Hey all,
This will be the first season that I try to convince my wife and kids to munch down on some prime bambi flesh.
I have some basic questions about deer meat. After a fashion I dont think I am asking for recipies. I am more interested in how to prep deer meat for cooking.
Often I am told by folks that "they know how to prepare deer so its not "Gamey". What is this method? Are there many different methods?
What is being done to the meat to remove this taste.
Is the method of harvesting the deer have a impact on the quality of the meat? Does an arrow and exsanguination produce better meat then a bullet and hydrostatic shock?
I live in North Carolina. I aint gonna be hanging any meat out in the barn or such cause its Way to hot. I also dont have access to a walk in cooler or freezer so I cant age the meat. Where does this leave me??
Let me know what all of you think. Very intersted in this.
Brian Gillispie
Hope this helps (http://www.pabucks.com/Cooking_Venison.html)
Here\\'s a bunch of info (http://www.extension.umn.edu/foodsafety/components/itsnogame/wildgamecookery.pdf)
You have the right idea not to hang it, i get mine cut up as soon as i can. Whether you do the cutting yourself or have it done, make sure it's deboned. Rinse off the meat before you prepare it, make sure there is no fat or tallow left on the meat before you cook it, that stuff is what gives it the funny taste. I brought my kids up on deer and they think beef tastes funny :thumbsup: I guess it's a matter of what a person is use to.
1st step is to gut it and and get it cooled down, making sure the cavity is clean from debris.
2nd step is to get it skinned, quartered and iced down. I let mine soak in ice water to cool and draw off some blood before I pack it for the freezer. A vacuum sealer is the best for short and long term storage of the meat.
The condition of the animal before the kill will have alot to do with how the meat tastes and the texture of it. Also the deer's diet plays a big role. Deer that have been run hard by dogs and shot usually are tough and gamey due to the build up of lactic acid. There are many variables as to how venison can taste but these are some of the more important ones in my opiniom.
Ron good thought on the storage, all mine is double wrapped, first in plastic wrap then freezer paper, this keeps it from freezer burn.
Ron beat me to it-I do the same. One thing I'd recommend is to cook it medium rare, if you handled it right there won't be a gamey taste, just the taste as it is intended.
My girls also prefer deer over beef anythime.
:thumbsup: I have had Excellent Luck with the Vacuum Sealer and older cuts of meat. Most of the time the venison doesnt have a chance to get too old. LOL Occasionally I will find a pack that is pushing 2 years and it is still good with no freezer burn.
Brian,
I don't think that the method of harvest makes much impact on the quality of meat. The main things are what they are eating, how you care for it and how you prepare it.
first and foremost is keep it clean and cool it down properly. I am also from an area where hanging is sometimes NOT AN OPTION. We can have 70 degree plus days into Nov.
I take the following steps to insure clean, tender, and tasty venison.
1. Field dress asap (to start the cooling process)
2. Put a few bags of ice inside the body cavity before you head out to show off your trophy. I like to get it started cooling this way for a couple of hours before skinning.
3. hang up and skin the deer to keep everything CLEAN.
4. put two or three bags of ice in the bottom of a 60-100 quart cooler(unopened)
5. filet out the inside tenderloins and put in a cold bath of fresh water. (for your next meal)
6. Quarter deer, seperate front shoulders, backstraps, hind quarters, neck/stewcuts into cooler.
7. Add a couple bags of ice to the top of meat in cooler.
8. Let meat cool out for at least 48 hours, checking a few times a day to make sure it is staying cool. You will need to drain and replenish the ice a few times. cooling slowly over a couple days will help to make the meat more tender. Slicing steaks imediately will make for some tough steaks.
9. season and prepare anyway you like. I would suggest not to overcook, this sometimes adds to the "gamey" taste that some people complain about.
Last year I took a nice 8 pointer and cooled it out in a 60 quart cooler this way and it was very mild and tender.
good luck,
hope you get to try it out.
Kevin
Everyone is right on the money. But stone knife nailed it first and foremost...
trim off anything white or silver BEFORE cooking.
Beef fat-good; Deer fat-bad.
I have an old frig in the garage that a neighbor gave me that I hang the quarters in for a few days before procesing. This has made a noticable difference in the way it tastes.
