Venison cooking ideas

[Dave P.]

Looking for cooking ideas for loin steaks.
Story is I usually cut up my own deer...this year ( laziness ) I took it to a newer local processor and was apparently not
clear enough on instructions. I always cut the loins or backstraps in half and end up with 4 pieces which I'll
cut into nice thick filets and cook on the grill. Opened a package over the weekend and found them cut up into
nice thin 1/2 to 3/4 inch steaks.....grrrrw!!
Anyway I'll usually do the frying pan with butter and a bit of onions, maybe a garlic clove. Good but kinda boring
after a while. Did some last night with some breading, chicken fried steak kind of thing, sliced super thin layered
on home made biscuits and some left over beef gravy, OK but...eh, could be better.
Anybody have a favorite way of cooking these mini steaks?
Young deer that's lived on corn, gardens and maybe soy beans.
Thanks

 

[BearBiologist]

Try frying thin steaks in butter & garlic. Serve on a sourdough roll with hot mustard. Or dice and cook in beef broth. Make gravy with onion soup and gravy mix with a can of sliced mushrooms and using the broth. Serve over noodles or mashed potatoes. Stir fry?

When I was in grad school, we were the proverbial "starving students"=had a bull elk, a big Montana mule deer, a wild pig and some pheasant and quail (also some trout and albacore) in our rented locker. We lived off of game for 2-3 years.

Might try baking steaks covered with Campbell's Golden Mushroom soup=serve over noodles or rice=haven't tried venison but it works well with wild boar.

Chili?

 

[turd]

Dice and brown in butter & garlic, then add to black bean soup mix - Shore Lunch makes a good version. Easy and quick.

 

[mishtub]

Just substitute the slices for the ground venison:
Cast Iron Venison Salisbury Steak
This 4-step Salisbury steak recipe is as easy as it is delicious! All you need is a large cast iron skillet, ground venison and a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry!
Ingredients:
3 lbs. ground venison
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp salt
½ tsp onion powder
1 tsp Cavender’s
5 Tbsp olive oil, combined
3 Tbsp flour
1 15 oz can beef broth
Instructions
Step 1:
In a large bowl, mix ground venison, pepper, salt, onion powder and Cavender’s until combined.
Section into eight pieces of equal size and make into 8 round patties.
Step 2:
In a large cast iron skillet, heat 3 Tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Fit as many patties as possible into the skillet until they’re nicely browned, then flip. (I got 5 the first go-round, then added the other 3 after the other patties were browned.)
Once patties are browned, remove from skillet, even if they’re not completely cooked through. They’ll finish cooking in a minute. Finish cooking any remaining patties until browned and then remove them from heat.
Step 3:
Add 3 Tbsp of flour to the skillet and blend it into the pan drippings with a fork. Depending on how dry your meat cooked, you may want to add an additional 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil to the pan. Stir the brown gravy roux for about 5 minutes, allowing it to brown a little.
Slowly stir in the can of beef broth a little at a time and mash up the clumps with a fork. Stir it all up and bring to a boil.
Step 4:
Once the gravy is boiling, add the venison patties back to the skillet. (Due to cooking shrinkage, all 8 of your patties should probably now fit into the pan at once.) Leave the skillet uncovered. Reduce the heat to low to allow the gravy to simmer, and continue to cook for 20 minutes. Turn the patties once halfway through cooking.

 

[mishtub]

This recipe might work with your thin cuts as well:
Chicken Fried Venison with Waffles & Serrano Spiced Honey
This particular dish uses “venison steaks” which basically are cut from the muscles in the front leg and ham that are large enough to avoid the grinder, but not as tender as a backstrap, and usually are only good for jerky or shallow pan frying, so this recipe is a fun alternative.
Serves 2
Ingredients
• 6 small venison steaks
• 3 waffles (use bought or make your own)
• 1 cup plain flour
• salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup of milk or cream
• 4 cups vegetable oil
• 1 serrano chili, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
1. Using a meat mallet or tenderizer, bash the venison steaks evenly to thin them out. Sprinkle with salt on both sides to season.
2. In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt, garlic powder, pepper, nutmeg & paprika. In a second bowl, whisk the egg and milk to combine.
3. In a dutch oven or deep pan, heat oil on the stove. It will be ready to use when it reaches 325f.
4. Taking each steak, place in flour mix, then transfer to egg mix, then back to flour mix to create a coating. Place each coated steak on a foil lined tray ready for frying.
5. Once oil is at temperature, gently place 2-3 steaks in to cook, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry a few minutes per side until golden brown, then remove from oil and place on rack to cool for 5 minutes.
6. In a small pan, combine the honey and the serrano chili. Gently warm until honey has thinned to a syrupy consistency. Note: leaving this mix on the heat too long will wilt the chilies - they'll still taste good but won't look as fresh. If you prefer a less spicy honey, remove the chili seeds before steeping.
7. Warm the waffles and use one and a half per plate. Top with three pieces of fried venison, and drizzle with serrano honey. Serve immediately.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

