LEARNING TO LOVE VENISON
When I was in college I lived in a one -bedroom apartment above six boys. Their idea of great food was anything made with a can opener, crock-pot or microwave-oh and of course bacon. My first Venison meal came from a crock-pot downstairs. It was fall off the bone, crock-pot tender. It was also dry, stringy and bland-at the time I didn’t understand how this was possible especially since it had been soaking in water. Eww! Five years later, that oh so awful venison roast, turned into marriage -which meant I was going to have to find a way to love cleaning, cutting, grinding, wrapping, cooking and eating Venison.
I love venison because it’s quite possibly one of the most organic meats available. It’s a leaner red meat than beef or lamb and makes a great substitute for any favorite dish.
A few things I always stick to:
Allow the meat to age. This is particularly tempting to skip during early seasons when the weather is warm and fear of spoiling the meat creeps in. Bone out the meat and store it on ice in a cooler or in an extra cold fridge. We give our meat between one and two weeks. Aging allows moisture to evaporate from the meat and create a richer flavor, while natural enzymes break down connective tissues to make it more tender.
Trim the meat really well-EVEN FOR GROUND that will be used for burger or sausage. I take particular care to remove all extra fat from venison.
Poorly trimmed sinew and arteries are the “funky-chewy” things in dad’s deer burger that used to gross you out. Excess fat is what gives meat a “gamey” flavor
Be Creative. We have almost all the same cuts available in Venison as we do with beef. Tenderloin, back strap, flank steaks and even well muscled hindquarter roast have the potential to translate into fun and fancy dishes like fajita flatbread, wellington or braised medallions with carrots and caramelized onions.
Sooooo...here it is...a yummy creative take on Venison.
Huge thank you to Joe from the Missoula River Lodge and Drive On Media for shooting and producing my first vlog (he also deserves photo credit for the awesome pile of venison).
Stick with me folks we made lots of notes for the next one!