Here in Ohio they almost force bad tasting deer meat on us. Deer must be checked in whole (they can be field dressed). So in the early part of the season when it's 80 out, and it's still thick and green, you shoot a deer, have to find it which can be difficut because it's still so thick vegetation wise),tag it, field dress it, drag it to your vehicle and drive it to the nearest check station which may be an hour away, there's only a couple per county, check it in, drive it back home or to a meat processor. You may shoot a deer at 7:30 in the morning and not get it home to skin or to the processor with a walk in cooler until noon or so.And it's worse if you shoot one in the last few minutes of daylight and can't find it until the next morning. Doesn't get cold enough to keep the meat good around here at night until mid to late November. Standard procedure is to pack em with ice bags for transport, but that's not ideal.
It's best to get the skins off ASAP. Within an hour of being shot if possible. The skin is a highly efficient insulator (keeps the deer warm in sub zero weather..so much so that the snow doesn't even melt on the deer, it piles up) therefore holds the heat in and heat taints the meat.
I've had butchers tell me to never put water on meat unless you immediately wipe it off or just before cooking. My brother washes out his body cavity after field dressing and uses paper towels to wipe it dry. I don't use water unless I've made a boo boo in field dressing and NEED to clean it off.
Luckily here in IL, we can call it in now, instead of taking it to a check station. That helps. I've actually hung my deer up for a few days to cool out. Of course, if the weather is warm, that all changes. If it's cool enough out, I blow a fan on the body cavity, which is propped wide open. I don't use water either, unless I have to. If I do, I butcher it ASAP.
I've also done the "soak it in milk before you cook it" thing before. Don't know how much it helped but it didn't hurt. Dan is right though. Remove the silver and white stuff before cooking, or grinding for that matter. If you grind your own, here's my deer burger recipe: Call your local butcher and have him save you some 30% lean beef trimmings,(basically the stuff they trim off) keeping in mind that you'll be mixing 2 parts deer to 1 part trimmings. Usually, 20# is plenty for a good sized deer. Specify NO SUET OR TALLOW! We want flavor, not greasy taste.
Grind your lean deer meet and set aside (keep it all cold) Grind your trimmings. Now we just roll portions into softball size balls to measure. Grind together 2 parts deer to 1 part trimmings. Helps to have 2 or more people doing this. You burger will taste good and there will be next to no grease to drain after cooking it! Put all your grinder parts and greasy stuff in water too hot to touch with some dawn dish soap to clean them, and wear rubber gloves to handle them in the hot water. I like to run everything through a rinse of bleach water before the final rinse.
I've heard the same thing as Ferret stated about not using water. Supposedly promotes bacteria growth.
Ferret you coming to Wisconsin again this year? It froze last night and as I post this it is 36 degrees. Might give you a couple of hours more to retrieve your giant Wisconsin buck. LOL.
Washing a deer out right before butchering will not hurt a thing. Keep the meat covered with the skin. Don't wash it after skinning.
The easiest way to get bad tasting meat is to field dress it sloppily. Expose as little meat as possible to the air. Some field dressing methods encourage cutting the skin between the legs. I disagree.
Keep the innards inside the body cavity and the meat covered with skin until you wash the deer out and the nasty stuff can't get to the meat, tenderloins excepted.
I age cuts of meat in the fridge for up to 10 days before cooking.
2 ways of cooking venison:
High heat and rare or
Low heat, moisture and time.
Brian,
Here is a little different take. In the last 25yr I have taken two deer to the buther. One was last yr that is now in my avatar. You wait a little longer than you would like and pay more than you would like but it comes back ground, wraped and ready to eat. Hung at 34 degre. If it is to hot to hang when you get one an about 75bucks here, that might be an option. if you do take one, cut out the inside loin before you do. Chill it and have it for breakfast the next day.I butchered 4 last yr and didn't miss the work on the 5th. Good luck
Lots of good info on this thread so far. I happen to hang my deer for atleast three days, and have had em hang for 3 weeks(frozen solid, late december smokepole buck). I think either way is a personal preference, much like hanging by the head or back legs.
Take off all tendons, fat, veins, etc. It makes a world of differece.
My most important tip... use a different knife for each step of the skinning/quatering/boning process. Deer have a large number of scent glands/ducts....your blade will hit some of them through each process, and will need thorough cleaning or replacement.
