Deer Recipes?
- Thread starter Stone
- Start date
Stone,
On edit, I've added a few more thoughts...Based on my limited experience with venison, I'd opt for backstrap (tenderloin) on the wsm at high temps., grind up the balance for chili and sausage. I've cooked backstrap a number of times and used other cuts in various recipes. Proper handling of the tenderloin will optimize the quality of your meat. I don't hunt, so I can't help you with those points; but I do have friends that have told me countless times you can really tell the difference between a properly butchered deer and one that wasn't. The bottom line is the tenderness will suffer if care is not taken.
Venison is very lean so with the backstrap, make sure you do not over cook it(keep it to med at most); otherwise it will be tough. I prefer to grill it, but that can be easily done with the wsm. Drop a piece of your favorite wood; pecan or apple maybe, don't use water, sand or any other heat sink and grill it to med-rare. Natural accompaniments with venison are: apples, cherries, red currants, juniper berries, mushrooms, black pepper, thyme, red wine vinegar and red wine. Using a few of those ingredients you could come up with a rub and a finishing sauce. Here's one sauce courtesy of Charlie Palmer:
2 C Beaujolais wine
2 finely minced shallots
1 herb sachet including thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns
1.5 C good venison glace or veal glace
Begin by reducing the wine, shallots, and sachet to 1/2 cup of liquid. Add the glace and reduce by 1/2 (about 20 minutes at medium simmer). Skim the sauce and strain into a bowl. (There are many recipes online for a glace. Substitute the veal in this one for venison. Or adapt this recipe using beef broth.)
Paul
On edit, I've added a few more thoughts...Based on my limited experience with venison, I'd opt for backstrap (tenderloin) on the wsm at high temps., grind up the balance for chili and sausage. I've cooked backstrap a number of times and used other cuts in various recipes. Proper handling of the tenderloin will optimize the quality of your meat. I don't hunt, so I can't help you with those points; but I do have friends that have told me countless times you can really tell the difference between a properly butchered deer and one that wasn't. The bottom line is the tenderness will suffer if care is not taken.
Venison is very lean so with the backstrap, make sure you do not over cook it(keep it to med at most); otherwise it will be tough. I prefer to grill it, but that can be easily done with the wsm. Drop a piece of your favorite wood; pecan or apple maybe, don't use water, sand or any other heat sink and grill it to med-rare. Natural accompaniments with venison are: apples, cherries, red currants, juniper berries, mushrooms, black pepper, thyme, red wine vinegar and red wine. Using a few of those ingredients you could come up with a rub and a finishing sauce. Here's one sauce courtesy of Charlie Palmer:
2 C Beaujolais wine
2 finely minced shallots
1 herb sachet including thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns
1.5 C good venison glace or veal glace
Begin by reducing the wine, shallots, and sachet to 1/2 cup of liquid. Add the glace and reduce by 1/2 (about 20 minutes at medium simmer). Skim the sauce and strain into a bowl. (There are many recipes online for a glace. Substitute the veal in this one for venison. Or adapt this recipe using beef broth.)
Paul
LDThornton
TVWBB Fan
I smoked a deer hinderquarters for my neighbor a few weeks ago that turned out great. He marinated it in some kind of Worchestershire marinade for 24 hours before I got it. I smoked it at 235F for about 3 hours until the internal temp. got up to 158F then I foiled it and added some apple juice to it before I returned it to the smoker for about another hour when the internal temp again reached 158F when I pulled it. It was juicy and tasted like roast beef!
Ron G.
TVWBB Wizard
Venison generally tends to be very lean.
Also, be sure to process the meat quickly and keep it cold to keep it fresh. (Field-dress as soon as you can, and cool it down quickly - pack body cavity with snow if available.) Once you get it home, cut it into manageable-size chunks and get it on ice / refrigerated.
Because of this, the techniques used are very important.
One of my favorites is Venison Chops - I like to keep them simple / stew them to add / retain moisture:
-Start by browning them on both sides in a pan with a little oil maybe add a little onion slices & garlic, salt & pepper. Medium-High heat
-Once they're browned, add a little water (to about half the depth of the thickness of the chops), turn-down the heat to medium, and cover the pan. If you want, add a few dashes of teriyaki sauce. (hope I spelled it right)
-Let them go until the water is almost gone, then plate & scrape the reduced pan drippings etc over them (You could probably add a little wine or something to the pan, after removing the chops, or make some sort of pan-sauce with it.)
For larger cuts - check into slow-cooker / marinated recipes or stews where the meat is chunked, and combined with other goodies to keep it moist and mingle the flavors.
Hope this helps
Also, be sure to process the meat quickly and keep it cold to keep it fresh. (Field-dress as soon as you can, and cool it down quickly - pack body cavity with snow if available.) Once you get it home, cut it into manageable-size chunks and get it on ice / refrigerated.
Because of this, the techniques used are very important.
One of my favorites is Venison Chops - I like to keep them simple / stew them to add / retain moisture:
-Start by browning them on both sides in a pan with a little oil maybe add a little onion slices & garlic, salt & pepper. Medium-High heat
-Once they're browned, add a little water (to about half the depth of the thickness of the chops), turn-down the heat to medium, and cover the pan. If you want, add a few dashes of teriyaki sauce. (hope I spelled it right)
-Let them go until the water is almost gone, then plate & scrape the reduced pan drippings etc over them (You could probably add a little wine or something to the pan, after removing the chops, or make some sort of pan-sauce with it.)
For larger cuts - check into slow-cooker / marinated recipes or stews where the meat is chunked, and combined with other goodies to keep it moist and mingle the flavors.
Hope this helps