Venison is a hunter’s delight in autumn

It’s fall, and for many that means deer-hunting season.

Wisconsin’s gun deer season runs from Nov. 18 to 26.

While hunters generally have their favorite recipes to prepare venison, there are a multitude of ways to prepare deer meat.

There are a few tips from www.deerhunter.com to keep in mind when preparing venison.

Since the meat is low in fat, take care to avoid overcooking it. Preheat the oven, grill or pan before cooking. Don’t add salt before cooking because it will draw out the meat juices, preventing browning and resulting in dry meat. Brush venison with oil to seal in the flavor and prevent the meat from drying out.

After cooking, let the meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Stews and pot roasts should be cooked very slowly and at low temperatures. Crock pots are ideal for preparing these dishes.

If roasting, remember to baste the meat frequently.

Some people add beef suet or pork lard to ground venison to add moisture. This will change the taste and add unnecessary fat to the meat. Instead, consider adding quick oatmeal, rice crispy cereal or steel-cut barley or oats. This will help retain the flavor and moisture but won’t change the quality or taste.

To prevent a gamey taste, trim the fat or soak the meat in salted water, milk, buttermilk or vinegar. Age the meat under refrigeration for three to seven days to enhance tenderness.

You can also serve the meat with sweet or spicy sauces as condiments to temper the wild taste.

Following are a few venison dishes from allrecipes.com.

 

Excellent Venison Soup

2 pounds ground venison

1 onion, chopped

1 parsnip, sliced

3 potatoes, cubed

3 carrots, sliced

1/2 rutabaga, peeled and cubed

1 16-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, with liquid

3 beef bouillon cubes

3 cups water

1/2 medium head cabbage, coarsely chopped

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Brown venison and onions in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, parsnip, potatoes, carrots, rutabagas, tomatoes, bouillon, water, cabbage, bay leaf, oregano, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer one to two hours.

 

 

Venison Pot Pie

1 pound venison steak, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

Salt

Ground black pepper

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup red wine

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 14-ounce can beef broth

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup water

3 large potatoes, cubed

3 large carrots, cubed

3 stalks celery, sliced

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup frozen peas

1 large egg

2 teaspoons milk

1 prepared double-crust pie pastry

1-1/2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced

Season venison in a bowl with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Add flour and toss to coat.

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté five to seven minutes, until soft and translucent. Increase the heat to high, add venison and cook, stirring, one to two minutes to quickly brown. Don’t overcook — the meat should still be rare inside. Transfer venison to a large bowl.

Pour red wine and Worcestershire sauce into the pan and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook 10 to 15 minutes, until liquid has reduced and the pan is almost dry. Reduce heat to low and stir in beef broth.

Dissolve cornstarch in water in a small bowl, then pour into the pan, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer and cook five minutes, until thickened.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, carrots and celery and cook, uncovered, for two minutes. Drain, then immediately immerse vegetables in a bowl of ice water for several minutes. Drain.

Add vegetables to venison along with corn and peas. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Whisk egg and milk together in a small bowl for egg wash and set aside.

Place one pastry in a lightly greased nine-inch deep-dish pie dish, trimming the edges if needed. Place venison mixture into pie crust, then pour gravy over top. Spread mushrooms over the surface and cover with remaining pastry. Brush with egg wash and cut vents in the top.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 to 60  minutes, until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling. If the edges of the crust get too dark, cover with aluminum foil until the center crust has caught up.

Let cool five minutes before serving.

 

 

 

Venison With Blackberry Wine Sauce

2 tablespoons shallot, minced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

3 tablespoons blackberry jam

1 cup red wine

1 cup beef stock

1 tablespoon butter

Salt

Ground black pepper

4 1/2-pound venison steaks

12 fresh blackberries

Heat shallots, garlic, blackberry jam and red wine in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer about 15 minutes, until reduced to 1/2 cup. Strain liquid through a fine mesh sieve and set aside.