Do you have access to an old yet working refrigerator? I've used them with the temp set at apx 37 degree, keep a themostat in the fridge to monitor the temp, and age the meet up to ten days. I would skin, quarter and roughly bone out the meat then place on the racks in the fridge. Don't stack the meat if possible allowing the cold air to evenly disipate through out the meat.
My Dad was an old school meat cutter. He claimed most poor quaility venison was from improper handling before the buthcher got the deer. Improper field dressing, leaving the deer in the open in the sun { such as the back of your pick-up}and leaving the hide on more than a few hours.
Call it venison instead of "prime bambi" and they may find it easier to swallow. :goldtooth:
AS always, it's so neat to come here and see so many different tried and true methods. Some are counter what I've learned, but then I think I tend to do something once with bad results and the 2nd time,if it's the same negative outcome, I refuse to try a third time.
I shot one ole rutty buck and it turned warm and rainy. I couldn't hang deer to skin, dogs were everywhere...so best I could do was hang high in a tree till we left. The shot creased the paunch so I washed with baking soda and dried interior... but it never got fully cooled quicly with hide on, the guy who brought it back had his truck break down...and on the story goes... and that was the rankest deer I ever ate... and he stank from the rut. And yes, I did use different knives for various tasks including removing hock glands.
Over the last years, I shot several yearling does that should have been fork tender, but weren't. I shot them late and retrieved them immediately. Days got warm, cooler at night. I got em home fast...skinned, cleaned up and hung overnight and butchered and vacuum packed and frozen the next day as it was warming up some. Those several young deer were boot-tough no matter how I cooked them!
SINCE then, I've read that if rigormortis is in the meat when you cut and freeze, it will be tough on the plate. That sure supports my personal experiences.
I always try to hang and cure for 3 days. I first skin as fast as possible and trim off fat and any blood shot meat from arrow wounds where the deer ran and shoved blood up between meat layers.
I've skinned in the field deer hanging from a tree, then put whole deer into a cheese cloth "body bag" to keep meat clean till I got it home to a cooler.
I won't cut up (deboniing is all I do)any deer now till it's aged at least 48-72 hrs. I too have 1/4rd them and used my regular refridgerator to store... took all the food out and put in a 5day cooler to age my 2 deer. (the look on my buddy's face when he went to my fridge for a beer was priceless) :)
I've also used the "cooler" method with ice, but prefer to skin, quarter and keep the ice away from the meat. Just me.
Ferret, MD is like OH in "skin must remain attached". couple years back I called cause they start mid-Sept and as a PA boy, I worried about cooling the meat!
The DNR rep told me, "...it says "hide must remain attached... You can skin up to the neck, wrap hide in a baggie to contain ticks, dirt, etc, but LEAVE IT ATTACHED to body and you're fine at any check station."
I never got to test that since I didn't get a deer in MD, but I dang sure had that wildlife officer's name and number in my poke in case someone questioned me. Is there ANY chance OH would allow something like that?
Neat ideas here guys... good to see how others do stuff. :)
well that's interesting Dave and I fail to see how they could give you any grief over that.Good plan. Geez that is twice this year that someone mentioned something so common sense that nobody ever thought of it.
(The other was storing Tru-Oil upside down so the hard skin is on the bottom of the bottle)Doh!
LOL
Guzzi....yep be up there the week of Oct 20-27th I believe.
hell mine dont last long enough LOL!!!
Venison differs from beef in two very important ways that will affect the outcome when cooked.
1. Trim out all fat or you may get a gamey flavor.
2. Venison is very very lean and will dry out when you cook it. Leave it rare! If there is no blood coming out of it as it comes out of the pan it will be dry by the time it hits the plate.
Don't be surprised, or disappointed if your family doesn't like it, especially if they aren't already adventurous eaters. The texture is very different from beef.
A very good book (worth finding):
"Dressing & Cooking Wild Game" from "The Hunting & Fishing Library". Cy De Cosse Corporation, Minnetonka MN
Lots of good advice here. I mainly:
*Gut it pronto and get it cool. Skin it soon if warm.
*I've washed some deer out while hanging, then pat dry with paper towels. Not really necessary, in my opinion, unless gut shot.
