Posted on 09/24/2011 8:27:51 PM PDT by nickcarraway
"Venison is a misunderstood meat," said Chef Jason Helfer of Peasant Village Restaurant in San Angelo. "It's earned a bad rap."
People are often scared of venison, but they shouldn't be.
It's a lean, flavorful meat that can be cooked in a variety of ways depending on the cut. Venison can be cooked like filet mignon or covered in a crust of herbs, ground and turned into sausage or Shepherd's Pie with Guinness, Helfer said.
"Venison shouldn't taste like chicken," Helfer said. "It has its own unique flavor."
Liz Matthews, director of catering for Peasant Village, agrees.
A sixth-generation rancher and farmer, she describes herself as "rancher by day, caterer by night."
"I don't know why so many locals shy away from venison ," she said, adding that hunting is part of Texas and for a long time people lived on deer and other game they hunted.
In the Don Strange of Texas cookbook there is a story about the famed caterer choosing to cook venison for the centennial celebration of the YO Ranch because it was "representative of the Texas frontier." He felt venison, abundant in early Texas, provided meat for many settlers and was the natural choice.
"It's a beautiful meat," Matthews said.
She and her husband JR, both graduates of the Culinary Institute of America, have served plenty of venison at gourmet dinners and fancy parties, including weddings.
Matthews, who looks after her family's 100-year-old ranch and leases portions out to ranchers, said there is a difference between commercial venison (served in restaurants) and hunted venison. The commercial meat is milder than the wild version.
So do you just have to accept the gaminess of venison? Not necessarily.
There are many factors — such as age of the deer, how the deer is hunted and processed — that can affect the flavor of venison, Terry Thompson-Anderson, author of several cookbooks focused on Texas, said.
"Bow hunting is the best," Thompson-Anderson said. "It doesn't tie up the muscles as much and so there is less gamy flavor."
In her cookbook, Texas on a Plate, Terry writes that people who complain of the flavor maybe eating deer killed in a stressed breeding season or not cold-hung to relax and tenderize the meat.
Even though venison is a naturally lean meat, Thompson-Anderson stresses that all animal fat should be removed before cooking because that also contributes to the strong flavor.
Chef Helfer advises using two different knives when dressing deer.
"If the natural oils from the skin of the animal gets onto the meat then the flavor will be affected," he warned.
What is the best cut of venison?
Chef Helfer: Anything. Depends on how you cook it.
Liz Matthews: The small "lolli" chops and the tenderloin or backstrap.
"Many restaurateurs will stay away from the rest of the deer," she said. "I love it! Ground up it can make great chili or sausage. It's relatively inexpensive and fits my farm-to-table preference."
Terry Thompson-Anderson: Backstrap.
To marinate or not to marinate?
Chef Helfer: You could soak it in buttermilk to add flavor and tenderize the meat, but it's not necessary.
Liz Matthews: Some people marinate venison in Italian dressing or milk, but I don't. Ever.
Terry Thompson-Anderson: Milk is a good tenderizer. Pound it first, and then soak in milk overnight.
How long should you cook venison?
Chef Helfer: Venison is not meant to be cooked very long, unless you're working with the hindquarters.
Liz Matthews: The key is to not overcook it. The meat should still have a red or pink center.
Terry Thompson-Anderson: In Texas on the Plate, she shares venison should be medium done, or closer to medium-rare for the optimum taste. Generally, the longer the meat is cooked, the stronger the flavor. She goes on to write: "It's a sacrilege to cook the backstrap past medium-rare — you lose the tender texture, and the delicate taste turns more intensely wild."
Grilled Medallions of Venison with Ancho Chili & Honey Sauce
From Terry Thompson-Anderson's "Texas on the Plate."
Ingredients
Venison:
1 large whole venison backstrap, trimmed of all silver skin
— Red Meat Dip and Baste, see recipe below
— Crushed black pepper
— Ancho Chili and Honey Sauce, see recipe below
Red Meat Dip and Baste:
Makes 1 quart.
8 ounces firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon fine grind black pepper
3 tablespoons French's yellow mustard
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon celery salt
10 ounces soy sauce
5 ounces Worcestershire sauce
5 ounces A-1 Sauce
5 ounces Heinz 57 Sauce
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Ancho Chili and Honey Sauce:
7 whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 large dried ancho chilies, seeds and veins removed
1 small onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
6 Roma tomatoes, cut into wedges
4 cups rich chicken stock
6 whole cilantro sprigs
¼ cup clover honey
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice— Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
1 Prepare the Red Meat Dip and Baste. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a medium-sized, non-aluminum bowl. Cream the ingredients together with a large spoon until the mixture is smooth and very well blended. Add remaining ingredients, one at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition. Transfer to storage container and refrigerate until ready to use.
2 Prepare the Ancho Chili and Honey Sauce. Combine the cumin and coriander seeds in a small skillet. Toss over medium-high heat to toast, about 2-3 minutes, or until a strong aroma begins to come from the pan. Do not burn the seeds! Remove from skillet and set aside.
3 Heat the canola oil in a heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the ancho chilies, onions, garlic and tomatoes. Cook, stirring often, until chilies are very soft and all vegetables are wilted, about 25 minutes.
4 Add the chicken stock and reserved toasted seeds. Cook for 30 minutes, reducing the liquid slightly.
5 Remove from heat and add the cilantro sprigs; purée in blender. Pass the purée through a fine strainer into a clean saucepan, stirring with back of a spoon to extract all liquid from the strainer.
