Cooking Venison

Ever since my Affordable Organic post, in which I detailed our deer meat processing, several people have asked me about cooking venison. (This is especially for my cousin Jeana!)

Deer meat can be a delicious and much healthier alternative to traditional red meat, but it does take a little more time in preparation. Here are a few tips I've learned through the years, and feel free to post any other tips you might know.

1. When eating ground deer, it goes best with soups, chilis, and burgers. To make patties, add a little thickener to help hold the patties together. I like to add 1-2 eggs and about 1/2 c. oatmeal for about 2 lbs meat. You could also soak a couple pieces of bread in milk and work into the meat, much like you would do a meatloaf. Also, to remove some of the wild taste, add a clove or two of fresh garlic to the mixture. Garlic and deer meat are a great combination.

2. To cook a great burger, add a little Dale's sauce to your patties as you cook them. It's best to let them brown completely on one side before flipping, to help hold the patties together.

3. To thaw deer meat, plan ahead and thaw it slowly in the refrigerator. Remember that it can be bloody, so you'll want to place it in a bowl.

4. For a boneless roast, a shoulder or hind quarter, or for tenderloin, I always marinate my meat. Thaw one day, marinate the next, and cook that evening. This isn't really a marinade so much as it is a "soak". In other words, you soak the meat in it for a day or overnight, then drain and lightly rinse it before cooking, and it removes the wild taste and blood, and makes the meat very tender. I've worked for years to perfect this, and now I can truly enjoy cooking Jason's (and Caleb's!) game.

1 1/2 c. water

2 Tbsp. salt

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 c. olive oil

2 tsp. red wine vinegar

Remember that this marinade is not for flavor; it is to remove the blood and wild taste from the meat. You'll still need to season it as you cook it, and I always add meat tenderizer as well. (I personally like Kroger brand seasoned meat tenderizer.)

5. My favorite way to eat deer meat is fried tenderloin patties. (Isn't everything better fried?) Marinate your meat; drain off marinade; tenderize meat with tenderizer seasoning as well as a tenderizing kitchen gadget. Dip in milk and then flour, or just flour, then fry. Add biscuits and gravy for a good Southern meal that was definitely worth your time.

Enjoy!