*I butcher my own about 1/2 the time. Bone it, cut off fat, double wrap (I use clear wrap + Zip Loc Freezer bags but butcher wrap is great, too, as are sealers).
My biggest A-#1 tip for most cuts (steaks, chops) to remove what some term "gaminess": soak the meat in cold water for at least an hour, then rinse and pat dry before cooking. This removes a ton of blood, that is what can give an acrid smell when it hits the hot fat in a pan. This is not necessary with big cuts that are slow cooked, like some roasts, but is a huge boost for the main cuts I eat. I grind almost none of my meat, as I like the steaks & chops & roasts too much to grind 'em up.
I have a bunch of recipes on a word doc I'll be glad to send you if you'd like. They are my own, simple stuff but good. PM me yer e-mail if you'd like.
I have personally converted quite a few people to venison, had many guests for dinner and they love it. I've never had bad venison, from any buck, large or small, doe or whatever. I just recently converted a wife (not mine) as you describe: "hated venison" until I did a loin roast, marinated slighly, barbecued til rare and served sliced with sauteed sweet peppers over it. She cooked a similar meal for guests a week later, and will now keep her husbands venison. Success!!
It is truly one of our favorite meats. Enjoy!
My 0.02:
Many factors come into play, but meat prep starts even before a shot is taken:
SHOT SELECTION:
Acquiring a nice rack while getting premium meat is unlikely from the same animal - especialy without "aging" the meat. A young, non-stressed, corn-fed doe probably offers the best tasting meat if you can't dry- or wet-age the carcass.
Razor sharp broadheads and shot placement are paramount so that the deer expires quickly before the acids build up in the muscles from running. Recover the deer as soon as you can.
GUTTING/SKINNING:
For those of you that learn best from visual aids (like me), this gutting video is helpful: http://youtube.com/watch?v=ECdaKBbmGnU (though I've never seen a milk-sac cut!) The deboning video featuring these two guys is also very good; I'll try to find it.
With a lung-shot deer, you could raise the head uphill and use the blood to flush the lower parts (out the pelvis) instead of using water.
Be extremely careful about not touching any of the scent glands while gutting/skinning, or getting ANY intestinal contents/fluids on the meat (including hitting only vital organs - not guts). If you do, wash those parts well, or discard them.
Remove the inside-loin chops ASAP, and bag them, as they are the best meat, and will dry out quickly.
Skin off will help in cooling, but also causes some drying if hung. Fat on will cause gamey flavour, but definetely helps with retaining moisture if hung. Unless you're hanging, remove any bits of fat (gamey taste - especially in rutting bucks).
Hanging a carcass head-up at first will drain blood the best, since most of your gutting-cuts are near the rear-half of the deer anyway. Then hanging the carcass head-down will let gravity aid in skinning and deboning.
AGING:
John McCreary, that's a great idea to age meat in an old fridge.
There's no question that aging meat will tenderize it. It basically starts the process of tissue break-down... i.e. early stages of rotting to put it bluntly. Dry-aging refers to hanging a carcass open to air in a clean environment with a stable temperature of ~1 degree to 7* Celsius. Length of time varies according to who you ask: generally 2-7 days, but up to 28 days. Wet-aging refers to vacuum-storing the cuts of meat in refridgeration before freezing.
GRILLING:
Last year I converted my sister-in-law from a venison-hater to one who is addicted; she keeps asking me when I'm going to bring her some more to grill. As far as the recipe side, since venison is so low in fat compared to beef, I prefer to marinate it in simply oil & vinegar.(you can even add marinade before you freeze the meat in zip-loc bags, so the meat will marinate as it thaws). My favorite is - after marinating - to make a rub/paste of butter/oil + whatever your favorite spices are. Montreal Steak Spice added liberally to a rub and massaged lightly into the meat will make almost ANY meat taste great. Almost as good is to just olive-oil it before grilling with spices.
Remember, meat will continue to cook for a few minutes even after you remove it from the grill, so if you're not sure if you should take it off... it's probably ready. I use the "poke" test - simply poking the meat on the grill with my finger to see how much "give" it has. The more firm, the more cooked it is.