6 Stir the honey and lime juice into the sauce. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes to make a smooth, medium-thick sauce. Keep warm while grilling the venison.
7 Preheat gas chargrill or prepare charcoal fire in your favorite pit. Baste the backstrap liberally with the Red Meat Dip and Baste, then season heavily with the cracked black pepper.
8 Grill the meat to medium-rare, about 135 degrees using an instant-read meat thermometer. Turn often to form a seared crust, basting often with the Red Meat Dip and Baste.
9 Remove the backstrap to a carving board and cover loosely with foil. Allow the meat to "rest" for 10 minutes.
10 Serves 4. To serve, slice the meat into round medallions about ½-inch thick. Spoon a portion of the sauce onto each serving plate. Fan 3-4 slices of the venison out on the sauce and serve hot.
Venison and Pork Crepe with Hunter's Sauce
From Don Strange of Texas: His Life & Recipes.
Ingredients
1 pound venison backstrap, cut into julienne strips about 2" long
1 pound trimmed pork tenderloin, cut similar
cup rice wine or sake
cup soy sauce
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking soda
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
½ cup cornstarch
Crepe Filling:
¼ cup olive oil
1¼ cup sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 pound sliced mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups beef broth
6 green onions and tops, sliced into 1" pieces
18 prepared crepes
— Minced parsley as garnish
Hunter's Sauce:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots, diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon Asian chili-garlic sauce
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups beef broth
¼ cup red currant jelly
cup dry Madeira
cup sour cream
— Kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste
Directions
1 Place the venison and pork into a large zip-lock bag. Whisk together rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, baking soda, sesame oil and cornstarch and pour into the bag. Seal the bag and turn several times to coat the meat. Place the bag on its side in a baking dish and refrigerate overnight.
2 Prepare the Hunter's Sauce. Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed 12" skillet over medium heat. When the butter is foaming, add in shallots and cook until wilted and transparent. Stir in the tomato paste and chili-garlic sauce, cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is dark and thick. Add flour all at once and incorporate completely.
3 Add the beef broth and bring the sauce to boil, to thicken. Add the jelly and stir to melt. Add the Madeira and simmer for 10 minutes.
4 Remove from heat and whisk in sour cream. Season with salt and pepper and keep hot.
5 Prepare the filling. Drain the meat and discard the marinade.
6 Heat oil in a 14"-skillet over medium-high heat.
7 When the oil is hot, add the meat, stir often, until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes.
8 Lower heat to medium, and add water chestnuts, mushrooms and garlic. Saute until all liquid has evaporated, about 7 to 8 minutes.
9 Add the beef broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until broth is reduced to almost a glaze (about 15 minutes).
10 Stir in the green onions and remove from heat.
11 Place a portion of the meat mixture at the center of each crepe and fold the sides over to cover the filling. Place desired number of crepes on each serving platter, seam sides down. Spoon a portion of the Hunter's Sauce over each and garnish with parsley.
I love, LOVE, LOVE, Deer meat! Recipes look good. thx for posting
Venison sure doesn’t have a “bad rap” where I came from.. these rolling hills of Southeastern Ohio. We didnt ever call it “Venison”. To us it is deer meat and we eat a lot of it in these parts.
it is a good substitute for beef in all kinds of food combinations.
Now we’re talking! I’m gonna try this out in a few weeks.
My family loves venison. I often have friends give me the whole animal because their families don’t like it and I have 8 kids. We eat a whole deer in a few months.
I had a stretch where I made lots of venison meatloaf and when I finally made a beef meatloaf the kids wouldn’t eat it because it tasted funny.
My kids favorite is a corned venison roast. It is really tasty and if you don’t like the fat in a corned beef then a corned venison roast is your answer. I personally love the fat but the venison is just as good.
Not to knock venison, but elk is my favorite for tastiness.
It’s truly a shame for a trained chef to end up in San Angelo, TX. How many different ways can a chef prepare goat?
Elk, Moose, Antelope, and deer are all considered venison.
57.3
You don’t like mud?!?!
What’s the big deal, it tastes like chicken.
What’s the big deal, it tastes like chicken.
I love venison pie! Mmm Mmm!
Mmmm! Sounds good! I want it!
“Inconsistent” best describes my opinion on venison.
I’ve been trying to solve this mystery for 35 years. Some deer are excellent. Some are inedible. Once, I thought the bucks age determined the quality of the meat. I have pretty much disproved this. Then I got the idea that rutting season hormones were responsible. No opinion on this one yet. My brother thinks that using a meat saw allows bone marrow to give it strong flavor. No opinion on this one.
What say you, fellow FReepers ?
I recently gave away 15 pounds of venison hamburger. It stunk the house up so bad, you couldn’t even make good chili. This was from what I considered an ideal specimen. {young buck, feeding on corn and soybeans, probably not overly stressed from the rut}
The folks I gave the meat to? They thought it was wonderful. Maybe they just said that to make me feel good. Maybe it really was good and I’m just too finicky.
BTW, in case you might ask, I am 69 years old and have been shooting and eating deer since I was 12 years old.
The best way to age the venison is in a big cooler full of icy brinewater. The brine will pull the blood ( along with other bodily chemicals) out of the meat. Change the water. It may take up to 72 hours for a buck, a doe maybe 24. When the water stays clear, its done. It will be pearl white. Then cut it up however you like. I learned this from Matt Hernandez, a Dallas chef. The venison will be excellent every time.
Works on wild hog too.
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