HELP! Need venison recipes!!!

[jswordy]

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.

 

[jswordy]

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

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.

View attachment 96292

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

 

[wineview]

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:

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

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

 

[bearpaw8491]

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.

 

[Brant]

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.

 

[winemaker81]

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.

 

[TurkeyHollow]

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).

 

[jswordy]

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.

 

[jswordy]

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.

 

[jswordy]

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.

 

[TurkeyHollow]

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!

 

[justsipn]

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.

 

[justsipn]

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

 

[Darrell Hawley]

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!

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.

 

[vinny]

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!

 

[BarrelMonkey]

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.

 

[justsipn]

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.

 

[Brant]

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.

 

[justsipn]

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.

 

[vinny]

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.