I skin & quarter them & put in the garage fridge till the knee joint(?) on the hind quarter bends easily. I think that is the point where rigormortis has gone through & is allowing the muscle tissue to loosen which is when I cut my steaks out. Also remove all fat & silver skin. We eat a lot of venison at our house & the only complaint about meat came from commercially proccessd deer.
The only system that has worked out for me was to find a GOOD processor who will hang the carcass for a few days and then do a quality job on my meat. Ice the cavity down after field dressing and get it on its way. It took me several trys to find one that did a good job. My wife refused to eat burger until I found my latest guy, now we don't buy beef unless its for a nice fat ribeye.
Personally I believe shot placement, and method of kill(arrow vs bullet) make a huge difference
in meat quality.
Get the meat cooled ASAP. Age it at least three days between 38 & 40 degrees if you can. I have found that a doe will always eat better than a buck. Especially during the rut. My wife can smell
the difference in the meat when it is being cooked. She is NEVER wrong.
If you do not have access to a walk in cooler then you must use ice and chest coolers to allow the meat to break down for a few days. This will improve the quality greatly. Also, if you process a deer yourself(highly recommended) you must remove ALL connective tissue and fat. This has all been said, but of all the tips given I believe this is most important. Good luck.
Mickey,
If that tip works in OH, I'd be tickled pink to finally pay you back for prior kindnesses! :) Obviously from my post, credit goes to a female officer in the MD DNR. :)
Other thing I forgot to mention about hanging to age or in fridge... learned from my 'boss' in MT.
Once you skin, use knife blade held perpidicular to meat to gently "scrape" off all hair, etc. Once the critter is cleaned good, extra fat cut away, blood shot meat trimmed out, take some Crisco (yep, Crisco) and with clean hands, rub it lightly over the entire carcass, inside body cavity and all.
This seals the meat with a light coating of vegetable shortening. Seals it so that the meat doesn't dry out and get that ugly 1/16" hard bit of meat that has to be cut off in processing or prior to cooking.
Man, since learning that, aging has become my favorite way to improve venison table flavor.
Also, I learned from a biologist that deer fat will turn rancid in the freezer. Don't konw why, but that is why I trim all fat as do so many others above. That, and if you bone saw venison, the fat and the bone marrow (also stronger taste than beef) is smeared over the entire cut of meat and then remains on the cut in the freezer and kinda "marinates" it... Enter more strong flavor.
Read several times and confirmed with same biologist that once meat has been frozen, the enzyme that starts to break down the connective tissue in the cell walls, dies. After its frozen, there is no advantage to letting meat "age." FWIW. While aging is kinda like letting it be "pre-digested" (my view) aging after freezing is truly just letting it start to rot.
While nobody's mentioned it, when introducing new folks to venison, one should remember that most domestic meat has no real flavor in the meat...which is why high priced cuts are marbled. The FAT is what gives domestic animals their flavor. Having lived on low cholesterol diets far too long, I can attest that lean domestic meat has little flavor. Venison actually HAS flavor and some find it strong...but the glands, whether it ran and was stressed, how it was handled and how quickly from time it is hit and hits the ground all are key in flavor. As is the animal's diet. Sage fed mulies and antelope are very different meat from those on irigated crop fields!
Lastly, I also learned that wild game has a different bacteria culture in it than does domestic meat. Not harmful bacteria..just different...and some folks will find they're a bit more "gassy" after consuming venison than other meats. The human body I'm told takes a bit of time to adjust to the different bio culture in venison/wild meat. I can't prove that... but I know the "results" speak (?) for themselves and for those I've fed venison who don't eat it regularly. When I eat it regularly, no problem. Just FYI... :)
After they die, hang em high,about a week or so
Then peel the hide and sliced and fried
it don't get no better you know.
If you like your gravy tough, butcher em real quick
Your steaks will be so hard to chew
you'll think you're eatin a stick.
_______________________________________________
From the pole to the freezer. Like wine, it takes time.
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Dolly-me.JPG)
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/beautiful_deer.JPG)
If we get a little one, Ron and I just make a fire and eat it right there.
I agree with Ron. Most good beef is aged, and venison tastes better if you age it. The aging process helps to break down the collagen. I always let mine hang for at least a week. Two weeks is better, at just above freezing. I can tell venison that has not been aged because it is gamey tasting and tough.
