Now that deer season is over and the freezer is hopefully full, the best part comes with the tasty meals that follow. There are several ways to cook deer meat, or venison, and this week I thought I’d share a few recipes.
Venison is the term used to describe the meat from the various species of deer in the family, Cervidae. Let’s face it usually when things taste too good they’re unhealthy, but that’s not the case with deer meat.
Venison is lower in calories, cholesterol, and fat than most cuts of beef, pork, or lamb. Our ancestors were eating deer meat long before domesticated livestock became a staple food source. According to the USDA Nutrient Database (2007), “cooked lean venison contains approximately 150 calories per 3.5 oz serving size”. It’s high in protein and iron, yet low in saturated fat unlike most meats. Venison is also a very good source of the important vitamin B12.
Enough with all the healthy facts and on to that meal I was telling you about.
Deer Steak (Tenderloin)
12oz. deer meat (equivalent to 4 1 ½ inch thick butterflied steaks)
½ tablespoon McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 slices of bacon (optional)
4 toothpicks (optional if using bacon)
Start off by soaking your tenderloin in salt water for at least 2 hrs. no longer than 5 hrs. (optional) While your meat is soaking place 4 toothpicks in a shallow bowl of water. This will keep them from burning on the grill. Mix all ingredients above together in medium bowl. Drain meat, add to the mixture and stir all together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 to 2 hrs. minimum. For a more robust flavor marinate up to 24 hrs.
If using bacon boil the slices for 3 minutes to keep it from burning on the grill. Remove from water and cut each slice in half.
Take marinated meat and wrap one half slice of bacon around the steak until each end meets. Insert a toothpick into the bacon and meat to hold all together. Do this for each steak.
Place on preheated grill and cook on medium heat or 250 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. The key to grilling deer meat is to turn it every 3 to 5 minutes making sure not to overcook it. Venison is better cooked medium rare to medium versus well done. It will taste dry if you over cook it. That’s where the bacon comes in which helps hold the juices and flavor in the meat.
The bacon is optional however especially if you’re trying to eat healthy. The main thing is to grill on medium heat and flip often. Deer steak tenderloin is the prime cut and excellent when cooked on the grill this way.
Deer Barbeque Sandwiches
12 oz. deer roast/ham (small)
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ to 1 cup KC Masterpiece Original Barbeque Sauce
Serve on hamburger buns.
Cook roast in crock pot or on stovetop in large pot over low heat. Put enough water to cover one inch over the roast. Place bay leaf, garlic powder, onion powder and Worcestershire sauce in with roast. Cover and let cook for 5hrs. or until meat fall apart when inserting a fork.
Remove roast from water (reserve ½ cup stock from meat) and place in medium pot. Pull meat apart and add the ½ cup of stock to the meat. Stir and add in the ½ cup barbeque sauce. Cover and let simmer on low heat for 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and add more barbeque sauce if necessary. Serve on butter toasted buns with or without coleslaw.
Deer Jerky
3 to 4 pounds deer meat sliced thinly (a quarter to half inch thick strips)
4 cups Worcestershire sauce
4 cups Soy sauce
2 tablespoons seasoned salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons minced onions
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon salt
Combine all ingredients in large pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat immediately after coming to a boil and stir. Let marinade cool completely. Place meat in a large bowl (may require two) and add the marinade. Stir with hands to coat evenly. Refrigerate and let marinate for 2 to 3 days. Stir meat every 12 hours to make sure all meat gets marinated.
Dehydrate at 145 degrees for 7 to 10 hrs. Start checking meat after about 4hrs. You may have to flip it over and rotate trays. Remove each piece as it becomes done. Let cool completely and store in air tight container.
The dehydrating process takes several hours so talking from experience I suggest you start it in the morning.
These are but a few ways to prepare venison. Deer burger is a good substitute for ground beef in taco’s, taco salad, chili, lasagna and meatballs. I also like to take chunks of marinated venison and use them on kabobs. Left over deer steak tenderloin, that’s if there are any leftovers, can be sliced thinly and added to a hoagie bun with a slice of cheese for a good sandwich. Or you can make a Philly deer steak sandwich this way instead of the traditional Philly cheese steak.
I hope you find these recipes and suggestions helpful and tasty. Enjoy.