From The Field To The Table: What You Need To Know About Cooking Venison

Posted on: 7 July 2021

When it comes to wild game, it is hard to beat the delicious taste of venison. However, improperly harvested or prepared venison can turn people away from this tasty and nutritional meat. Learning a few important tips can help you enjoy great meals where venison is the star of the show.

Good venison starts in the field

Unless you hunt your own game, it is vital that you know and trust your hunter. After being killed, a deer needs to be properly dressed in the field to preserve the flavor and to avoid tainting the meat. If the hunter is not able to get the deer to a processor within a few hours, the deer should be cut into quarters and placed on ice. 

Be careful when substituting for beef

While ground venison can typically be substituted for ground beef in some instances, larger cuts of venison need to be cooked differently than beef. Venison is much leaner and does not have the same marbling commonly found in beef steaks and roasts. Roasting or frying venison in the same manner that you would beef can result in a tough or dry piece of meat.

Proper aging is essential

While you may be excited to try out that new wild game recipe you found, patience is a virtue when it comes to preparing venison for cooking. Proper aging is essential for great flavor and tenderness. Your meat processor will either dry or wet age your venison to assure it has the best flavor possible, but this process may take a few weeks.

Enhancing the flavor of venison

Avoid using strong herbs and seasonings when cooking venison. Venison forage on berries, grass, herbs, and nuts, which gives their meat a naturally pleasant flavor. The goal is always to enhance the flavor rather than mask it, so simple seasonings, such as salt, pepper, olive oil, and butter, are often all you need when frying venison.

Avoid overcooking venison

Overcooking venison will lead to meat that has a rubbery and tough consistency. Searing venison briefly on each side for several minutes is best. After your venison is seared, allow it to rest for several minutes before serving.

Learning the proper way to prepare venison will give you bragging rights when it comes to hosting your next dinner party and serving up a delicious meal with venison as the main dish. Not only is venison tasty, but it is also a low-fat alternative to fat-laden cuts of beef and is full of healthy nutritional benefits.

To learn more ways to prepare venison, look for a wild game recipe blog online.

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