killing floor with the bolt gun. And as they calmly walk past him...

Agree about tenderness. That is number one.


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## jswordy (Dec 13, 2022)

TurkeyHollow said:


> Don't even eat it as meatloaf. Refrigerate it then slice it thick and grill it (preferably with wood) the following day for the best meatloaf sandwiches! We do it with a little NC BBQ sauce - not to derail but we like the NC over the KC BBQ for this (we like both but mixed with the pork which we do, the NC style is best).



Sounds like how we do it, but the first meal is slices off the loaf. We prefer Duke's Tennessee Smoke and Whiskey, and even add a dollop of it in the meatloaf itself, as well as on top.


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## jswordy (Dec 13, 2022)

winemaker81 said:


> That's why I got in the habit of grinding the deer -- it's all tender. Plus v. hamburg makes great everything (especially tacos!), and we love sausage.



All our deer in the past was ground but this guy processes his own and he brings a variety of cuts. So I get to play around more now. I have eaten venison steaks at his house and if I can zero in on that, I'll be fine. The effort in the pic above was really close in tenderness but used a commercial marinade and a splash of red wine. Next time, home made marinade and bit quicker cook, now that I know how long it takes to flip four packs of meat.


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## TurkeyHollow (Dec 13, 2022)

jswordy said:


> Sounds like how we do it, but the first meal is slices off the loaf. We prefer Duke's Tennessee Smoke and Whiskey, and even add a dollop of it in the meatloaf itself, as well as on top.
> 
> View attachment 96339


Haven't seen this one but definitely going to look for it!


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## justsipn (Dec 13, 2022)

vinny said:


> I personally wouldn't look for venison specific recipes, I'd focus on cut. Treat steaks like steaks, season or marinade. Anything can become kabobs, Greek, Mediterranean? Play with roasts. I love braised roasts. Wine and beer braised are amazing and you can reach excellence with thyme and rosemary, or really reach out into exciting places with star anise or curries.
> 
> I have a couple tried and true's that I would be happy to share if you're interested.


I eat a lot of venison. And, Vinny is right. Treat it like beef. Just, make sure you don't overcook it. It's very lean. 

One of my favorite cuts is the sirloin. It's bigger than a back strap and I treat it like I would prime rib. Season it just like a prime rib and then brown all sides in a skillet with butter and oil. A little garlic and rosemary is a nice touch. Then, put it in the oven on 300 till the internal temp is around 140, or however done you want it.

Then, slice it. I usually make a nice creamy horseradish to go on it. DAMN...it's good.


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## justsipn (Dec 13, 2022)

OH yeah...and if I have leftovers, I slice it really thin and make french dip sandwiches.


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## Darrell Hawley (Dec 13, 2022)

Brant said:


> This is my all time favorite recipe for venison. I dreamt this up a while back and it's never failed to impress. I've also made it with beef roast but oddly enough, it doesn't come out as good as venison. My kids love it as well. Honestly I didn't like venison unless it was a backstrap. This recipe has permanently changed this. I probably make it a couple times a month as long as we have deer in the freezer. It also works well on crappy parts like the front shoulders. It takes a while to trim off all the meat from a shoulder but the effort is worth the result.
> 
> 2.5 to 3 lbs venison (cut up into small cubes/pieces, approx. 1/2" size)
> 1 packet dry ranch dressing/seasoning
> ...





Brant said:


> Cream of jalapeno soup -- Didn't even know that existed, but did some searching and it looks like a store near me carries it. Need to get a few cans. Great recipe.


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## vinny (Dec 13, 2022)

justsipn said:


> OH yeah...and if I have leftovers, I slice it really thin and make french dip sandwiches.


This is something that most home cooks really overlook. The difference between baron of beef in a restaurant and a medium rare roast for beef dip is unbelievable. 

I usually rotisserie a roast so it is crispy on the outside, pink inside. wrap it in foil and collect the juices, stretch it with water or stock and you have an EPIC feed. If anyone reading this hasn't tried this.. You must!

In fact.. I'll be posting pictures soon. I just got damn hungry!


