Here's one my mom used to make. My parents don't care much for venison but they both say that this dish is really delicious! (I don't eat venison!)

Savory Venison Stew

1 lb deer stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 slices bacon, chopped
cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 cups water
1 beef bouillon cube
¾ cup tomato juice
¼ cup Port or dry red wine
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp steak sauce (optional)
½ tsp marjoram
4 small onions
4 carrots, cut into chunks
4 potatoes, quartered
1 cup chopped celery
Salt and pepper

Fry bacon in a Dutch oven. Add cubed meat that has been tossed in seasoned flour; brown on all sides. Add garlic, water, bouillon cube, tomato juice, wine, lemon juice, steak sauce, and marjoram.

Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours, until meat starts to tenderize. Add more water if necessary.

Add onions, carrots, potatoes, and celery. Cover and simmer for another hour, until vegetables are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Thicken stew slightly by sprinkling flour over the top and stirring while cooking. Serves 4.

Venison isn't my favorite thing, as I think it often tastes strong and gamey. My sister and her husband are avid hunters, and have gotten as many as three or four deer some years, depending upon what the bag limit is here in Michigan in a particular season (some years, the DNR allows hunters to take as many as 5, because our deer herds are thriving and are dramatically overpopulated in some areas of the state).

She does cook venison in some ways that are pretty good. She slices thin pieces of steaks or tenderloins, soaks them for at least three hours in buttermilk with some added onion powder and a pinch of garlic, then dredges them in egg yolk and seasoned flour and fries them like "Chicken Fried Steak" or "Country Fried Steak," and serves with mashed potatos and gravy -- this is pretty good.

She also marinates them in Jack Daniels barbeque sauce (from the grocery store) and then puts them either on the grill or on the broiler.

Finally, she makes sort of a stew/stroganoff by putting venison cubes in the crockpot with cream of mushroom soup, cut up onion, sliced mushrooms, a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste, and a packet of french onion soup mix and some water. This she stews all day, then adds sour cream and dill just before serving over noodles or mashed potatos.

Here's one we like..
Spicy Barbecued Roast Venison

4 pounds venison roast (leg, rump, or shoulder)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chili sauce
1 cup water
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp each of celery salt, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves
1 small onion finely chopped
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
1/2 cup currant jelly
Brown roast on all sides in olive oil, then place in a roasting pan. Add remaining ingredients except jelly to the pan juices and heat to boiling, scraping bottom of pan to loosen all particles. Pour sauce over meat and roast in preheated moderate oven (350) until meat reaches the desired degree of doneness, about 1 1/2 hours for rare, 2 to 2 1/2 hours for medium or well done, basting occasionally with sauce. Add more water if necessary. Remove meat to serving platter and strain basting sauce. Measure and add water if needed to make 1/2 cup of sauce. Add jelly and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until jelly is melted and sauce is smooth. Serve hot to spoon over sliced meat. You can ajust the amount depending on the size of the roast.

Linda

Depending on the age ,sex & diet of the deer -- and how it was butchered -- will make a big difference in how you have to fix that venison,and unfortunately just how "gamey" it will taste.

We always have venison and use most cuts just like you would use that same cut of beef-- with the addition of maybe a bit more garlic, onion & a hearty dry red wine.
Roasts etc we tend to "lard" with a bit of bacon. Venison is very "lean".

Oh yippee!! I get to help out for once! We do venison quite a lot around here, and do it pretty well, if I do say so myself :) As craftyrn says, we see a fair amount of variance depending on age, sex, health and what they've been eating. My personal favorite is when the field next door has been planted in corn, so we get corn-fed, young bucks (home rules - no does are shot on my property!).

Anyway, I have a few recipes to share. One is Swiss steak - no exact recipe, just do a Swiss steak as usual but use the round steak from your venison. Wonderful. The next three are as follows - chili, roast, and steak marinade. All are great, to my tastebuds.

CV WOODS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CHILI, AS MODIFIED BY T HILL

Makes 6 qts.

4 10 oz cans chicken broth (even better with homemade)
1/2 lb. beef suet
4 lb. venison (flank steak, sirloin steak, etc.)
4 lb. pork chop meat (not bone)
1/4 C chopped celery
7 C chopped, peeled, tomatoes
2 tsp sugar
6 long green chiles, peeled (anaheims, poblanos, whatever)
1 T ground oregano
1 T ground cumin (or more)
1 T ground pepper
crushed red peppers to taste
4 tsp salt
5 T chili powder (or more)
fresh cilantro to taste
1 tsp thyme
8 oz. beer
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 med. onions, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 lb. jack cheese (or to taste)
1 lime
1 can Rotel tomatoes