If you need some great party food this holiday season, try this:
Cut the loin into bite-size pieces and marinate in your favorite steak or teriyaki sauce, Worcestershire, or whatever. I use a couple of local varieties called Dale's and Moore's. I usually marinate them overnight. When ready to prepare, wrap each bite in a small strip of bacon (I make three out of each half strip of bacon) and pin with a toothpick through a slice of fresh jalapeno. You can grill them (best) or cook under the broiler in the oven (still really good). Helps to sail your toothpicks first so they don't tend to burn up. And these are best served right out of the oven or grill. I make a big batch of these every year for our family Christmas Eve and rarely take any of the home.

 

[mishtub]

Crockpot Venison and Veggies with Sour Cream Sauce
This venison crockpot recipe is super easy, and with the vegetables included it's very similar to a roast. If you would prefer, you could use a venison roast in place of the stew meat and easily adjust the time as needed. Either way, this recipe is very tasty and something a little different than the venison recipes you are probably used to having.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. venison stew meat
Salt & pepper, to taste
Cavender’s All Purpose Greek Seasoning, to taste (optional)
1 cup diced celery
1 cup baby carrots
1 small onion, chopped
1 (10 1/2 oz) can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 pkg Lipton Savory Herb with Garlic soup mix
1 cup water
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup all-purpose flour
Instructions:
Place stew meat in crockpot and sprinkle with salt, pepper and Cavender’s to taste.
Place onions, carrot and celery in crockpot.
Mix together all other ingredients, except for the sour cream and flour, and stir all together in crockpot.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on High for 4-5 hours.
Mix sour cream and flour together until smooth; add to the crockpot. Continue cooking for 20 minutes longer, until heated through and thickened.
If sauce is too thick, thin it with some milk, cream, or broth.

 

[mishtub]

Homemade Venison Jerky Recipe
Making homemade jerky is a simple way to preserve excess meat, and when done correctly, can be stored 1-2 months. Depending on the ingredients used, it can serve as a healthy, high-protein and low-carb snack—perfect for training for upcoming hunts or while in the mountains hiking or hunting.
Below is the recipe I use. Ingredients are approximations, and can be adjusted based on individual preferences.
Ingredients:
3 lbs. venison meat (can also use elk or other meat)
2 cups teriyaki
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup brown sugar (dark or light is ok)
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon dried and crushed hot peppers (such as cayenne, jalapeno or habanero)
Instructions:
Slice meat into 1/8”-1/4” slices using meat slicer
Combine all ingredients (except meat) in small pot, mix well and heat over a low heat just enough to dissolve the sugar
Add meat to liquid mix, one piece at a time, ensuring all pieces are thoroughly coated
Place meat and all liquid in Ziploc bag and refrigerate at least 4 hours (I prefer overnight for a stronger flavor)
Place slices of meat on dehydrator racks, making sure not to overlap any of the pieces
Let dehydrate for 7-8 hours at 155°F
Remove from dehydrator and store in plastic Ziploc bag
Additional information:
3 lbs. of raw meat yields approximately 1 lb. dried jerky
Many people use a jerky gun, but I prefer making jerky with sliced meat instead of ground meat. I have a restaurant-quality meat slicer, but good slicers can be purchased at Bass Pro or Cabela’s.
Sugar can be omitted for a lower-carb recipe; can also substitute a can of crushed pineapple
Cajun seasoning and hot peppers can be omitted if you prefer non-spicy jerky