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## BarrelMonkey (Dec 13, 2022)

Stuffed roast saddle of venison with mushroom and green peppercorn sauce

1 saddle young venison (~3.5lb) and 2 oz butter

Stuffing:
1 med. red onion
1 bulb fennel
3 arge cloves garlic
2" pc fresh ginger
4oz mushrooms
2oz butter
3oz chopped walnuts
1 egg, lightly whisked
2oz fresh breadcrumbs

Sauce:
6oz mushrooms
2oz butter
5tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp tomato puree
3 rounded tsp green pepercorns
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4pt water
1/4pt cream
(optional) fresh mint

Stuffing: Chop up the onion, fennel and mushrooms, and finely chop the garlic and ginger. Fry onions and fennel over low heat until soft, then add garlic, ginger and mushrooms and fry a little longer until mushroom are soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Leave to cool, then mix in egg and breadcrumbs.

Lay venison on its back and press stuffing along the belly. Fold over and secure with string or a skewer. Put stuffing side down in a roasting pan and season well.

Others here have commented that venion is lean and needs to be well basted... for this recipe, melt the 2oz butter and soak into a cheesecloth/muslin cloth. Fold up so that it covers the meat. Roast in a preheated 450F oven for 30-40 min. Then remove the cloth and coook a further 20 min, basting well. This should give rare meat.

Rest at least 10 min before carving. 

For the sauce (can be made in advance): roughly chop mushrooms, soften in butter in a heavy saucepan. Add remaining ingredients except cream, cover and simmer for 20 min. Remove from heat, cool slightly then add cream and liquidize until smooth. Blend with juices from the roasting pan and heat through until needed. Optional stir in minto or use as garnish.

This also works well with beef, and I even think a nice pork loin would be good with the sauce.


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## justsipn (Dec 13, 2022)

vinny said:


> This is something that most home cooks really overlook. The difference between baron of beef in a restaurant and a medium rare roast for beef dip is unbelievable.
> 
> I usually rotisserie a roast so it is crispy on the outside, pink inside. wrap it in foil and collect the juices, stretch it with water or stock and you have an EPIC feed. If anyone reading this hasn't tried this.. You must!
> 
> In fact.. I'll be posting pictures soon. I just got damn hungry!


Oh...and since we are on a wine site. My above recipe goes very well with a bottle of either Malbec or Cab from my cellar.


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## Brant (Dec 13, 2022)

vinny said:


> This is something that most home cooks really overlook. The difference between baron of beef in a restaurant and a medium rare roast for beef dip is unbelievable.
> 
> I usually rotisserie a roast so it is crispy on the outside, pink inside. wrap it in foil and collect the juices, stretch it with water or stock and you have an EPIC feed. If anyone reading this hasn't tried this.. You must!
> 
> In fact.. I'll be posting pictures soon. I just got damn hungry!


I love making italian roast beef on my smoker using rotisserie. I just use a lean beef roast, season well and cook/smoke over a pan of water. I cook to medium rare and slice against the grain super thin with my meat slicer. I serve on garlic buttered and toasted hoggie rolls with melted provolone, sauted onion and bell pepper and some pickled hot gardenia mix and a side of au jus Amazing Sunday football food! It's probably my kids favorite meal. At least that's what they tell me when I make them.

I typically use the leftover meat, chop it up into small pieces and make Philly sandwiches the next day. Similar ingredients but a chopped style with everything mixed together and heated with melted cheese. 

Hard to fine a better way to eat a lean beef roast IMO. Might work well with venison also.


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## justsipn (Dec 13, 2022)

You want some really good pulled meat sandwiches? Take a neck roast, season it with beef BBQ seasoning. (use whatever you like). I mainly use kosher salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Then, slow BBQ it at about 275 for around 6-8 hours. When it hits internally 150, wrap it in aluminum foil to save the juices. Take it off when it hits 200. It should just about fall part. Pull the meat, add back in the juices. If you want more juice, add beef broth. There you have it, venison pulled pork sandwiches. 

I fed this to a group one time that included people who claimed they didn't like venison. They claimed it was great "beef" that was so different than what they had had before. Till, I finally had to tell them.

Neck roast is one of the few cuts I would do this with because it has enough connective tissue to make it work.