QuoteIf we get a little one, Ron and I just make a fire and eat it right there
Don't eat it too fresh Roger. Years ago when I was young I knew some guys that cut and cooked real some fresh venison. It went through them like a dose of salts.. :eek: ...I...er... THEY'LL never do that again.
:biglaugh:
Deer meat is best enjoyed rare to medium rare. Since I only eat my meat when it is NOT moving I've had an issue cooking my deer.
We "age" deer for at least a week in a walkin cooler. Between 36 and 38 degree's seems to be the best. Other than that I always try to remove the "silver" membrane from the meat, esp. if I am grinding burger. Non aged meat has a metalic taste. I think some of the "gamey" taste is from not ageing the deer enough.
My 2 cents.
john III
When the earth's crust was still cooling, I was a hunting/fishing guide in Florida. The definition of hot weather. I have cooled many a fiesty little deer using a clean(new washed) horse trough. Put a couple feet of water in, several blocks of ice, and a gallon of vinegar. Cool the skinned deer carcase 24 hours, adding ice as necessary. Fish it out and cut it up. Fine eating.
If you have yours professionally done and it was an old, rutty buck, try soaking the steaks for 4 hour in buttermilk. I think you'll like what that does to it.
If all else fails, send it to me, and I'll make Jerky...
Good info above: Stress cutting off the silver side and fat, trim up good. I am not the best butcher myself but do take alot of pride in cutting up my own deer. I like deboning the meat too, except the ribs of coarse. Make the best cuts you can do(on big chunks), alot of trimming, so you end up with nice "red" meat. Might mean ending up with small pieces that are great in Fajitas, stew, chili. Those are the best meals to break your family in on. Crock pot(slow cook) roasts are great too. By the time you have cooked that meat with carrots, potatoes, and onions, it is just like Roast Beef. When you get to Tenderloins
use this marinade below:
VENISON MARINADE
In container add:
½ cup zesty Italian salad dressing
**1 tablespoon of the following:
A1 steak sauce
Teriyaki sauce
Lea & Perrins sauce
Soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Lemon juice
Jalapeño juice
Pickle juice
**2 tablespoons of minced garlic could use powder
This will yield about 1 cup of liquid
Add the following DRY seasonings to taste; I use 3 to 4 shakes.
Onion powder
Onion salt
Cajun seasoning
Italian seasoning
Cayenne pepper (Remember "your" taste)
Basil
Oregano
1 cube chicken bullion
If want more "tang" add 1-2 tablespoons of any vinegar.
Stir with spoon or fork.
Marinate meat from a few minutes to over night.
Enjoy!
Notes: I believe the base of Italian dressing is the key to this marinade. You can use fat free if needed. You do not necessarily "need" all ingredients. I have substituted Dale's sauce in lieu of soy and Worcestershire. If you don't want spicy take out Jalapeño juice and cayenne. Taste before you add vinegar, you may like what you have already. I use it for a little boost in tanginess. Lemon juice helps tenderize meat so use on tough cuts and marinate longer. Have fun with this, add and delete, taste as you go, remember it is "your taste". I would definitely used the Italian dressing however as it is the secret to the marinade.
I think at least one of my deer is on the pole behind Ron. I like killing deer in November and early December in MI and letting them hang for 10-13 days. Usually there is just a hint of mold in the body cavity. Skin left on to keep meat from drying out and as small of a hole in the body cavity as possible for the same reason. We rinse the body cavity with water at camp and usually it drip dries in the low humidity in a day or so.
The meat is always tender and flavorful. If I didn't live and hunt in northern MI (or have access to a walkin cooler at a hunting buddies place, I'd probably be looking to use some of the other suggestions above, however, I've had nothing but excellent venison aging as I do and then boning everying thing out and leaving no fat on whatsoever.
Cooking hot and fast is a must do rule.
Bonapetite.
Hey all,
I am delighted and overwhelmed by all the Great responses and discussion.
New question:
What is an acceptable atmospheric temp to hang a deer at to age it in my back yard?
Brian Gillispie
Below 40 degrees. Not in the sun. I cheat sometimes a little above 40 by placing bags of ice or frozen milk jugs in chest cavity. Not sure how far below freezing you can go and leave hanging? Don't worry about that in the South.
