how to cook a venison roast?

[Noreen Claire]

My father gifted my husband a small (1lb) venison roast that I'm supposed to be making for dinner tonight. How do I cook this thing? I'm used to making giant beef roasts to feed a small army - this sucker just needs to feed my husband (the rest of us will be having baked mac-n-cheese).

HELP!!!

ETA: I do not have a crockpot, but I do have a (giant) dutch oven.

Edited December 17, 2018 by Noreen Claire

[gardenmom5]

[gardenmom5]

sorry - I couldn't resist.   I'm sure there are recipes online.  good luck.

[Carol in Cal.]

I don’t know how to cook it, but what I have heard about venison from my inlaws is that it is so lean and muscular that it tends to be pretty tough, so you have to use a lot of fat and liquid to prevent that.

[BarbecueMom]

I haven’t made a roast yet this year, but I’ve done a bacon-wrapped backstrap, fajitas from deer steaks, and venison burgers and tacos.  DH used one of the roasts to make jerky.

Soaking in buttermilk is supposed to take out some of the wild game flavor, if that bothers you (well, if it bothers your DH).  I did soak the back strap, but not the steak fajitas.  Could not tell a difference, all tastes like generic red meat to me.

Personally I’d chop it up into chunks and make a stew in the Dutch oven (I’m planning on a Irish venison stew using gluten free stout next week), but I’m generally not a fan of any variety of pot roast.

[ktgrok]

12 minutes ago, BarbecueMom said:

I haven’t made a roast yet this year, but I’ve done a bacon-wrapped backstrap, fajitas from deer steaks, and venison burgers and tacos.  DH used one of the roasts to make jerky.

Soaking in buttermilk is supposed to take out some of the wild game flavor, if that bothers you (well, if it bothers your DH).  I did soak the back strap, but not the steak fajitas.  Could not tell a difference, all tastes like generic red meat to me.

Personally I’d chop it up into chunks and make a stew in the Dutch oven (I’m planning on a Irish venison stew using gluten free stout next week), but I’m generally not a fan of any variety of pot roast.

I'd do the stew as well, given how tough it can be. Or I'd grind it and make burgers, maybe mixed with some other fattier meat. 

[BarbecueMom]

5 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

I'd do the stew as well, given how tough it can be. Or I'd grind it and make burgers, maybe mixed with some other fattier meat. 

We did venison burgers on the grill this weekend, mixed with bacon, cheddar cheese, and homemade BBQ sauce.  They were so juicy, even as leftovers!

Only 18 more pounds of ground venison in my freezer to go, lol.

[May]

Get a package of Lipton Onion soup mix, sprinkle it on top with about a cup of water. Put it in a covered roasting pan and bake 350 for about an hour. 

 

[WendyLady]

I haven't found venison roasts to be too tough.  I roast them in the crockpot just like I would a beef roast: brown the roast, add in about half an onion, a couple sliced potatoes, handful of baby carrots, sprinkle on a packet of beef gravy mix or beef bullion, add about a half cup of water, roast on low a few hours, add water if needed - if it doesn't fall apart with a fork, it probably needs a little more time.  The drippings should make a nice gravy.  Yummy with mashed potatoes.

I think the very best thing is to let the roast rest and marinate in your fridge for a few days (I know that's not your plan) but that makes a big difference. 

Dh has done the bacon wrapped roast, in the oven kind of thing, and it is very yummy as well, I just don't know the directions off the top of my head. 

 

ETA - sorry, just saw your note that you don't have a crockpot!  The dutch oven should be even better - you can brown in the pan, then pop it in the oven at about 300.  I'm not sure how long such a small roast will need - maybe check at an hour, then every 15-30 min until done...

Edited December 17, 2018 by WendyLady

[kbutton]

We cook it the same way that we would a beef roast, though the bacon wrapped roast is excellent. My husband has smoked a roast wrapped in bacon and cloves of garlic.

If you want it less gamey, you might add more onions or make it into a stew that contains tomatoes. Some venison is more gamey than other venison due to age of the deer, diet, etc. 

I actually do NOT like it after it's rested in the fridge, nor do I like aged beef, though it is good with any marinade that you'd regularly eat on red meat. I also do not like venison leftover unless it's been turned into taco meat or meatloaf. 

You can also just cut it up smaller and fry it in a pan as if it's steak. We like venison steaks sliced and fried with a little butter, salt, and pepper. Eat it alongside pancakes with real maple syrup, and be sure to dip a little in the real maple syrup. Yum. 

[Noreen Claire]

Thanks, everyone!

After reading way too many recipes online, I rubbed it with a salt/pepper/garlic/herb mix and let it marinate for a couple of hours. I seared it on all sides in my cast iron skillet and then put it in the oven for a while. Husband liked it very much, and has leftovers for lunches.

[Melissa in Australia]

I see I am too late 

I cover in olive oil. Put in middle of baking dish and surround with potatoes and sweet potatoes. Sprinkle some Italian herb mix over the whole lot and chuck in the oven. A few hours later I serve with some green veggies. and ..... dinner is ready.

Any leftovers I make into a casserole. I find left over venison isn't so good on a sandwich.

[Ausmumof3]

Wrap in bacon or lamb fat to help seal some moisture in is one thing we’ve tried.  My dh just cuts everything into steaks and short quick cooking time gives good results.