1. Render fat to make 6-8 T oil.
2. Trim fat from steak and pork, cut into ~1/2 inch cubes
3. Combine celery, tomatoes, sugar, and a little water, simmer 1.5 hours
4. Boil peeled chiles for 15 min, remove seeds and mince
5. Mix oregano, cumin, pepper, salt, chile powder, and thyme with beer. Add tomato mixture, chiles, beer mixture, and garlic to chicken broth
6. Pour suet into skillet, add pork and brown
7. Add pork to broth mixture. Cook slowly 30 min.
8. Brown venison in suet, add to pork mixture and cook slowly for 1 hour
9. Add onions and peppers, simmer 2-3 hours, stirring every 15-20 min.
10. Cool, refrigerate 24 hours.
11. Reheat before serving.
12. Add cheese 5 min before serving, add lime immediately before serving.

Notes - My husband makes this and insists on using the beef suet. Personally, I would just brown the meat, but that is your choice. Also, we just add cheese on top of each serving, we don't really mix it into the whole mixture. Finally, this freezes very well.

VENISON ROAST WITH BACON AND SOUR CREAM GRAVY

Venison roast (2-3 lb.)
bacon
1/2 C red wine
1/2 C beef broth
4 T worcestershire sauce
3 bay leaves
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/4 onion, chopped fine
lemon
salt and pepper
garlic powder
flour
1 C sour cream
2 T butter
lard or beef suet

1. Rub roast with lemon
2. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
3. Roll roast in flour
4. Melt a few T of lard or render some beef suet in a heavy pan. Sear the roast on all sides in the hot grease
5. Combine the red wine, beef broth, worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, celery salt, and onion in a roasting pan.
6. Wrap the seared roast with bacon strips. Use toothpicks to hold the strips in place.
7. Place the roast on a rack in the roasting pan, cover, and bake in a preheated oven at 325°F for 2.5-3 hours.
8. Baste roast occassionally with drippings. Cook uncovered the last 30 min to brown roast
9. Mix 2 T flour iwht 2 T melted butter in warm pan until flour is mixed in well
10. Add sour cream to butter/flour mixture, stirring until all ingredients are mixed smoothly
11. Add 1-2 C drippings to the sour cream mixture (depending on taste), mix well. Serve roast with gravy.

Notes: Again, this is DH's recipe and I would probably omit the suet/lard, just brown the roast as is. However, this gravy is delicious!

MARINADE FOR BEEF, LAMB, VENISON, ELK

3/4 C balsamic vinegar
6 T olive oil
3 T lemon juice
3 T minced fresh rosemary
6 garlic cloves, diced
1 tsp ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients, use as marinade for steaks. Marinate about 4 hours in the refrigerator. Cook steaks as usual.

Note: I usually do this with grilled steaks, but I really think you could do it and then broil them.

Hope this helps! Have fun.

Ann

We all went through this, in one of the posts a while back.
I still don't know what a Gamey taste is ???
It could have a strong taste, if it was shot while running long distance.

A little thing I learned from an older hunter,( if he is older than me, he's old )
Is to boil the meat about 4 times, throwing away the water each time.

Then do your thing . The fat in Venison leaves a funny taste.

He told me that Dinasaur's had a gamey taste but I never got one.

The Recipes all sound good, especially the stew.

The woman of the house, always made us Venison Stew the
night before the hunt.

When I had the meat made into Hamburger, the butcher would mix in some pork.
They were good !!!
We also pushed Bacon into Roasts, for fat.

I've heard of guys soaking Venison in all kinds of things,
short of turpentine.
Maybe that's where you would get a Gamey taste.
LOU

OMG Prairie, your recipe with bacon and sour cream is almost identical to one I grew up with and have never seen anywhere! Is it a family recipe? Mine is:

If roast is large, lard with bacon in a larding needle and season with S&P.
Sear in a Dutch oven until all sides are browned.
Add beef broth and some garlic, L&P, and scatter onions around it and cover.
Simmer until desired temp(I like rare to med).
Remove roast, keep warm.
Add sour cream and some fresh lemon juice, adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Slice roast and serve with sauce over spaetzle or egg noodles. Potato dumplings work also. Accompany with either lingonberries or cranberry sauce and some apple sauce.

Steaks, chops and ground meat I do as I would beef.

I really need to pick up my "Susie" from the butcher. Yes, my hunting friend named her.

The age, sex and feed will change the taste. Mine is corn and acorn fed and young. A larding needle is very helpful for large roasts. The backstrap or tenderloin is the best cut and should be treated as the above recipe in my opinoin.

Enjoy!

Peppi

Peppi : You are right about the tenderloin!!!

One night after hunting the guys couldn't wait,
until we got back home, to cook some Venison.
We took the tenderloin cut it into 3/4" pieces and
just fried it in Butter and Garlic.
Talk about good !!!!! Best Filet Mignon I've had.