Heat beef broth in a separate skillet over medium-high heat 15 to 20 minutes, until reduced by half. Whisk the two reduced sauces together and stir in the butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook venison steaks three to four minutes per side, until they begin to firm and are hot and slightly pink in the center. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees.

Serve steaks with the sauce and a few fresh blackberries.

 

 

Slow Cooker Venison Chili

1 pound boneless venison steak, cubed

1 pound pork sausage

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

Hot pepper sauce

Salt

Ground black pepper

1 15.5-ounce can cannellini beans, drained

1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese for garnish

Place venison and sausage in a large skillet and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon as necessary, over medium heat until no longer pink and evenly browned. Drain grease. Stir in onions and garlic and cook about three minutes, until aromatic. Drain, then mix in tomato paste. Season to taste with hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper.

Pour cannellini beans and tomatoes into a slow cooker. Stir in venison mixture. Cover, and cook eight to 10 hours on low or five hours on high.

Sprinkle each serving with shredded cheddar cheese.

 

 

 

Venison Fajitas

For fajita seasoning:

2 teaspoons seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

For fajitas:

1-1/2 pounds venison, cut into 2-inch strips

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 2-inch strips

1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into 2-inch strips

1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

12 fajita size flour tortillas, warmed

Combine seasoned salt, garlic salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and oregano. Sprinkle two teaspoons of the seasoning over the venison. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat two tablespoons oil in a heavy frying pan. Cook bell peppers and onion until they start to soften, then remove. Add remaining oil, then cook venison until browned. Return pepper mixture to the pan, season with remaining fajita seasoning and  heat. Served with warmed tortillas.

 

 

Venison Bacon Burgers

6 slices bacon, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, minced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 pounds ground venison

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Salt

Pepper

1 large egg, beaten

6 hamburger buns

Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until browned and crispy. Pour bacon and grease into a heatproof bowl and allow to cool.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring, about three minutes, until softened. Mix with bacon.

Mix venison with cooled bacon mixture. Season with Worcestershire sauce, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir in egg until evenly combined. Refrigerate 20 minutes.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.

Shape venison mixture into six patties. Grill to desired doneness. Serve on toasted hamburger buns with your favorite toppings.

 

 

Venison Stroganoff

1 pound venison, cut into cubes

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt

Pepper

1 onion, chopped

2 10.5-ounce cans condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 16-ounce package uncooked egg noodles

1 8-ounce container sour cream

Season venison with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion until soft and translucent. Add venison and cook until all sides are browned. Drain excess grease. Stir in condensed soup, reduce heat to low and bring to a simmer.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook noodles in boiling water eight to 10 minutes, until al dente.

When noodles are almost done cooking, stir sour cream into venison mixture.

Drain noodles and transfer to a rimmed serving dish. Pour venison mixture over noodles and serve.

 

 

 

Instant Pot Venison Pot Roast

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 2-pound venison roast

2 cups water

1 1.5-ounce package beef stew seasoning mix

1 pound baby potatoes, halved

1 8-ounce package baby carrots

Salt

Ground black pepper

Turn on a multi-functional pressure cooker such as Instant Pot and select sauté function. Add olive oil and heat one minute. Sear venison roast in hot oil for two minutes. Flip roast over and sear two minutes more. Cancel sauté mode.

Place water in a small bowl and add stew seasoning. Whisk until seasoning is dissolved. Pour mixture over roast.

Close and lock the lid. Select high pressure according to manufacturer’s instructions, and set timer for 120 minutes. Allow 10 minutes for pressure to build.

When done, release pressure using the quick-release method according to manufacturer’s instructions. It should take about five 5 minutes. Add potatoes and carrots to the pot and spoon sauce over them to coat.

Close and lock the lid again. Select high pressure according to manufacturer’s instructions, and set timer for 10 minutes. Allow 10 minutes for pressure to build.

Release pressure using the natural-release method according to manufacturer’s instructions. It should take about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.