Venison is one of the most popular wild game varieties.Early American colonists relied on deer to get them through the long and hard winters.venison was an exotic alternative to beef, pork, and poultry when farming replaced hunting.Lean venison can be just as delicious as beef or other meats.The prep time for Venison Steaks is 20 minutes and the total time is 30 minutes.
Step 1: Only venison that has been field-dressed is used.
The longer the meat is on the deer carcass, the harder it becomes.Choose deer meat that was cut, skinned, wrapped and refrigerated quickly by a professional or an experienced deer butcher.After being dressed out, Venison should be aged for at least 10 days.The gaminess of the meat can be reduced by allowing it to dry out.
Step 2: All visible fat needs to be removed.
venison fat does not taste good and will not do anything for the texture of the meat.Before attempting to cook your venison, use a sharp knife to trim away the tissue and fat.Deer fat can be used to make soaps and suets for birds.You'll want to remove the "Silverskin" if it hasn't already been done.It can be difficult to peel off the meat, but it will improve the flavor and make it easier to cook.
Step 3: Before cooking the meat, make sure it isMarinated.
Venison has a strong, gamey flavor that you can highlight or mask, depending on the cut and what you want to do with it.Learning how to match a cut to a marinade will help you tenderize the meat and add flavor.The best way to store venison is in a Ziplock bag in the fridge.Use thinner cuts with larger cuts.Marinading a large roast is pointless because the overnightMarinate will only penetrate about an inch into the meat.To get the most out of the process, use thin strips of flank or backstrap.You can make your own Italian salad dressing with half a cup of olive oil, a clove of garlic, and a dash of brown mustard and Italian seasoning.sautee half a finely-chopped yellow onion and 3-4 cloves of garlic in butter until translucentAdd two cups of tomato sauce, a half cup of apple cider, apple Cider Vinegar, and brown sugar, as well as two ounces of chili powder.If you don't like the "gaminess" of venison, use a citrus-based marinade.It is possible to make venison more appealing to children and less adventurous eaters by using citrine.A half-cup of lime juice mixed with a half cup of olive oil, half a cup, chopped cilantro, and a pinch of ground cumin is all you need.
Step 4: Substitute the fat from another animal.
venison lacks the "marbling" needed to keep it moist and tender, making it very easy to dry it out.Many experienced venison cooks will "bard" or "lard" the meat with another fat source, such as butter, margarine, oil, or bacon fat.Adding fat to the meat is Barding.The best place to use this method is on the grill or in the skillet.You can brush some melted butter or olive oil onto the side of the meat that is still hot after turning it over.Through little cuts, fat is inserted into the meat.The method works well for larger cuts of meat that you cook in the oven.Use the tip of a chef's knife to cut through the thick parts of your roast venison, then push small cuts of bacon or pork into the slit.The fat will help keep the meat moist.
Step 5: The cut should match the cooking method.
Different cuts are better for cooking.Some are great cooked up as steaks, while others are better stew meats or candidates for venison sausage.If you have a specific dish in mind and want to get the right venison for the job, or if you need to find the best vehicle for your cuts, backstraps or tenderloin are usually the most desirable cut.It can be served medium.Roasts from the lower hams should be cooked at a low temperature for a long period of time to make them tender.The most versatile section of venison is the top half of the hams.After being properly-tenderized, this meat can be used for a variety of purposes.The lower ribs, the belly, and the neck are where the stew meat should come from.If you have a meat grinder, you can make excellent ground venison or venison sausage.
Step 6: Steak can be cooked in a skillet.
venison steaks can be cooked on a hot grill or in a very hot skillet on the stove.The ability to sear the meat and cook it to the proper internal temperature is essential for a venison steak cooked properly.If you want to make the meat smokey, you should use a gas grill or charcoal grill.Before grilling, heat the coals for 30 minutes.The venison steak can be cooked in a cast-iron skillet.Before cooking, add a small amount of olive oil to the pan.To get the right sear on the outside, the pan needs to be hot.When the oil is about to stop, add the steak.
Step 7: The steak needs to be brought up to room temperature.
If you want your venison steak to be at an even temperature throughout, it's important to take it out of the refrigerator and any marinade you've used before cooking it.Adding a steak to a hot pan or grill grate just out of the fridge will make it difficult to cook it to the proper internal temperature without burning the outside black.A better finished product can be achieved by cooking room-temperature meat.