One year I wanted a deer and there were none to be had. Most of the time I just eat road kill but a cf friend wanted some tenderloin and I didn't want to send road kill to her. Maybe next year.

So much of my venison is simply pan fried in bacon grease and eaten. Natural taste is a bit stronger then beef. A bit of steak sauce makes it familiar enough for most people to enjoy.

BIG rule with venison is to watch for hair. Many people home butcher the deer and just one stray hair can make a whole roast taste terrible. The hair has an oil to help the deer stay warm when it rains. Cooking spreads that oil and there is no getting the taste out. Give a good look at the venison before you cook it and if you find a hair rinse the meat off under cold water before cooking. Not a bad idea with any home butchered game to give it a quick rinse.

The advice to cook it like beef is good. Most any dish that takes to lean beef also works well with venison. Vension as noted has no fat so most times something has to be added to fatten it up... bacon, bacon grease, pork, butter, or cream.

Odd dishes... LOL! I have a couple people doing pickled heart. Clean the heart of fat and strings. Cut into finger sized chunks. Boil in water with 1/2 jar of pickle spice until cooked. Drain the water. Put the meat in a jar with the other half of the pickle spice and cover with 5% white vinegar. After about 2 weeks in the fridge serve it to guys watching sports and drinking beer. Saltine crackers are the best thing to serve it with... just plain saltines. Nobody but me pickles the tounge but it makes a fine chunk of meat. Some here are probably familiar with beef tounge and deer is just as good. Throw it in the boil and then peel the skin before putting in the vinegar jar. Hot peppers may be added if you like a "red hot" type pickled meat. Finished the last of some pickled elk heart last week... a special treat!

My version of taco meat works very well with venison. Fry small chunks with hot peppers like serrenos and LOTS of cumin. When the meat is done cooking I add a couple spoons of plain yogurt. In a taco shell, tortilla, on top of rice, or beside potatoes.... then for the final touch a squeeze of lemon juice on top. Way good.

Vension chili is good but the venison flavor makes a strong statement. I like it but then I grew up eating vension.

Hope you enjoy!

: )
lyra

This recipe got good reviews.

I also grew up eating venison. I didn't even know deer season wasn't year round until I got into high school and my classmates were taking the first day of deer season off. (grin) Yeah, I know, my family called it "government beef" and there was one hanging in a garage somewhere nearly all the time.

As Michael pointed out, it needs to be well cleaned, I take off all the hair and bits of fat and sinew. The backstrap is the prime piece, we used to "butterfly" those tenderloin steaks and serve with just salt and pepper.

Most of the venison was cooked like beef, my beef is nearly as lean as venison anyway so I don't change my techniques much. Venison does have a more assertive flavor so I use more seasonings than I would with beef.

Our venison is mostly from the corn fields and apple orchards and that makes a big difference in flavor. As for the sex, if I'm eating it I'd much prefer a big doe than a buck. Unlike paririe-love, I encourage the shooting of does, it's the only way to cull the herd which has grown so big in our area that special kill permits are being given inside city limits because the deer are eating the landscaping in front of city hall, the library and the schools.

A friend in Wisconsin says the deer herd there has grown so large that they are required to take a doe before they can take a buck.

Anyway, favorite recipes. I like the typical stew/taco/chili recipes, all have enough seasonings to overcome that venison flavor. I haven't learned to like wine, so that's not a usual ingredient in my cooking, but I keep trying.

I do like chunks of venison from steaks or roasts, marinated in Nancy's teriyaki marinade and then grilled with onions and peppers.

Asian Marinade for Chicken Breasts
1C veg oil
1/4 C sesame oil
3/4 C soy sauce (Kikkomen)
1/3 C minced garlic
4 Tabsp minced ginger
2/3 C minced cilantro
5-6 green onions
1 tsp grd blk pepper
I put the onions, ginger and cilantro in the food rocessor and pulse till chopped fine. Combine all and marinate chicken breasts (or whatever meat you are using) up to 24 hrs. but at least 1 hr if you can I have also put marinade in a freezer bag with chicken and frozen (good to do with the left over) Nancy

My family liked this recipe, although the tomato sauce was a bit much for me. My Dad likes olives in the stuffing, but I don't care for olives either, LOL. I think you could add anything you like to the stuffing, like capers or pickled jalapenos or mushrooms. Hmmmm, maybe spinach and cheese, a kind of florentine....well, you get the idea.

