Thread: Venison
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~patches~
 
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Default Venison

hob wrote:

> "~patches~" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>DH called around dinner time last night. The guys got their first deer.
>> DH did a fair amount of shooting himself - camera only! I can't wait
>>to see the pics and experiment cooking venison. Here's a list of what I
>>would like to make - bbq venison steaks, hunter's pie, hunter's stew,
>>venison sausage, venison jerky, venison chili, and venison meatloaf.
>>It's time to search for a few recipes, not so much for the actual recipe
>>but for what herbs and spices go well with venison as well as methods.

>
>
> Some observations, from my experience with Midwest and Wyoming deer.
>
> Often hunters will improperly prepare the carcass by leaving it out to hang
> warm for (and I kid you not) "a few weeks". The carcass needs to be handled
> like domestic animals (bled head down, cleaned, cooled) to avoid a "bloody
> taste" - or you will be doing a lot of cover-the-taste stewing with extra
> bay leaves.


The deer was hung by the time DH called. He said it would be taken to
the abbatoir's in the morning for processing. The two hunters in their
party have hunted since wee lads so know what their doing. DH and the
other bloke are just along for the pics, poker, partying, and food.
Neither hunt or fish and neither have any desire to do so.
>
> Venison takes on the taste of what the deer ate - mule deer from sagebrush
> areas have a "piney" taste, whitetails from corn country are mild. Taste a
> meal of the meat before spicing and THEN use your judgment - or you might
> get juniper-on-pine flavor.


The hunt camp is about 15 min from Huntsville, Ontario up near Algonquin
Provincial Park. I think a piney taste will be more likely given the area.
>
> Venison has a high temperature fat that clings to the top of your mouth if
> the meat is not served hot (warmed plate!)


Oh, that is good to know!

>
> The meat is kind of dry. Thus it benefits from a "wet fat" like butter or
> pork fat.
>
> The chops are fried thru (it is wild meat) kind of like pork but not
> overcooked and served hot.(I prefer frying it in butter or butter/lard) The
> restaurant trick of a bit of clear melted butter brushed on top just before
> pulling it from the pan helps
> Mint jelly is an excellent "garnish". .
>
> The ground meat needs to have most of the fat removed before grinding, and
> suet added in its place, or it ends up kind of oddly dry to the palate.
>
> Dried venison is excellent. We used to have the processor put the carcass
> into chops and a couple steaks, have the haunches dried, and the rest
> ground. (He shaved the dried for us)
>
> Anything other than chops: trim the fat to minimum and fry it in butter.


Thanks for the butter tip. I likely would have used olive oil but will
use butter instead. I have a couple of jars of mint jelly so that will
be great. Here I thought mint jelly was mainly for lamb. I'll stop at
the butchershop for so suet too.

>
> Sausages are quite dry - any palatable we had were those where the venison
> was mixed with fatty pork. (I always wondered how venison sausage would turn
> out with heavy cream/bacon added. Never tried it, though.).


Ok, that is very useful information so I'll pick up some ground pork as
well. One of the guys in our boating group makes venison sausage.
Apparently it is supposed to be quite good. I'm kicking myself for not
asking for the recipe right then and there. I don't have his contact
info but can get it going through a chain of people. I'm sure he'll
share his recipe.
>
> hope it helps.......


Thanks so much. It really does help.
>
>
>