Step 8: Salt and pepper both sides of the steak.
Just before the steak goes on the heat, it's a good idea to sprinkle fresh-cracked pepper and salt on both sides.Salting the meat too early can cause it to be tough, so it's better to wait.
Step 9: Sear both sides.
If you want to cook a steak at medium-high heat, add it to a skillet just as the oil smokes, or to the grill over the hottest part of the coals.If you don't hear a distinctive sizzle when adding the steak, you should remove the meat right away and wait until it gets hotter.The meat should be cooked 3-4 minutes on each side to get a proper crust on the outside, then moved to a cooler part of the grill, or the skillet needs to be turned down.If you're cooking your steak in a cast-iron skillet, remember that your skillet will hold the temperature for a long time and stay hot, so after giving it a sear, it's probably ok to turn the heat off completely to avoid scorching the outside of the steak.The thickness of your steak will affect the length of the sear.Steaks that are more than an inch thick should only be in the pan for a few minutes at a time.Check the underside of the meat to make sure it isn't cooked over-cooked.The internal temperature of venison is 130 F.It will get tougher at 150.Steaks that are more than 2 inches thick will need a cooler part of the grill to cook them for a bit longer, or they'll need to have the heat turned down on the skillet.
Step 10: Remove the meat with butter.
The answer is butter, if you've ever wondered why your steaks at home don't turn out as well as steaks ordered at a restaurant.After turning the meat over, it's a good idea to brush a little butter on the top to keep it moist.If you're cooking the steak in the skillet, you should add a pat of butter to the pan to make it easier to cook it.
Step 11: The steak needs to be cooked to medium.
Turn the steak once and cook it for 3-4 minutes on each side.When venison is ready to come off the heat and rest, it's a good idea to periodically feel the done-ness of the meat with your finger.If you want a good short-hand to steak done-ness, you should touch your finger to your thumb and then use your other hand to feel the palm of your hand.The same resistance should be offered by meat cooked rare.Medium-rare meat should feel like your thumb, ring finger, and pinkie if cooked well.
Step 12: Rest the steak for a long time.
Allow the steak to rest on a plate or a cutting board for at least five minutes before slicing into it.The meat will retain its juices, rather than spilling them out onto the plate, because this will allow the muscle fibers to cool down.If you cover it at this point, the meat will continue to cook.You can slice the steaks against the grain or serve them whole.
Step 13: The roast is made with aromatics and bacon.
After cleaning up your roast by trimming it of fat, silverskin, and connective tissue, make several slit into the meat, about an inch wide and two inches deep.The cuts should be all over the meat.Stuffing the roast with aromatic vegetables and a fat source, like bacon, will help to inject flavor and moistness into the meat.For aromatics, use whole cloves of garlic.If you want to add fat, chopped bacon is the best option.
Step 14: It's best to coat the roast with dried herbs.
Dry rubs are good for venison.You can mix up your own dry rub with a variety of flavors.It's very difficult to screw up with different dry rubs.Take a few dry rub spices and rub them into the meat.For a basic dry rub, mix up equal portions of oregano, basil, parsley, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper.For a whole-seed dry rub, toast up a quarter-cup of each of the seeds in a dry skillet.Remove them from the pan and crack them with a knife.There is a mixture of dried chili powder, paprika, and brown sugar.Many venison-enthusiasts swear by brine roasting in a salt brine overnight.Salt-brines can help tenderize meat.Allow the meat to be refrigerated for several hours before baking.
Step 15: The roast should be baked in the pan on the bed of vegetables.
Lining the bottom of your baking pan with vegetables will help to keep the meat out of the pan, resulting in a more even distribution of heat, as well as adding flavor and fragrance to the dish.Vegetables that are common for the job are onions, carrots, potatoes, and celery.You don't need to be pretty to chop your vegetables into big pieces.The meat juices will season the vegetables as they cook.Adding water or chicken stock to the bottom of the pan is a good way to keep venison from drying out.This will help to keep the inside of the oven moist and keep meat from drying out.
Step 16: Roast at 325 F for about 3 hours.
Wrap the meat around the vegetables with tin foil.The juices from the bottom of the pan should be put into the oven and baked for three hours.If you like venison, you can remove it when it's reached an internal temperature between 130 F and 150 F.It will start to toughen if it's any higher.Remove the roast from the pan and let it rest for a while before cutting it into slices.You can use the pan drippings to make gravy.
