Healthy deer meat recipes?

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sarahbrownprice
sarahbrownprice Posts: 9 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I was given a bunch of deer meat, I have steaks and ground and I was wondering if anyone had any healthy recipes? I have never cooked it before in my life and am a bit intimidated. Thanks.

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  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited July 2016
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    The thing about deer meat, especially ground deer, is that it can be pretty lean, so it dries out pretty quickly if it's cooked too long..sort of like how ground sirloin can be. It may help to mix it with a fattier meat like pork or beef, especially if you find that it tastes a little too gamey for you. You could grill it as burgers then, or maybe use it as taco salad meat. You can pretty well use it just like you would beef..soups, salads, burgers, etc..
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    This is what I was going to say. Deer needs fat. add something to it or a fattier meat like pork.

    Searing the steaks will help keep in moisture. Marinading it will help too.
  • LandyBreigh
    LandyBreigh Posts: 207 Member
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    I use ground venison for tacos, meatloaf and meatballs and keep packet seasonings in my pantry year round. I'm not a huge fan of the steaks, but a lot of people buy bottled marinades and use them to add flavor.
  • momofamadhouse
    momofamadhouse Posts: 197 Member
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    Deer jerky. Mmmmmm
  • ColetteM6
    ColetteM6 Posts: 138 Member
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    Chuck it in a pan with salt pepper and bacon grease. I like it medium. Serve with roasted *insert veg / tuber here*.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
    edited July 2016
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    I've only ever cooked it in the slow cooker as it can be quite tricky otherwise - as has already been said, it tends to dry out. But if you toss it in flour, salt and pepper and put it in the slow cooker with onions, carrots (and whatever other veg you fancy), herbs and some red wine or stock (not too much, just enough to wet it), and cook it on Low, you get a delicious stew.

    How long you need to cook it depends on how tough it is, without knowing the details of the deer I'd say let it go 3-4 hours and then check it every couple of hours. You want it to be tender but not disintegrating. Could be done at 3hr or might take 8-10, depending on the cut, age of the animal etc.

    You could always ask the hunter for advice as they may know how tough it's likely to be. If they give you oven times, 1hr in the oven is equivalent to 3-5hr in the slow cooker, 2-4hr in the oven is equivalent to 8-10hr in the slow cooker.

    You can add dumplings once it's ready - rub 2oz fat (butter, lard, margarine, whatever) into 8oz self raising flour, add a pinch of salt and mix in enough water to make a soft dough. Turn slow cooker to High and drop lumps of the dough onto the stew. Cover and cook for another 30min until they are well puffed.

    Enjoy! It's a delicious meat.

    ETA fry the onions in advance til soft - if the meat cooks quickly then the onions may stay crunchy and that's not nice! Other veg should be fine but onions are surprisingly stubborn in the slow cooker .
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
    edited July 2016
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    Also, you could make meatballs with the ground meat. Salt, pepper, roll in balls, add to hot gravy or tomato sauce and simmer for half an hour. Again, you can do this in the slow cooker, bring the sauce to the boil and add it and the meatballs and cook on Low for 4-5 hours. You can brown them in a frying pan before adding them to the sauce for a bit of extra flavour.

    These methods tend to make it less likely the meat will dry out and mean there is less need to add fat, though the meatballs may still benefit from some added fat - you could mix in a bit of minced fatty bacon, which would be delicious and the overall finished meal would still be pretty lean. A bit of crushed garlic in the meatballs would be great, too.
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
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    What others said: Venison is already really lean and healthy. (Not sure frying it in bacon grease is, though.)
    I like to chop it fine, sautee it with mushrooms, then add a little milk and flour to make gravy.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
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    I shred vegetables and add to lean ground meat for moisture and to cut even more calories. Burgers, meatballs, meatloaf, casseroles, nuggets, etc.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    Grated apple is good for that too, I add it to pork sausagemeat for sausage rolls and steamed buns.
  • sarahbrownprice
    sarahbrownprice Posts: 9 Member
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    Thanks for all ideas, I did end up making Italian style meatballs, I added a few ounces of spicy pork sausage. They turned out amazing. Plus, it made enough for three dinners so that was a great bonus.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    I like venison . . .
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    edited July 2016
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    The steaks are wonderful for making stew and stir fry. Marinating with an italian dressing makes it tender and juicy and very delicious add in some worcestershire and soy sauce for a good stew or stir fry base.

    Be sure to trim any fat as that is where the gaminess tends to come from.
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
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    My father used to marinate our venison in beer before cooking. So tender and yummy!
  • Owlie45
    Owlie45 Posts: 810 Member
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    Oh man I'm jealous, we have only one pack left from last season.
    Very lean, cook the steaks like you would for fine beef. I typically mix flour, salt, pepper, and powder garlic flip the steak through it then pan fry with a little oil. Heaven!
    Unless you're doing meatballs or patties you won't need to add fat. Just cook till no longer pink.

    Did they say if they hung it? I ask because in my family's hunting group, 12 hours is usually the longest it would hang. But when we get meat from hunters that let it hang for days it will have a gamey taste. Gamey does not taste good.


    Just to throw this out there for you, if someone gives you bear you need to cook it all the way through. Do not leave any pink. Trichinosis, why pork was supposed to be cooked all the way. Don't bother if they leave any fat on it.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
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    Venison is great in goulash instead of beef.
  • sarahbrownprice
    sarahbrownprice Posts: 9 Member
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    Did they say if they hung it? I ask because in my family's hunting group, 12 hours is usually the longest it would hang. But when we get meat from hunters that let it hang for days it will have a gamey taste. Gamey does not taste good.

    I am not sure about that, I got it from my nephew-in-law, they hunt on his grandfathers farm and process everything there. I assume they all know what they are doing. It didn't taste gamey to me or my husband but we defiantly don't eat wild game that often.


  • Owlie45
    Owlie45 Posts: 810 Member
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    Gamey is not faint, its strong. Sounds like they take care of it right away.
    Letting it hang for days isn't actually wrong. Its just a different way of doing it. But I find that some people end up trying the gamey way first and then are turned off of game meat.

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