PIE! Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 DH just shot his first buck. I have no idea what to do with this meat. To my memory, I've never even tasted venison. Suggestions? Tips? Methods? Recipes? Please :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Grind some of it up and make meatballs out of it -delicious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 I like to pot-roast it with onions, apples, garlic and sometimes a few juniper berries. It is pretty helpful to remove as much silver-skin and fat as you can to help with the gamy taste. I treat it a little like lamb in that regard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 I prefer it ground an in meatballs or sausages. It's a pretty dry meat so cook it more like bison, not like beef. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 My dh made jerky out of some a friend gave to us from his freezer the previous year. First he marinated it after cutting in thin strips, overnight. He says any kind of marinade will do. Dehydrator was on for a long time...24 hours. Ground up fresh venison we used in chili or spaghetti. My favorite wild beast is moose. I hope you like it. How big was his first buck? And he's only 10? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Venison burger, roast, sausage..... There's lots to do with it. Dh and his family are avid hunters so I get lots of venison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Are you having it processed somewhere or are you doing that yourself? Will you have roasts and steaks or just burger? I have several fabulous recipes for cuts other than burger which is why I am asking. It is very very lean so burger is best when you add some fat to it as your grinding it. If you are having it processed than when you cook it use some ground pork or some beef burger that has a higher fat content, like. 80/20 . Use ground venison as you would ground burger is chili, spaghetti, meatloaf, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PIE! Posted November 4, 2014 Author Share Posted November 4, 2014 Sounds like we need a meat grinder :). We're processing it ourselves, so we can cut it any way. Thanks for all the ideas and keep them coming! There is plenty of meat, so we can try lots of recipes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PIE! Posted November 4, 2014 Author Share Posted November 4, 2014 How big was his first buck? And he's only 10? It was 3 prongs. But he's not 10, he's 32. (DH, not DS) ;). Dh has always wanted to be a hunter, but it was not possible before for various reasons (location, time commitment, etc.) But now he's in a place where he can. I had to laugh last week because on the first day of deer season we saw all sorts of Facebook posts from local friends showing their kids' first bucks, but dh didn't have his yet. You have to start somewhere though :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 We just finished a crockpot's worth of venison vegetable soup tonight. It's REALLY good... when my kids were here they always loved it even when super young. It's gone over extremely well at church potlucks too with some exclaiming it's the "best beef vegetable soup they've ever had!" We neglect to correct them on the meat of choice unless they ask. - cube some venison - as much as you want for the soup - 1 carton beef broth (32 oz) - 1 carton water (I refill the beef broth box with water once) - 2 cloves garlic - minced - 2 pounds mixed veggies (from the store if not from the garden) - 2 stalks celery - sliced - 1 onion - sliced - 8 oz mushrooms (canned) or I use 16 oz fresh - 2 tsp Mrs Dash original spice Put the venison, beef broth, water, garlic, onions, and Mrs Dash into the crockpot overnight and cook on low. The next morning add the veggies + celery and mushrooms, then cook until those are the done-ness you prefer (crunchy to soft). Enjoy! The only salt for this is in the beef broth... so one can use regular or low salt as one prefers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Venison is awesome. The only downfall is the guys like to shoot the big bucks which is kind of like eating an old bull and wondering why it is tough and strong tasting. We fry like steak for the best parts. You need to be quick and only cook it till just done. Moroccan seasoning is a good match. For the other bits you can do curry or redline casserole slow cooked. You can also tenderise with a meat mallet and crumb or slice thinly and do stir fry. The key thing is not drying it out as it is very lean meat. It also depends on your butchering skills which will improve with time. My dh was also a late in life hunter and at first I was cautious. Now I'm the one hassling him to go get some more venison... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Now I'm the one hassling him to go get some more venison... We tend to use venison over beef, but I trained my guy(s) early on to go for does or young bucks vs the old "hormone-running" variety. We prefer good food to trophies. My kids go places and taste things with beef in them instead and tell me "those don't taste right" and "those aren't as good as yours." ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 This is so true... Our first shop beef after venison tasted so bland... That said we noticed the same with our own farm raised beef so I think it may have something to do with the way they are handled as well!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 we eat lots of venison. we (or I should say my son) hangs it for at least a week in a cool room with the skin still on ( gutted and bleed though). he then cuts it up into roasts, schnitzel, mince and sausages. the meet is very lean so if making sausages it is best to mix the meet with something else like Lamb. We roast like any other meet, but it has to be sort of basted in oil otherwise it dries out. I use the mince just the same as I would use beef mince - lasagna, spaghetti sauce, rissoles, meet pies etc. The schnitzel I hammer then coat in egg and breadcrumbs and cook like any other schnitzel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoEdgedSword Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Make sure the backstrap is specifically cut!!! It's the beat part...closer to filet mignon. The rest we make into breakfast sausage and lots of hamburger. Enjoy! