Venison recipes

[momskitchen]

Help! I've got a freezer full.

[eksophia]

From northern WI/central MN, this is my favorite go-to venison meal:
First, make sure to trim all of the fat and silver skin off the venison-very important, especially if you've got meat from an older animal or one that probably spent some time in a swampy area! Then, soak it in baking soda water for about half an hour. Remove and rinse thoroughly with cool water. I like to braise it and start out slowly with a couple changes of water until you don't find any "scum" on the water. Now, center the cut in the pot and add enough water and red table wine to come up to about half way on the meat. At this point I loosely cover it and watch it. You want to slow cook it on the stove top for at least 2 hrs. I usually do more like 4. So, keep adding liquid as it cooks off and when you get to about an hour before you're done, toss in a packet of onion soup mix, a can of sliced mushrooms (or fresh is even better!) and some more wine.
The main points I've found are to: Remove all fat and silver skin, add some strong flavors, and keep it moist and cook slowly.
I serve this with mashed baked buttercup squash, and roasted potatoes and carrots and it is to die for! Even friends who "don't eat venison" love this meal!

[megjp]

What a timely 'bump' you've given this thread; I still have a small venison roast in my freezer, hunted then gifted from a friend of my parents.

I was going to roast it more or less dry in the oven, like I did last year when I crusted an elk roast with chopped pistachios, but I feel I was exceptionally lucky to get that done to a T (especially as my meat thermometer was MIA). Remembering that, I was having doubts this time -- wondering if a stewing prep might be less prone to error but unsure whether it'd end well. Thanks for the tips! :)

[eksophia]

You are very welcome! If you try it this way tell me what you think. I hope you really enjoy it! :)
P.S. the elk roast with pistachios sounds excellent!

[visciole]

I make pretty much anything you'd make with beef with venison, and it all works great. The only things you need to keep in mind are that venison A) cooks faster than beef if you are roasting or grilling or pan-frying the good cuts, and B) has a lot less fat, so you can add oil or butter as you choose, if you want to make up for this.

Steak au poivre is great with the tenderloins.

I like the lean quality of venison and have made many a pot of chili, Bolognese sauce, stew, goulash, etc. without adding much extra fat. Do not be afraid to substitute it for beef in most any recipe. If you have a pressure cooker this is a great way to use the less tender cuts.

Also if you have a grinder make your own burgers, ground meat, and sausage. For the latter you will need to add fat, though IMHO less than most recipes demand.

I love Marcella Hazan's Italian recipes and have used venison in her Bolognese sauce recipe, meatloaf, and polpettine (Italian meatballs).

Enjoy!

[Terrie H.]

One of my favorite recipes is a venison and Guinness stew with horseradish and mustard dumplings. I don't have access to venison and make it with beef, but it would be perfect for a braising cut of venison.

My uncle used to marinate venison ribs in a mustard-based sauce and grill. Not much meat on them but quite tasty.

[momskitchen]

I would love to have the recipe - mustard dumplings sound great!

[Terrie H.]

I did a search to see if the recipe from my little UK cookbook was out there, and it was (lazy me was hoping not to type it all up)!

http://www.shonaskitchen.co.za/recipe...

I make my own dumpling recipe and add horseradish, mustard and fresh thyme rather than going with the beef suet dumpling the recipe includes. I know juniper berries aren't a common ingredient in much cooking, but it is very worth getting when you have a freezer full of venison.

I hope you enjoy it.

[sunshine842]

Venison is very lean compared to beef, so you need to be careful it doesn't dry out -- braising, larding -- anything to maintain the moisture levels. Tenderloins can be grilled, of course.

Lucky, lucky you.

[Lady_Tenar]

Venision chili, yummmm!!! Also, once some venision stew meat inspired me to try making a stew that made use of other native North American ingedients. I braised the meat and included some cranberries and a touch of pure, grade B (much better!) maple syrup in the braise, which gave it a delicious sweet-tartness and a really complex flavor. I thickened the stew with gumbo file powder (ground, dried sassafras, a native plant) and I think I included a few juniper berries as one of the seasonings. I served it over polenta (because, you know, maize). It. Was. Awesome. You could use any of the tougher cuts, with plenty of connective tissue.

I also once had a goulash made with venison. It was pretty out-of-this world. Damn, I want a freezer full of venison too!

[RUK]

Lucky you!!
I treat the different cuts just as I would prepare Beef, except I have never grilled it in any shape or form.
Soaking some of the "lesser cuts" overnight in buttermilk greatly improves texture. I love Venison Burgers with the usual trimmings, but I add my seasonings to the meat before I shape the patties. Venison makes awesome Chili, Goulash, Pot roast etc. Sometimes I mix it with Pork /sausages or similar for additional flavor.

[marisold]

My husband, the hunter, grills the sliced tenderloins after marinating them overnight. They are scrumptious! He does that every year for his employees and even the ones who think they hate venison love them. Marinade: soy sauce, a sliced onion, fresh ginger, vegetable oil, water, and a clove or two of garlic.

[momskitchen]

I am trying a similar recipe like your hubby's today.

[visciole]

+1, but we don't even marinate. The good cuts can absolutely be grilled plain and are delicious. Just do not overcook them! They are very lean and cook much more quickly than beef. They taste best rare. Coat with a bit of oil before grilling.