 

[mishtub]

You might be able to adjust this to pre-sliced meat:
Seared venison backstrap with blackberry sauce
3 pounds of venison will feed about 4 people, with 3 medallions per portion.
Ingredients
• 3 lb venison backstrap, whole
• 3 tsp salt
• 1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 6 oz fresh or frozen blackberries
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• Juice & zest of one lemon
• 2-4 cloves
• 1-2 star anise (optional)
• Thyme sprigs for garnish
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350f/180c.
2. Combine salt, pepper, nutmeg in small bowl. Dry off surface of backstrap with paper towels and sprinkle spice mix liberally on top.
3. Heat an oven proof skillet on high. Once smoking hot, place backstrap into skillet to sear, turning every minute or so to make sure all sides are cooked. Then place pan in the oven for 7-10 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and pan, place into foil and allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing into medallions.
5. To make the sauce - combine berries, sugar, vinegar, zest, juice, cloves and anise in a pan, and bring to boil. Add an optional pinch of salt.
6. After about 5 minutes of boiling, you should be able to 'smash' the berries on the side of the saucepan using a wooden spoon. Continue rapidly simmering sauce a further 5-10 minutes to thicken.
7. Place medallions on a plate, spoon over generous portions of sauce and top with sprigs of thyme.

 

[mishtub]

Southwestern Back-strap Fajitas Recipe
Ingredients:
1lb venison back-strap, fresh or frozen
1 Bell Pepper (red, green, or any color)
1/2 white onion
1 Hass Avocado
Flour Tortillas
Cheese- your choice. This recipe used Jalapeno Munster
Garlic Salt
Worcestershire Sauce
Southwestern Seasoning (or mix of cumin, coriander, oregano, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper)
Chips and Salsa, of course
2-3 tablespoons of butter
Recipe:
Take your meat and slice it in 1/2in thick medallions. Add the Worcestershire Sauce, Southwestern Seasoning, Garlic Salt, to taste. If you can, marinate your meat in the spices overnight, but if you can’t it will still taste great.
Add butter or olive oil to your pan and turn to medium heat. When hot, add your meat and sear on both sides to medium done-ness.
Add butter to a second pan (or use your current pan after removing the meat) and sauté your sliced onion and bell pepper once you have sliced them in strips. Sauté until tender and easy to bite through.
Dice/shred your cheese, slice your avocado, and prep your fixins’! I arrange the ingredients along the bar and let everyone Warm your tortillas, top with meat, veggies, avocado, cheese, and throw in some salsa if you’re feeling fancy. Then chow down!
This should make enough for about 6 fajitas, and these are great as leftovers as well for lunch the next day. Crack open a Cerveza with salt and lime, and enjoy!

 

[mishtub]

You might be able to adapt this to pre-sliced meat also:
Stuffed Venison Backstrap with Walnut, Sage & Cremini Mushroom
"Chiffonade" is just a fancy way of referring to very thinly slicing a herb - you can also just finely chop the sage leaves.
Ingredients
• 3 tbsp oil, divided
• 8oz cremini mushrooms, finely diced
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 8 large sage leaves, chiffonade
• 3/4 cup walnuts
• ½ tsp salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice (optional)
• 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 1 whole venison backstrap (about 2lb)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350f.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of oil and cook the mushrooms, shallots and sage leaves until softened.
3. Allow mixture to cool, and drain off any excess liquid the mushrooms released during cooking.
4. Toast the walnuts in a frying pan without any oil, stirring regularly to avoid burning, until fragrant. Chop and add to mushroom mix.
5. Add salt, pepper, allspice and breadcrumbs. Stir to combine. Add the melted butter and stir once more until everything is well mixed.
6. Butterfly the backstrap so it’s flat and even, and spread the stuffing mixture in a log across the middle.
7. Pull the backstrap back together, forming a cylinder around the stuffing, and secure with twine. Season outside well with salt.
8. In a cast iron skillet (or heavy based pan) heat remaining oil until nearly smoking, then sear the stuffed loin about 2 minutes per side until completely browned all over.
9. Place pan in oven, and cook a further 4-6 minutes. It’s important to not overcook the backstrap as it will become tough.
10. Remove from pan, and rest under foil for 8-10 minutes before slicing 1" thick portions and serving.