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## vinny (Dec 13, 2022)

Brant said:


> I love making italian roast beef on my smoker using rotisserie. I just use a lean beef roast, season well and cook/smoke over a pan of water. I cook to medium rare and slice against the grain super thin with my meat slicer. I serve on garlic buttered and toasted hoggie rolls with melted provolone, sauted onion and bell pepper and some pickled hot gardenia mix and a side of au jus Amazing Sunday football food! It's probably my kids favorite meal. At least that's what they tell me when I make them.
> 
> I typically use the leftover meat, chop it up into small pieces and make Philly sandwiches the next day. Similar ingredients but a chopped style with everything mixed together and heated with melted cheese.
> 
> Hard to fine a better way to eat a lean beef roast IMO. Might work well with venison also.


I love this site. 

Usually I slice with a knife, but I have a meat slicer. It's about to meet the best sandwich of my life.


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## J-Dewey_1980 (Dec 13, 2022)

I am new to the wine game, but an old hat at venison. I've accumulated all the toys over the years and have made about everything there is to make, I imagine.

Can you share what you have at your disposal for equipment? I would be happy to share some recipes based on that. Grinder? Stuffer? Smoker? If not, no worries--it just opens up a lot more doors. If we are talking just how to manipulate whole muscle recipes, I can chime in there, too.

RANT WARNING ON MEAT TREATMENT: Bar none, and this is me being overly snooty, mind you--the best recipe can't cover for improper slaughter (and I am in NO WAY implying that is the case for anyone posting here!). I have changed a lot minds over the years for folks who claimed they don’t like venison. I am lucky enough to live and hunt in Northern Minnesota, and our primary season is in November, so getting and keeping the meat cold is easier here than it is for our friends down south as our temps fluctuate between 0 F and 30 F most of the season, but it’s no less important no matter where you live. Get the guts out ASAP, get the hide off ASAP, get the meat cooled down ASAP. If it’s too warm to hang, quarter it down and pack it in the fridge. Once completely cooled you can decide what to use right away and what to freeze. For quality later, I always wrap in cellophane, tightly, then in freezer paper. I find this approach preferable even to vacuum sealing. Freeze in as large of chunks as you can (that limits how much surface area is exposed to potential freezer burn/damage if you freeze things for more than a year). If you, for example, want to package two pounds of steak for a meal, instead of pre-cutting the steaks, keep the muscle whole, wrap, freeze, and then thaw/cut steaks before a planned meal.

The last, but arguably most important step, is draining. For sake of example, let’s say you are breaking down a muscle for steaks. Make your cuts (against the grain) into portion size pieces. Put those pieces in a colander/strainer, put that strainer over a bowl, cover the container with press n seal or foil (whatever you need to keep air out), then refrigerate overnight. The next day you will have dark, black blood in the bottom container that has drained off the meat. Now temper your stomachs, here, but I urge you at least once in your life to _smell that blood_. That nasty, foul, gamey run off was IN your meat. Now it’s not. That has made more of a difference to the flavor of venison for me than any salt, herb, or marinade ever could. Take the remaining steaks and blot them all with a paper towel to remove the rest. That seems trivial—I promise you it’s not!

I am sure some will preach the aging of venison for taste and tenderness, and I just won’t enter the ring for that fight anymore, and for a litany of reasons I won’t bother to extrapolate on--to each there own in that argument.

As for cooking/tenderness, it’s all a muscle game. For tender venison, you have two windows—medium rare, or braised until tender in a crock pot, roaster, etc. Both applications have merit, and I dictate the cooking method on the muscle I am using. I also love sausage making, and I marinade and grill a lot of kebobs and steaks, and think it’s such an awesome, versatile protein with nearly limitless applications. Ground meat alone could be it's own recipe thread.

Best of luck, and let’s keep the recipes flowing!


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## Venatorscribe (Dec 13, 2022)

this is my 'go to site' for most recipe ideas. They have an excellent selection of venison recipes …




__





Recipes & Tips | Silver Fern Farms


Find something delicious to make from a variety of Beef, Lamb and Venison recipes.




silverfernfarms.com


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## Wisconsin (Dec 14, 2022)

So much depends on processing. That is why I always process my own. I like to go very simple salt and pepper garlic. Never cook it well done. We had this meal couple weeks ago on top of cream spinach.