Lots of good advice on meat care, so here is a sure fire recipe for the wife and young'uns. I've taken this to covered dish suppers for a meat, but it always gets completely consumed as hors d'oerves. My kids cut their teeth on this now they'd rather have loin than beef steak (yuck, too much fat in beef)
Venison McNuggets (this is what we called them when the kids were tots - Mustard fried venison for you big people)
Cut up meat in 1 inch cubes*
Stir in:
2 parts yellow mustard
1 part Cider Vinegar
Good bit (read "lots") of black pepper (not just a few dashes)
Add enough of this mixture to coat well - don't skimp, but it doesn't have to be dripping either.**
Tumble well in a flour/salt/pepper mixture***
Let it sit in the flour a few minutes to get a good coating.
Crank up the Fry Daddy on high and fry until a light brown - don't over cook.
Tumble into a brown paper bag to drain
Eat while hot
*I usually use meat from the ham although loin is a real tender treat
**I often make a huge batch and stuff quart ziplock bags and freeze it in the marinade. Quick meal to thaw, mix up well and flour.
***Another good trick is to use about 1/3 instant mashed potato flakes in the flour. Makes a good, tasty crust.
Couple of tips, some others have said, for plain meat like steak or kabobs - DO NOT OVER COOK. If you must eat beef well done, don't bother with grilled venison. No more than medium, rare is the absolute best. Some pink is a must. Well done is okay for "moist cooking" like crock pot roast or stews, etc.
The thing that got my wife loving to cook with venison is to grind about half with NO fat in it. For any recipe with browned meat (spaghetti, tacos, soup, etc), it is great. Brown it and nothing to drain (keeps from clogging up the sink, too). Simply brown and start adding ingredients. I add about 15% beef fat for burgers.
We do not buy beef in this house. On those cold December mornings, if the freezer isn't full, my wife will MAKE me go hunting. Boy is she mean! :thumbsup:
Seems like I remember reading an article in Deer & Deer Hunting several years ago on this subject. They concluded that the best venison to be had was a 1.5 yr old doe aged 7-10 days hide on @ 35 degrees. I am blessed to have an excellent butcher who knows what he is doing and will let mine hang, hide on for 7 days before he cuts them up. He processes about 1000 deer a year. First time my wife was cooking one of the deer he cut up she called me to the kitchen, thought something major was wrong, but this is what she said, " This package of meat is only missing one thing, ....... A price tag and label !!!" His packaging job looks better than some store bought beef I have bought !
Our favorite recipes are Deer Marsala, Deer Tacos, and Shishkabob. Of course we also have the old standby, Deer Chili ! My kids will fight a chainsaw for the Deer Marsala. Just take tenderloin, pound with meat mallet till thinned, fry in olive oil after floured, then simmer for a few minutes in marsala cooking wine and mushrooms cooked in butter in another pan. Good stuff !!!
nocams
Almost forgot our shishkabob recipe even though most probably know it , or use one close to it. It made a true convert out of my Mother, who would not even consider eating deer !!! Now she calls wanting to know when the kabobs are coing off the grill !!!
Marinate deer steaks or tenderloins cut into squares in a big ziploc with Italian dressing overnight.
Marinate veggies, ( Onions, Bell Peppers, Cherry Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Zucchini Squash, etc ), in another Ziploc with same.
Place on good heavy metal skewers making sure that the deer is touching a onion on one side and a bell pepper on the other, these two veggies give the best flavor to the deer.
Grill over a good hot fire so the veggies and deer get seared good, turn as needed with gloves. I usually cook about 15-20 minutes, or until most of the deer chunks are medium at the most, DO NOT OVERCOOK, or the deer will be dry. Remember the heavy metal skewers will help to cook the inside of the meat. Don't believe me, forget the gloves one time while trying to turn the skewers and you will find out how hot the skewer gets, haha !!!
nocams
OK I didn't see this in any of the other posts so I guess I'll post it. In your camp or car you should have a large commercial plastic container of ground black pepper, at least the one pound size. If you rinse out the cavity of the deer and dry it with paper towels and you're going to let it hang and age on the pole. EVEN IF it is below 40 degrees outside liberally apply the pepper to every exposed bit of flesh. This will keep insects off the meat and therefore no maggots in the meat. In days of old when knights were bold they use to hang deer by the neck "Until it was ripe." and who pray tell did they know it was ripe? the head seperated from the body that fell to the store room floor. By modern standards that is a bit too much time between mortis and morsel.
