How can I like the taste of venison

Ditt44

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 30, 2023
Messages
260
Location
PA
Quick, easy, delicious... grandma's recipe, mostly :)

I prefer steak cuts but you can use back straps, chunks of hind quarter, about any cuts honestly. Assume about one pound or as much as you like to serve the number of people you may have. If cooking for just yourself, I would make one 1/2 pound and save the rest for the next day. I don't care for warmed up venison, I would eat it cold before reheating.

Cut the meat into small chunks or strips, I usually do about one inch long by half inch wide but keep them about that size and not too think.

Trim ALL of the fat, silver, any connective tissue you can remove, cut it out, trim tight. This takes longer than all the cook time but prep is vital to good flavor and texture.

Lay the meat out flat and group together so that you can move your seasoning grinders or sprinkle over them evenly and limit waste.

Salt, sea salt preferred and be sure to get every piece.
Black pepper (grinder works great, just spread evenly over all pieces).
Onion powder, don't over do it
Garlic powder, don't over do it

Leave the meat to sit for 20 minutes or so and allow the seasoning to work.

In a small bowl, place about 1/2 cup of flour, you can add more later if necessary
Roll the chunks, about five or six at a time in the flour and place on a plate or your cutting board

Black iron skillet preferred but any large skillet which will allow all the pieces to lay in contact with the skillet.

Heat your skillet to a medium/low. I have propane so I go to about a level 4 on the dial.
Butter... 1/2 stick drop in a few slices and move them around to coat the skillet as it's heating. When the butter starts to bubble or turn brown, place the meat in the skillet.

You can give another quick coat of salt and pepper if you like, I usually do once they're laid in.

Move the pieces around and flip them after about 1 1/2 minutes to 2 minutes. I often wait to see blood come up to the surface of the upper side of the pieces, then flip them all.

After another two minutes, watch for the blood to clear. Turn your heat down to the lowest setting, TASTE a piece. If done, remove them from the skillet immediately. If not quite done, turn OFF the heat and let them lay maybe another 30 seconds to one minute and remove from the skillet.

They should be very tender, well flavored and have just a hint of crispy edges and if you did it right, they'll melt in your mouth!

A little red wine on the side, mashed garlic potatoes, and a green veggie and you are set.

My grandmother used McCormick's Season All and that's awesome as well here.
 
Joined
Oct 24, 2022
Messages
1,158
Location
NE PA
Obvious mentioned points: meat/game prep, over-cooking, and under-cooking. Venison has low fat marbling, so rare to medium-rare is typically best. I see milk soaks mentioned but, take my word on this, use buttermilk (you can even make your own buttermilk, with the addition of vinegar or lemon juice, I believe). Another thing to try is dry-brining your "least-detested" cut in Montreal Steak Seasoning for 24hrs, in the fridge, prior to cooking!
 

Gone4Days

WKR
Joined
Oct 29, 2021
Messages
695
My family doesn’t like venison too much (wife & 2 daughters). I make almost all my venison into brats, smoked sausage, summer sausage, kielbasa, etc….. they will eat that stuff all day. Also, with whole muscle venison I smoke it on the smoker and it’s good.
 
Joined
Apr 6, 2024
Messages
35
Corned venison is a favorite. Just like you’d do corned beef. It’s great warm and better cold and sliced the next day! Good way to use up some roasts.
 
Joined
Jan 24, 2020
Messages
10
I can’t seem to enjoy the taste of venison, even though I’ve eaten about 4 deer and decided to start hunting to be less reliant on the factory farming industry. I’ve tried preparing it all sorts of ways. Is there something I’m missing? Should I stop hunting?
mix it in with recipes, its not beef, and it wont replace it in most situations
 
Joined
Jun 7, 2018
Messages
476
Location
South Carolina

He’s a big boy for a reason. My main go to guy for smoking meats and good grilling/smoking recipes of all types.

Don’t have to have a smoker either. You can do this in the oven.

I made my meat pocket ahead of time and seasoned all aspects with a prime rib rub (forget brand). Put back in fridge until 2 hours prior to cooking.

Wife doesn’t care for whole cuts of venison without marinades, fajitas, etc. While this is a “doctored” recipe, she loved it.

I’d suggest pre cooking your bacon just a tad before wrapping the back strap, or if your oven has a roast function, go that route with raw.


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Joined
Apr 3, 2024
Messages
29
Location
East Kentucky
One thing I learned from a good friend of mine who has processed 100’s of deer is to never cut through the bone, debone all the meat and until he showed me about the glands inside the meat, I had no idea! If you take to a packing house most of them just grind those up with the meat, which gives it the gamey taste people talk about. My family eats around 5 or 6 deer per year and many people who say they hate deer meat have eaten it with us and never knew the difference from beef! I will say the pork fat is a great addition! The other mistake mentioned several times is don’t overcook your steaks!
 

recam1024

FNG
Joined
May 22, 2013
Messages
11
Didn't LOVE it until I started processing my own. I totally agree with the post above regarding gland removal, not overcooking & comparisons to beef!
 
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