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## Wisconsin (Dec 14, 2022)

J-Dewey_1980 said:


> I am new to the wine game, but an old hat at venison. I've accumulated all the toys over the years and have made about everything there is to make, I imagine.
> 
> Can you share what you have at your disposal for equipment? I would be happy to share some recipes based on that. Grinder? Stuffer? Smoker? If not, no worries--it just opens up a lot more doors. If we are talking just how to manipulate whole muscle recipes, I can chime in there, too.
> 
> ...


All well said. Completely agree. Thank you for taking the time to post this.


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## jswordy (Dec 14, 2022)

One I got from another guy...

*Indian Butter Venison (Makhani)*

2-4 pounds beef/venison roast
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 - 2 teaspoon chili powder (optional, or to taste)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 cloves garlic , minced
6 - 8 oz cup tomato paste
4 tablespoon butter
2 cups beef broth
4 carrots , peeled and cut into 2" chunks
1 onion, chopped
15 ounces canned chickpeas , drained and rinsed
3/4 cup peas , thawed
1 cup heavy cream or Yogurt
1 1/2 cups water or broth
1 tablespoon flower
Extra flour for roast and thickening
Corn starch to thicken

Directions:

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet.
Season, coat in flour and sear venison as usual in a large skillet. Set aside.
Saute onions and garlic in skillet pan
Toast spices for more flavor, if desired
Add all ingredients except heavy cream/yogurt, peas, and beef to crockpot. Stir to combine.
Place beef/venison in a slow cooker and cover with a lid. Cook on low for 8+ hours.
Add extra flour or cornstarch 1 teaspoon at a time to thicken sauce, if desired
During the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir in peas and heavy cream/yogurt. Cover and continue cooking until hot
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Other Options versions
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4 pounds beef chuck roast
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic , minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika x
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
8 ounces tomato sauce
2 cups beef broth
4 carrots , peeled and cut into 2" chunks
15 ounces canned chickpeas , drained and rinsed
3/4 cup peas , thawed
1 cup heavy cream


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## jswordy (Dec 14, 2022)

TurkeyHollow said:


> Haven't seen this one but definitely going to look for it!











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## jswordy (Dec 14, 2022)

J-Dewey_1980 said:


> I am new to the wine game, but an old hat at venison. I've accumulated all the toys over the years and have made about everything there is to make, I imagine.
> 
> Can you share what you have at your disposal for equipment? I would be happy to share some recipes based on that. Grinder? Stuffer? Smoker? If not, no worries--it just opens up a lot more doors. If we are talking just how to manipulate whole muscle recipes, I can chime in there, too.
> 
> ...



I have two smokers (I'm a longtime meat smoker); a Weber charcoal grill; a gas grill; a grinder (though part of my venison comes to me double-ground); and a commercial quality dryer. Not interested in sausage making, so no stuffer.

Both hunters I have had brought me good meat. After killing many goats and rabbits myself, I know theses guys know how to kill suddenly and surely, and how to properly field dress. Both are critical in my view, as well as the processing. I have always been a stickler about all 3 when I've killed and butchered domesticated animals.

Both hunters are friends of mine. The first hunter had a great processor to do his meat. The guy who hunts my place now does his own. There's no problem with the venison and nothing to cover up, or I wouldn't have it. Though I have had some that was the pride and joy of some hunters and was so awful I spit out the first bite. And that has happened more than once.


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## Wisconsin (Dec 14, 2022)

Venatorscribe said:


> this is my 'go to site' for most recipe ideas. They have an excellent selection of venison recipes …
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This site looks awesome! Thanks for sharing.


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## Wisconsin (Dec 16, 2022)

I'm pretty novice when it comes to wine paring... any thoughts with Venison dishes? I suppose red with red meat but wondering if some of local non-typical wines that can often have a non-typical funk might be good... chamborcin or a dry fruit wine.


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## ratflinger (Dec 16, 2022)

When my wife roasts a hind leg she completely wraps it in cheap, thinly cut bacon. The bacon fat keeps the roast moist and there is bonus crispy bacon to eat too! I try to limit myself to spikes & 1 year to 1.5 year old does. I always try for the head shot. The forelegs and lower hind legs end up in the pressure cooker for a nice osso buco. If we grind it is for linked sausages, mix it with pork and we use the fore shoulders. Otherwise the fore shoulders go in the pressure cooker for a tender roast, the juices make an excellent gravy.


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