How to Cook Venison

Steps

1. 
    
   Use only venison that has been field-dressed correctly. The longer the meat stays on the deer carcass after the animal was shot, the tougher it becomes. Choose only deer meat that was cut, skinned, wrapped and refrigerated promptly.
2. 
    
   Marinate the meat for several hours before cooking it. A good marinade can be as simple as a mixture of salt, vinegar and water, or something more sophisticated, such as French or Italian salad dressing, Worcestershire sauce, tomato juice or sauce, or a citrus juice, such as from oranges, lemons or grapefruit. The marinade will tenderize the meat and add flavor to it, removing the "gamey" taste.
   • Although you can soak the meat in a brine mixture to marinate it, you should not add salt while cooking, as this keeps the meat from browning.
3. 
    
   Trim away all visible fat. The more deer fat that remains, the worse the meat will taste.
   • You could render the deer fat into tallow and use it for a project, or form it into a suet cakes to feed birds in winter.
4. 
    
   Substitute the removed deer fat with another fat source. Although the deer's own fat will affect the flavor of the venison adversely, venison is so lean, lacking "marbling", that it needs another fat source to give it flavor when cooking.
   • Possible substitute fats include butter, margarine, cooking oil, bacon or ground beef.
   • Laying other fat on the meat is called "barding"; poking it into the meat is called "larding". Larding may be healthier in adequately fattening the inside without over-fattening the outside.
5. 
    
   Keep the meat moist when cooking. Because it is so lean, deer meat is prone to drying out when cooked, making it tough and chewy. Cooking with a method that keeps venison moist, such as frequent basting, braising, sauteing, roasting or slow cooking, will preserve the flavor and keep the meat tender.
   • When cooking deer meat in a pan, roaster or on a grill, wrap it in foil for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This will let the juices distribute themselves evenly through the meat without evaporating.
6. 
    

Tips

• Good seasonings for cooking deer meat include parsley, thyme, garlic and onions. Powdered soup mixes often include these and other spices.
• Deer meat can be served as steaks and roasts, cubed for casseroles, soups and stew or ground to make patties or put into chili. You can find specific recipes online or in books published by state conservation departments or hunting associations.