 

[mishtub]

Adapt this one as well:
Bacon-Wrapped Venison Tenderloin with Garlic Cream Sauce
1 h 25 m, 6 servings, 310 cals

Ingredients
6 thick slices bacon
2 (3/4 pound) venison tenderloin roasts
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
Great Value Extra Virgin Olive Oil 17 oz
1/4 teaspoon onion powder, divided
kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 (8 ounce) package sliced cremini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped green onion, or more to taste
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, or more to taste
Directions
Prep 15 m, Cook 1 h 10 m, Ready In 1 h 25 m
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Place bacon on a slotted baking pan.
Bake bacon in the preheated oven until partially cooked but still flexible, 6 to 8 minutes.
Brush venison tenderloins with olive oil and season with onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Place tenderloin roasts side by side and wrap them together in strips of partially cooked bacon. Place into a roasting pan.
Roast until bacon is browned and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a tenderloin reads at least 145 degrees F (65 degrees C), about 1 hour.
Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir mushrooms and garlic in hot butter until mushrooms are soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir green onion into mushroom mixture; pour in cream. Cook, stirring often, until sauce is heated through. Serve sauce with tenderloins.

 

[mishtub]

Lastly:
Venison steaks in Foil

READY IN: 20mins


1 lb venison steak (ours are usually 1/4 inch thick)
1 tablespoon butter
10 ounces fresh button mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon mccormick grill mates spicy McCormick's Montreal Brand steak seasoning
Directions
Preheat grill to medium high.
Place venison steaks on foil.
Place pats of butter over steaks.
Then cover steaks with sliced onions and mushrooms.
Sprinkle spicy steak seasoning over all.
Fold foil into packet and seal edges.
Place on hot grill and grill for about 10 minutes. We usually flip the packet, but its not necessary.
Carefully slice open foil - steam will be very hot. Enjoy!

 

[Pal Val]

My best way for venison is to cut up an onion and a green pepper into chunks, set aside. Fry some bacon to get the grease, then take out of the pan and save for some other meal. Brown 1 lb of venison, seasoned with salt and pepper, in the fat, then add the chopped onion and pepper. Throw in some garlic powder if you like. When the vegetables start to soften, add a 1/2 cup of beer, cover and let simmer for 1 hr.

Not fancy, but good!

 

[BearBiologist]

Always sloppy joes (ground meat) or fajitas. Simmer with salsa, onions, and peppers in a crock pot and you have machaca.

 

[Dave P.]

Thanks for the ideas.
After looking at these the last one above and the crockpot ideas sound like something to try.
The gravy over noodles looks like it's worth a shot also.
Seeing as I have plenty to "play" with I'm going to try some different small batches, just feeding my wife
and myself.
Thanks again
Wishing I had the intact backstraps or loins to roast!
Oh well, they make more deer.

 

[contender]

Lots of good recipes here.

I do my own processing,, and cooking etc. We had venison stew tonight for supper.

To offer advice about the thinner medallion cuts.
Remember,, no fats,, so they cook quickly.
I have taken cuts like this,, used "Speedy's Sauce" to marinate them for an hour or so. Throw on my grill,,, cook about 2 minutes,, flip & cook another minute. Serve & enjoy. Quick & easy.

 

[Dave P.]

I took the thawed package and also made stew tonight. Sauteed them in a bit of olive oil, set aside and cut up
potato, carrots, onion. Added a can of stewed tomatoes, clove of minced garlic and tossed it all in the
pressure cooker with the meat mixed in.
Came out pretty good. Still stuffed!
Good but still grumpy about them being all sliced up.........

 

[pharmer]

12 qt pot:
2 lb venison sausage links
3 lb Venison cubed steak
3 lb Venison ground and made into meatballs
3 lb baby gold potatoes
2 lb baby carrots
2 lb brussel sprouts cut in half
1 lb baby portobella mushrooms, any way you want them
3 qts water with a box of onion soup mix for flavor
Sriracha to taste. I about pass the bottle over the top, the wife says "We'll need another bottle.
Cook on low heat until done, whatever that is.
Yields enough for a small army. Joe

 

[mistermills357]

It looks great.