Ron's advice...........
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Don't eat it too fresh Roger. Years ago when I was young I knew some guys that cut and cooked real some fresh venison. It went through them like a dose of salts.. ...I...er... THEY'LL never do that again.
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Great advice... been there, done that.. :help:
Ray Lyon has a special touch with venison on the grill. He mentions "hot & fast"....and that's key. If you need your meat well done, don't bother with the grill.
At least one deer on that pole behind Ron is mine, I have a unique chance to compare venison....I usually get 1 up there, where the weather is very cool and they hang well. I also kill one or 2 down here in southern Michigan, where in the early season it can be warmer. I either take it t a processor (I prefer to cut it myself, but I have found a good guy here locally). If I 'm going to do it myself, I skin and cut it into quarters, and keep it in a cooler for a couple of days (after it cools down naturally, if possible). I keep it drained, and add fresh ice often. It works just fine.
Mmmmmmm deer meat.
(http://www.carbwire.com/images/homer.gif)
Ok, since we're giving out some of our favorite recipes here's one of mine. Take a back strap and cut about 2" thick, then cut into a butterfly chop. Rub a raw garlic clove onto both sides of the meat. Dip the chop in an egg wash, roll in bread crumbs and fry in butter and a little oil. DO NOT OVERCOOK!! :mad:
Another way is to cut the medallion 2" thick, wrap the outside with bacon, pin the bacon with a tooth pick, salt, pepper and fry.... RARE! :saywhat:
My favorite recipe is as follows:
Light charcoal grill.
Get 6 pack (more or less) of Sam Adams Summer Ale
Rub venison roast with garlic, salt, and pepper
Put roast on grill, stand around with buddy and open beer. Tell lies about women and bucks.
Carve off chunks of roast, with your hunting knife (very important), as the outside gets done.
Eat chunks of roast with fingers or off of the tip of your knife.
Drink more Sam Adams, tell more lies, carve venison until gone. Wait until more "outside" is done.
Possibly arm wrestle for last chunk.
Roger, you forgot the part about occasionally basting the meat with Sam Adams. :readit: ...hmmmm, me thinks you're going to need more Sam Adams. :biglaugh:
no need for hangin, and I've yet to have a "gamey" tasting deer, its not beef and doesnt taste like beef(thank God) and isnt meant to taste like beef.
We don't have the luxury of hanging deer in bow season.Saturday was opening day and it was 97. Mine gets skinned,deboned and cut up where it lands and it goes on ice back at the truck.There are only two kinds of meat on my deer,backstraps and burger and both always turn out good. :D If I want to cook a hind quarter or something I start looking one that is milk feed and easy to carry. ;)
Roger is basting his tongue with Sam Adams.
Hey all,
All of these entries have been great. I think I will be stuck with skinning quartering and icing in a cooler. Its to warm here to do anything else.
James, Do you keep the meat on ice for many days once you get it home? Does it Season in the cooler?
Also, Do you pour the ice directly onto the meat? Or do you wrap it in plastic to protect it from water?...freezerburn?
Brian Gillispie
I add ice to the meat and as it melts add more, It will not freezer burn as it is not cold enough to do so.
Good stuff in this post!
If you use a cooler, leave the drain open so the meat rests on ice but is not in water. Add more ice as needed.
Start your family on a nice crock pot stew. Don't use the tenderloin, save this for grilling. Brown 1" cubes dredged in flour then slow and low heat with vegies.
Then move them up to an oven baked round stake recipe like the one in the "Cleaning and Cooking Wild Game" book from Tauton Press. My kids lick the pan, can't make enough even doubling the recipe.
Finally let them at a nice rare (no more done than medium rare) tenderloin off the grill - hot and fast cooked. This can be a mistake if you are not prepared to head back to the woods soon as they will be clamering for more.
Good Hunting!
I quess I don't know what that "gamey" taste is since I haven't tasted any deer meat that wasn't great. The only venison I've eaten was the road kill doe that was given to me and the buck that I shot. I processed the meat myself with both of them. I cut it up as soon as I could and doubled wrapped it in butcher paper.