Fresh or Butcher Shop Venison Review

Overall 5.00 of 5 view all 2 reviews

kid-kansas
Clearwater, KS

A very lean meat that is versatile and delicious!!

a grill master, a healthy cook, impressed with this product, fresh is better

Pros

lean meat, many ways to cook it, tastes great

AUG

2008

One of the up and comers in meats is one I have been eating for over 45 years and it never disappoints me. Venison is a very lean meat and can be cooked many different ways. You can make sausage from it but because there is not a lot of fat many people add pork to make sausage from it.

Cooking Venison

My favorite way to prepare venison is chili and it has to be 3 alarm chili at that. The best cut to use would be either the loin or a shoulder roast cut up into bite sized cubes. Of course for many people Venison is too gamy tasting but I have found a way to get around that. After you cut your pieces place them in a large ziploc bag and pour in 1 bottle of Zesty Itailan dressing, burp the air out of the bag and place in your refrigerator for 24 hours.

This will not only tenderize the meat but it also removes some of the gamy taste of the meat. Then simply make your chili as you normally do and get ready for an explosion of flavor when it is done. Another of my favorites is to get some butterfly chops and marinate them just as I said above. Then next day you fire up your grill and cook on each side about 4-5 minutes for a 3/4" butterfly chop. This will give you a medium doneness, remember there is very little fat so if you cook it well done it will be a bit tough!

I wrote this at the suggestion from one of our great food reviewers AnnaBanana on a comment on her cinnamon review a few days ago. So in going with her review here is the way I tricked my daughters into trying Venison for the first time...lol yeah I know...Sneaky Redneck...;)

Get a nice 4-5lb. Venison roast either from someone who hunts or a good butcher, boneless is easier to cut when served but bone in will be just as good. As before place it in a Zesty Italian marinade for 24 hours and since it won't be covered you need to turn the bag every few hours. Then slice a few onions and toss then in the pan with the roast add a few whole potatoes (skin still on) and sprinkle about a tablespoon of cinnamon on top, yes cinnamon! I also use Season all salt and black pepper. Now drape about 6 slices of bacon on top and you're all set. Set your oven for 325 degrees and cover the roasting pan for the first 3/4 of the cooking time. The ideal time would be around 30 minutes per pound or until the internal temperature is 150 degrees. After the 3/4 cooking time remove the lid and finish cooking to give the bacon a chance to brown up and give it a little extra kick of flavor.

Venison is best when cooked Medium Rare to Medium because of the lack of fat content, otherwise you're going to get a tough cut of meat on your table. This does not hold true when you make a meatloaf or chili because of the way it is cooked. When ground it is like any other meat and in chili you're cooking it submerged in liquid.

Bottom Line

I think Venison is very close to beef but with a sweeter taste and since it contains less fat it is better for you. Once my daughters tasted Venison and liked it I cooked it often and many times without marinating it. I enjoy the gamy taste in not only Venison but also Elk, Buffalo and Bear meat. If you feel adventurous and want to try Venison or any other "Wild Game" then I say go for it because you don't know what you're missing!

Fresh or Butcher Shop Venison is recommended by kid-kansas

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Comments about kid-kansas’s Review

In response to Jo's comment from Sep 4, 2008 at 3:41PM:

;)

Ok:)

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Sep 2, 2008 at 11:17PM:

;)

In response to kid-kansas's comment from Sep 2, 2008 at 10:22PM:

It'll be our little secret. :)

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Sep 2, 2008 at 10:03PM:

I won't tell a soul...;)

In response to kid-kansas's comment from Sep 2, 2008 at 2:34PM:

Sounds like a plan to me!

In response to richelmore's comment from Sep 2, 2008 at 1:33PM:

Oh yes...I will be getting some this week and it's a toss up between chili or stew....heck maybe both...;)

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Sep 2, 2008 at 1:11AM:

ummm you can send it here and make him wonder where it went....lol ;)

Oh, venison stew. How I crave thee.

No venison for me and we sometimes have a freezer full. My hubby is a hunter and now and then he gets lucky and I get unlucky. :(

In response to LaurieM's comment from Aug 31, 2008 at 9:50PM:

Oh I think I could, if prepared right it is juicy and delicious....;)

Eeek! Not sure you could fool me. I have had Venison in the past and it had bitter taste. Maybe it was just not prepared as good as yours!

In response to AnnaBanana's comment from Aug 30, 2008 at 2:56PM:

Thanks Anna! I don't know anyone here that hunts so now I have to settle for butcher store venison. It is still good but wild is always best. You're very welcome for the honorable mention Anna, after all you suggested I write on it and you have inspired me to write more of the same type...;)

In response to CyndiA's comment from Aug 30, 2008 at 8:47AM:

Oh yes, venison just goes great with gravy and potatoes....especially mashed.....;)

Oh RON! Boy, was this a great review! You are right on about venison. When my friends in Cresco invited me to a venison dinner last Fall, I couldn't really say no because it was such a nice thing they were doing but I wasn't sure if I could get by the "Bambi factor" and eat venison. And I wasn't sure how it would taste but it was great -- not only did I wolf down dinner and all the trimmings but I even sampled some sausage roll she had made -- it was cold and you could slice it for sandwiches. I tell you, you guys who cook venison have it going on -- you're really living off the land and in harmony with nature. The deer are beautiful, I know, but up in the Cresco area if people didn't hunt and eat their catches, the deer would end up with 40 to an acre wandering around and starving on their own. So RIGHT ON! This was a great review and thanks so much for the "honorable mention."