15 Uncommon And Tasty Venison Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What seasonings go best with venison? ›

Tender cuts of venison should be prepared using quick cooking methods to a rare or medium-rare level of doneness (internal temperature of 120° to 135° F). If it is prepared past medium-rare too much moisture will be cooked out causing the meat to become dry and tough.

The best way that I've found to make sure a venison roast (bone-in or out) tender is to cook it in the crockpot or slow cooker on low for 8-9 hours, or until it is falling apart. If you cook it on low you won't dry it out. Please note that I don't recommend cooking this on high for 4-6 hours.

Naturally tender cuts like loins and tenderloin take well to high heat grilling, pan searing, or stuffing and trussing and should be served rare to medium rare. Here's my recipe for how to cook Chili Cocoa Crusted Venison Loin. Tougher muscles from the shoulder, shank or neck should be braised or stewed slow and low.

Deer fat is generally bitter, unlike beef fat. This is probably the number one reason why folks think venison, particularly ground venison, tastes gamey.

Chili powder and cumin are some of the greatest seasonings for deer meat.

Soaking: The most common soaking liquids are buttermilk, saltwater, white milk, vinegar, lemon juice and lime juice. While some hunters swear by certain soaking methods to take the “gamey” flavor away or bleed the meat after processing, others don't find it all that helpful.

You can make a good marinade from a bit of oil, red wine, a bit of vinegar, minced garlic and onion, salt and pepper (that's just one simple idea, there are lots of recipes for marinades). But in general, venison does not need to be soaked before cooking.

If those muscles are cut from the bone before the rigor mortis releases, they won't stretch back out, resulting in tight, or tough, cuts of meat. In hot weather, or a backcountry situation where starting the cooling process is critical, always err on the side of caution.

There's really very little fat in venison, so it's a pretty tricky meat to cook quickly. Most wild game cooks recommend medium-rare because if too much moisture is cooked out of the meat, it'll become tough and chewy.

Does soaking venison in milk make it tender? ›

Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least four hours, and no more than 12, before proceeding to cook it as you normally would. The calcium in milk contains enzymes that will tenderize the meat, and the main protein in milk will neutralize the gamey flavor.

Place the meat in a plastic container and keep the deer meat in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. This allows natural enzymes to break down and tenderize the meat. Keep the temperature between 32 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the meat out of the fridge and remove it from the plastic container.

You want to cook your venison until it reaches an internal temperature of 130° to 140° F and then remove it off the grill. Providing it wasn't cut too thin, it should just be slightly pink on the inside. If it is still pink on the inside that means it is still nice and moist in there too.

Simply put, overcooking venison will result in a potentially rubbery piece of meat with a gamey flavor (via Southern Living). You may have already heard others describe venison and other hunted animals as "gamey" and wondered what it meant.

Particularly for medium-rare doneness, venison needs to achieve an internal temperature of 145°F before removing from the heat, whereas ground venison must be cooked at 160°F. Additionally, a casserole dish made from venison including leftover meats must be reheated to 165°F .

You can simply pat the venison dry and season with salt and pepper before cooking, or you can marinate the cut of meat for a few hours or overnight. Personally, when it comes to venison steak and venison backstrap, I like to use a simple marinade to enhance the flavor of the venison without overpowering it.

Cooking venison steak, venison backstrap/loin and tenderloin

The best way to treat this meat is to pat it dry with a paper towel, season lightly with salt and black pepper, and use high heat and cook it to medium-rare or even rare plus.

I just usually season the deer meat the same way I would season regular beef. For example, for tacos, I just throw in a little chili powder and ground cumin and cook like normal. Same with a roast – I just season with a little salt and pepper and cook like normal.

The best side dishes to serve with venison are wild rice pilaf, roasted root vegetables, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, grilled asparagus, mushroom risotto, butternut squash, carrots and potatoes, brussels sprouts with bacon, baked potato soup, green beans with almonds, and cranberry sauce.