Hunters have been out in droves participating in the challenge of bringing back the trophy animal. The challenge is exciting but some may be wondering how to cook the meat once they bring it home. Others may just want to try new recipes for variety.
Venison and beef are similar in carcass structure. Each, however, has its own distinctive flavor. Venison has less fat distributed in the muscle fiber and the fat outer covering is limited or extremely thin. Venison also may be coarser or more stringy in texture. Favorite methods of preparing beef might be used on similar cuts of venison. Here are some tips to make the most of your game:
Use herbs, spices, condiments and vegetables such as tomatoes, onions and garlic to improve strong-flavored meat.
Pound tougher steaks and chops before cooking to help break up long meat fibers sometimes found in elk meat.
Trim fat from game meat. Strong flavors are more pronounced in the fat than in the meat itself.
Use moist heat methods such as braising or stewing for shoulder and neck cuts, shank, flank and meat from older animals. Pressure cookers or slow cookers work great to supply necessary moisture and tenderize tougher cuts. Cooking time will depend on the age of the animal and condition of the meat.
Broiling and roasting are recommended for tender cuts—sirloin, back, ribs, round and shoulder steaks from young animals. A 1” deer sirloin steak will require about 15-20 minutes to reach the medium done stage. Elk steaks will take a little longer than the corresponding beef steak.
To increase tenderness or change flavor of tougher venison cuts, meat may be soaked in tomato juice, lemon or other fruit juices that are slightly acidic or in a weak vinegar solution.
Commercial tenderizers are helpful in tenderizing meats.
Serve meat piping hot because the fat solidifies readily.
To oven roast: rub salt into surface of the roast and place in an uncovered pan. Insert a meat thermometer into the center of the largest muscle, being careful to avoid contact with bone or fat. Roast at a constant oven temperature of 300-350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes for each pound or to an internal temperature of 170 degrees F. All game has a dark surface when roasted and may appear to be done before it actually is.
To braise: brown meat on all sides in fat in a heavy skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Add small amount of liquid oil necessary. Cover tightly. Cook at low temperature until tender.
For stewing: brown meat on both sides in own fat or in other fat when this is desirable. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with liquid, cover kettle, cook below boiling point until tender. Add vegetables just long enough to be cooked before serving.
Venison Casserole
2 lbs round steak, cut 1” thick
4 Tbs shortening or butter
Flour mixture: 4 medium potatoes, cubed
½ cup flour
2 medium onions, sliced
2 tsp salt 2 carrots, sliced
½ tsp pepper 1 green pepper cut in strips
1/8 tsp oregano 3 cups beef bouillon
1. Cut steak into serving pieces.
2. Make flour mixture by combining flour, salt, pepper and oregano.
3. Pound ¼ cup flour mixture into the meat.
4. Brown meat in shortening and place in a casserole or baking dish.
5. Place a layer of vegetables on meat, sprinkle with half the remaining flour.
6. Repeat a layer of vegetables and flour.
7. Pour bouillon over top, cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Uncover and cook ½ hour longer. Serves 6-8
Roast Venison with Marinade
3-4 lb venison roast 1 tsp salt
6 cloves garlic ½ tsp pepper
Marinade: 1 clove garlic, crushed
½ cup tarragon vinegar 1 strip orange peel
1 cup boiling water ¼ tsp nutmeg
2 bay leaves 3 Tbs onions, minced
1. Place venison roast in bowl or crock.
2. Prepare marinade by combining all ingredients and pour over meat. Leave meat in marinade for 12-24 hours. Turn meat in mixture a couple of time during this period
3. Remove meat from marinade and brown quickly in small amount of fat in a heavy skillet.
4. Push pieces of garlic into the meat. Wrap the roast in heavy foil and cook in oven 350 degrees for 1-2 hours or until tender.
Tips on cooking game meat
Elk DWR