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..  

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.
 

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!    

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.   ...hmmmm, me thinks you're going to need more Sam Adams.      

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.