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoEdgedSword Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitofthewomb Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Make sure the backstrap is specifically cut!!! It's the beat part...closer to filet mignon. The rest we make into breakfast sausage and lots of hamburger. Enjoy! :-) Oh yes!! It makes my mouth water thinking about it!! My hubby cuts it into bite sized pieces then sautées it in half evoo/butter. Doesn't take long for it to be done. So unbelievably good!! We slice & tenderize the tenderloin. Then we cook it like chicken fried steak. Awesome with mashed potatoes & gravy. That's actually what we had for dinner tonight :) We have done ground (I love deer tacos & deer chili), roast (not my favorite but I stink at cooking even beef roasts), jerky, & we cube some of it for use in soups/stews. There is a processor nearby who does the best summer sausage ever! But we take ours to a friend. We plan to invest in the processing equipment soon. DH has killed 3 already (does). He killed a big buck last year so he is just out for food now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 One trick for roasting is to wrap in bacon or lamb fat as it adds fat and stops it drying out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoEdgedSword Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Deer chili..yum. You can substitute almost any recipe that calls for hamburger and use your deer "ham" burger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Venison heart is good too, breaded and fried... Mmmmm, jut don't tell me that is what is until I start eating it :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 we eat lots of venison. we (or I should say my son) hangs it for at least a week in a cool room with the skin still on ( gutted and bleed though). he then cuts it up into roasts, schnitzel, mince and sausages. the meet is very lean so if making sausages it is best to mix the meet with something else like Lamb. We roast like any other meet, but it has to be sort of basted in oil otherwise it dries out. I use the mince just the same as I would use beef mince - lasagna, spaghetti sauce, rissoles, meet pies etc. The schnitzel I hammer then coat in egg and breadcrumbs and cook like any other schnitzel. Dh wants to know how hard it is to skin if you age it with the skin on? If you don't mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 I will have to ask my son tomorrow. He has already gone to bed as he starts work at 3:30 am. Leaving the skin on means the meet doesn't dry out so much in the hanging process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 We slice & tenderize the tenderloin. Then we cook it like chicken fried steak. Hubby does this too - usually the same night he gets the deer. My family (including my kids) would rank this as one of their all time favorite meals. It could be a contender for a "last meal" if they had to choose one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Dh wants to know how hard it is to skin if you age it with the skin on? If you don't mind. My family and my husbands family have always "aged" them with the skin on. Skinning happens the day we it it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertBlossom Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Venison steaks are really good. But cooked other ways it still has a bit of "gamey" flavor to me. I'd prefer to slice it up and make it all into homemade jerky. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Ds18 tells me that it is harder to skin after hanging for a week, BUT there is no meat wastage as there is no dry meat, so more for eating. He also said it is better to hang longer than a week if you have a coolroom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vernal Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Adding some beef bouillon granules to ground meat will take most of the gamey taste out. We like sausage ground with pork the most. And the back strap is THE BEST tenderized and fried! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 I think that venison and red wine go really well together. Here's one. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Adding some beef bouillon granules to ground meat will take most of the gamey taste out. We like sausage ground with pork the most. And the back strap is THE BEST tenderized and fried! Really? Going to try that one. Speaking of ground elk, I should have a ton of it soon. Venison experts, what do you do with your ground venison to make it a decent burger? I love the elk in chili--it cooks up so finely, with no irritating chunks of fat, but for burgers, it needs something. I have tried egg and breadcrumbs and was underwhelmed. I think maybe I need actual fat. True? If so, where does one buy fat? Will the Whole Foods meat guys sell it to me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Really? Going to try that one. Speaking of ground elk, I should have a ton of it soon. Venison experts, what do you do with your ground venison to make it a decent burger? I love the elk in chili--it cooks up so finely, with no irritating chunks of fat, but for burgers, it needs something. I have tried egg and breadcrumbs and was underwhelmed. I think maybe I need actual fat. True? If so, where does one buy fat? Will the Whole Foods meat guys sell it to me? We bought some fresh fatty pork trimmings from a local butcher shop and ground it along with the venison burger. When I made burgers I would add a pound of cheap cut of ground beef. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 This is so true... Our first shop beef after venison tasted so bland... That said we noticed the same with our own farm raised beef so I think it may have something to do with the way they are handled as well!!! yup. Store beef is gross to us. Boring, dull, flavorless after our own grass fed meat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Really? Going to try that one. Speaking of ground elk, I should have a ton of it soon. Venison experts, what do you do with your ground venison to make it a decent burger? I love the elk in chili--it cooks up so finely, with no irritating chunks of fat, but for burgers, it needs something. I have tried egg and breadcrumbs and was underwhelmed. I think maybe I need actual fat. True? If so, where does one buy fat? Will the Whole Foods meat guys sell it to me? We like to add some bacon ends and pieces chopped up small in with the venison. It adds the needed fat and tastes delicious. Dh calls burgers made this way squealers. Because of the pig I guess? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 A lot of people pressure can the meat--makes it very tender. If you can at all, meat is about the easiest stuff to can--it just has to process for quite a while (@ 90 minutes for most meat, I think). But, you just trim it, cut into strips/chunks, add a tiny bit of salt if you like, and put it in the pressure canner. SO EASY. Our neighbor likes his aged and always thaws his steaks and such and leaves them in the fridge a few days before eating them--we don't like it aged or leftover (taco meat is the only exception). I think it tastes skunky when it's aged. We like it in meatloaf, soup, chili, stir fry...just not leftover. We don't like the ground venison plain, but many people do. Mixed with pork, it makes good sausage (really good!). It's good marinated and grilled (esp. if the marinade has some tomato sauce in it). Our favorite way to eat venison is to slice steaks and fry the pieces in butter. It's great with pancakes, particularly if you dip the meat into real maple syrup with your pancakes! We also like to smoke a roast after wrapping it in bacon and cloves of garlic. It's fantastic. You could roast it the same way. If you don't like the gamier taste, I agree about does and young deer tasting different. Also, you can cook it in onions or tomatoes to help tame down the stronger flavor. A lot of the variation in how venison tastes is about the age and sex of the deer, and sometimes what it eats. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitofthewomb Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 I forgot about canning! I have done that before & it is good. I was able to make use of a lot of what could have been ground (but didn't want to take it to processor). I used it any time I needed a quick meal. It tasted like roast-very tender. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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