Venison recipes?

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread

Last night our neighbor brought over a huge sack of fresh venison. My husband usually handles it, but he's away, so what do I do with it? It seems to me that I've heard it needs to "rest" for several weeks before preparing. If so, do I wait to cut it up and freeze portions of it? I've found some interesting recipes, but I'm wondering how you all cook it. It looks like there's some tenderloin and a hock. My husband usually stews it, but I'd like to try something else if possible. Thanks for any suggestions. (I looked but couldn't find a previous thread on this subject which surprises me.)

-- Katherine in KY (KyKatherine@Yahoo.com), November 13, 2001

Answers

The tenderloin is best eaten fresh. Cut into medallion shaped pieces and fry in a little olive oil (or butter) with fresh garlic, onion and mushrooms to your own taste preference. If the "hock" is actually a front quarter roast, you can freeze it and then later roast it whole like you would a beef roast with similar spices. Or you can then cut it up and make a nice stew with the pieces. I've always spiced my venison very simply with garlic, onion, oregano, salt & pepper, and occasionally juniper berries if you can find them and sometimes barbecue sauce. I've never had what people sometimes refer to as "that gamey flavor". In fact, some people I've served venison to think they're getting really good, lean beef. The key to having that front quarter turn out well is to get it chilled or frozen as quickly as possible after butchering and to bake it slow and covered. In Wisconsin, we hang the deer for several days in the cold before butchering and this ages it pretty well, but we're having an unusually warm fall, so after our recent zone T hunt, we got our meat into the freezer as quickly as possible (except the tenderloin, which was devoured by the hunters that night). Good Luck, hope this helps.

-- Rose Marie Wild (wintersongfarm@yahoo.com), November 13, 2001.

WHAT AN EXCELLENT GIFT. YOU CAN SLICE AND FREZE THE MEAT FOR LATER USE. IF YOU WANT TO YOU CAN BEAT AND BATTER WITH FLOOR AND FRY LIKE CHICKEN FRIED STEAK. YOU CAN SLOW COOK IN CROCK POT WITH SLICED POTATOS ALSO. SHOULD YOU NEED MORE INFO EMAIL ME. THANKS

-- LORETTA REED (JOHNRAY@WF.NET), November 13, 2001.

Find a good beef burgundy recipe and use the venison instead of beef. The red wine and mushrooms go extremely well with venison.

-- Jane (flynn4@netzero.net), November 13, 2001.

Here's a website with lots of very practical and tasty venison recipes. http://martin.ces.state.nc.us/newsletters/newsarticles/wildrecipes/lis t.html

-- Marvin in Nebraska (brinmg@hotmail.com), November 13, 2001.

My whole family is hunters,so we eat ALOT of venison..much more so than beef or pork.I just cook it anyway i would beef,keeping in mind that it is drier meat and you dont want to over cook it.We never have a problem wit gamey taste..the trick is field dress immediatly,bleed well..rinse well..we often butcher and freeze the same day its killed.

-- Michelle (davmic25@hotmail.com), November 13, 2001.


We always eat the tenderloins fresh and then cut up and can the rest of it (sometimes with onions). this makes for great, easy-care starts for meals, such as casseroles, soups, etc. - nice and tender, yet tastes like it cooked all day! this year, we're going to can some ground venison w/tomatoes and onions and use this meat sauce for Italian dishes and Mexican ones, just by adding various spices.

-- Leslie in MO (whomestead@hotmail.com), November 13, 2001.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