Step 17: Your stew meat should be brown.
In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat some olive oil and brown your stew meat on all sides.venison doesn't need to be cooked all the way through, and you should avoid cooking it as much as possible.To build up good color on the bottom of your pan, and to create a layer of flavor, you want to char the outside of the meat.It's a good thing if brownish stuff builds up.A pound of good stew meat can be taken from the ham, neck, or rib section of the venison.It should be cut into smaller pieces.When starting a roux, it is a good idea to dust the stew meat with a little bit of white flour.You don't need to use much more than a small amount of meat.
Step 18: Add aromatics.
Remove the meat from the pan and add the vegetables you want to include in the stew, starting with the heartiest and moving to the lightest.To make sure everything cooks at the same time, you want to add the vegetables that need the longest time cooking first.You would add root vegetables first and then add mushrooms, peas, and fresh basil last.To make a basic stew, add two potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces, two carrots, and a white onion.When the onion starts to become translucent, turn the heat down to medium.Continue cooking for a minute or two after adding three or four cloves of garlic.The pan should be legalized when the vegetables start to brown.
Step 19: The pan should be deglazed.
The bottom of the pan should be covered with good color and flavor, but you can only get it up by adding some liquid and stirring vigorously.Two or three cups of dry red wine, dark beer, or chicken stock can be used to deglaze.If you want, you can use a combination of liquids, or use half water and half of another liquid.After pouring the liquid, it should bubble up and calm down.Season the stew to taste after you stir the bottom of the up.Salt and pepper would complement each other nicely.When the liquid just reaches a boil, return the meat to the pot and turn the temperature back up.To keep the soup moving, stir periodically.When the soup gets to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot.
Step 20: Cook at a low temperature for several hours.
Cook the pot for at least an hour and as many as three or four.Longer cooking time and lower temperature will ensure that stew meat is very tender and tasty, making it important that you save enough time to cook it.When the meat gets a chance to break down more, it will be even better.If you want to add more vegetables, like mushrooms, you should wait until 10 or 15 minutes before you're ready to eat, or they'll cook down into mush.A bowl of venison stew was finished with fresh-chopped parsley.It's a great idea to serve a meal with cornbread or French bread.
Step 21: venison can be used alongside other meat.
venison works well for burgers, meat loaves, and as a general alternative to ground beef, but it's perfect for chili.Whether you want to make a straight-up venison chili or combine venison with a small amount of stew beef or pork sausage, it's a great base for a chili.A pound can make up to 12 ounces."Chili meat" refers to a specific coarseness of grind.Purchase your own meat grinder or have your deer processor grind up some chili meat for you.If you like a more Texas-style chili, stew meat chunks would be more appropriate, and you'll probably want to cook it at a lower temperature for a longer period of time.
Step 22: Take the venison and onions and cook them.
Add a small amount of cooking oil to the bottom of the stew pot.Use a wooden spoon to stir the meat.Before it becomes dark, add one medium chopped yellow onion, a diced red pepper, and three or four cloves of garlic to the venison.
Step 23: Add some tomatoes to the base.
When the onions start to brown, it's time to add the beans and tomatoes.If you want, you can use a mixture of red beans, navy beans and garbanzo beans.It should be about 12 ounces.An 18 oz. can be used.The bass for the chili will be provided by a can of crushed tomatoes and tomato paste.If you want to use fresh tomatoes, you should start with about four ripe tomatoes.If the chili needs more water, add it.Follow the chili recipe you like to make if beans aren't your thing.Venison can be used in most green chili recipes and other types of regional chili.If you like the flavors and seasonings you use, you might like venison better.
Step 24: If you want to add more chili powder, add three or four.
The chili should be seasoned to your liking.If you like it strong, you can add more chili powder, along with any other spices you want.Add aromatics if you don't like chili strong.To make it taste better, add salt and pepper to it.You need a bit of chili powder to get that distinctive chili taste.At a time.You can add more later.
Step 25: Bring it to a boil over low heat for at least an hour.
After turning the heat to low, pop the lid and let the chili cook for a couple hours.The meat should cook in 30 minutes or so, but the flavors will come together with at least an hour or two of slow cooking.If necessary, add more chili powder after thirty minutes.You can serve with cornbread.You can either transfer the chili to a slow cooker and let it sit all day, or overnight, to really let the flavors blend.The longer it cooks, the better it will be.