Stuffed Venison Steak

Ingredients:

Venison (or beef) Steaks
Fresh Parsley (chopped)
Scallions (chopped)
Ham
Salami
Sliced Provolone Cheese
Grated Cheese
chopped olives
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Prepared Marinara or Meat Tomato Sauce

Directions:

Pound venison steak to tenderize. Any cut of steak can be used. Layer the meats, cheeses, parsley, olives and scallions on the pounded steak. Once the steak is layered with your choice of stuffing, salt and pepper to taste. Roll each steak trying to keep as much stuffing in the middle. Tie both ends with thread or cooking string. Some steaks may need to be tied a third time. Heat olive oil in a frying pan and brown venison on all sides. Gently place browned meat into your pot of marinara sauce. Turn on low and allow to simmer for one and a half to two hours.

I've not tried it but I think Ann T's salisbury steak recipe would be good with venison too.

Salisbury Steak In Mushroom And Green Peppercorn Sauce
======================================================
2 Pounds of ground Sirloin
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 Teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 Tablespoon of worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste
Sauce
1/2 small onion chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 Tablespoon green peppercorns
Fresh Mushrooms sliced
2 Tablespoons Flour
Broth 2 to 3 cups (Beef or chicken)
Pan drippings plus 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter/margarine or oil.

Saute onions in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil until tender but not browned. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. In a bowl combined ground sirloin, parsley, thyme, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Add
onions and garlic and mix well. (I use my hands). Form into oval shaped patties. (I made 5 nice size ones from the 2 pounds, but you could make smaller if you prefer) If you have a grill pan use it. Heat pan until hot and grill steaks until grilled on both sides. Add a bit of broth to the pan to pick up the drippings to add to sauce. Saute onion in 1 Tablespoon of oil until tender. Add mushroom and cook for 3 or 4 minutes and add flour. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes and add broth and green peppercorns. Place Salisbury Steaks in with sauce and continue to cook on low for at least one hour. This makes the meat really fork tender.

NOTES: I used Chicken Broth but added some beef/veal demi glaze that I made a week or two ago. It added flavor and
color to the sauce. I had actually gone for a walk while this was cooking so it was probably more like an 1-1/2 hours, although 1 hour would probably be enough.

Serves 4 (Ann T)

Good luck, and have fun cooking.

Annie

Unlike paririe-love, I encourage the shooting of does, it's the only way to cull the herd

Oh, I know, I know.... I just can't do it. I watch those does with their babies all summer and can't stand to see the little ones suddenly mother-less. And I do know that they are old enough by that time, but I still can't do it.

Our property is only hunted by two people, both archers. Archery season this year is very long, starts in October and goes into January. Rifle season is Nov. I did give in this year and give permission for the archers to shoot does after rifle season ended.

I'm a wimp, I know.

Peppi - it is not a family recipe, DH had it when we got married and I believe he found it in a book somewhere. Lots of help there, eh? I do love that one.

One other comment, I have found that re-heated left-over venison is much better if heated in the oven than in the microwave (same with duck). For some reason if we microwave leftover venison, the "gamey" taste becomes much more pronounced.

I grew up eating venison as well. I ate it the ways denninmi describes--I love chicken fried venison as much or more than chicken fried steak. Chicken fried venison with gravy, baked potatoes, biscuits and green beans is the most comforting meal ever in my book.

Annie: I must have been lucky again, because I never got to know what a Gamey taste was.
The deer may have been eating all the right foods.

They were very big deer on the farm I hunted owned by a friend.
The last year I hunted there he got one 246 Lbs.
He let a State Trooper use his tree stand.He got one 292 lbs.
They were only 8 Pointers but the base was 2 1/2 " Dia.
That's enough fish stories.

If anyone has a small roast to experiment with, try boiling
first like I said.
Results may surprise you. Hell I'm always looking for new and better ways.
I did find the Doe and also the Tenderloin was the best.
One time a deer that was shot, after being startled and run a ways,
Had a strong taste ( maybe Adrenalin )???

They have open seasons on Doe when the herds are getting too big.
Too many Females in the world anyway!!! Now I'm in trouble.
Byeee!!! LOU

Venison/deer is just that! There is absolutely no such thing as "Gamy Taste". That taste people refer to comes from in propper preparation of the animal after it has been harvested. The same would go for a beef, lamb, hog, etc,.!

First of the animal has to be field cleaned as soon a possible, preferably as soon as killed. Then it has to be carried or transported without being dragged across the ground for a mile or so! Dirt, debris, etc will give it an off taste if not ruin the animal for consumption! Some idiots even haul them out of the woods and bring them home without field dressing them fo hours and hours!!
If a venison, beef, lamb, hog, whatever is not eviscerated/gutted immediately and allowed to hang propped open to cool down at the proper temperatures it will get what is called "Bone Sour". This comes from the heat buildup after death, with out dressing the carcase. Onse bone sour sets in it is irreversible, the meat will taste like Hell and everyone will say OH, it's gamy. So the next time you hear about gamy meat from a hunter just tell him to learn how to take care of a animal he has shot/harvested !