Venison

Disclaimer: I do not hunt but everyone I know does so I am spoiled and get a ton of free meat each year.

Venison, the meat everyone should be eating. I am not joking at all when I say this. It is the best lean meat and honestly I like it better than chicken flavor wise. Some people dislike the game flavor of the meat (Mom if you read this you are wrong it is fantastic!)

What is it exactly?
Per Wikipedia the land of knowledge-
Venison is a general term pertaining to the meat of a deer. It can be used to refer to any part of the deer, so long as it can be consumed, including the flesh and internal organs. Venison, much like beef, is categorized into specific cuts, including roast, sirloin, and ribs.



Now that we know what it is you have to figure out what to do with it right. Like I stated before it is super lean since a deer is a wild animal and gets a ton of good exercise in the forest. The last batch of meat I was given was from my brother (Erik) and he had his meat processed. Here are some quick ideas for how to use this healthy/tasty meat.

1. Ground-- This is an easy way to use less desirable cuts of the meat. I used 2 pounds of this yesterday to make tacos. You can sub in venison for most meat you use regularly. The only recommendation I have is if you use this for burgers you may need to add a little more fat to the burgers (mix in some beef) to get a good patty.
2. Roast-- Man there is nothing more tasty than throwing a venison roast in the crock pot with some veggies and a can of coke. Sometimes I will smear a good jalapeno jelly on the roast after it is seared off before I leave it cook all day. Make sure you cook on low and no more than 8 hours or the meat will dry out and be gross.
3. Tenderloins-- I mean how can you go wrong with a lean delicious cut of meat like this. I will sear this cut of meat and throw it in the oven until it reaches the best level of done. 350 degrees and check the temperature till it is to your liking. Treat it like beef for the level of done you want.
4. Hot sticks-- I mean who does not love a good beef stick? Now imagine it is made if deer instead and packs more deep flavor.
5. Jerky-- Most people have had some sort of jerky in their lives. This is another way to use up scraps of meat that are not fit for roasts etc. It really is fantastic and I like to take some with me hiking as a snack.
6. Sausage--This is a really popular thing to make scraps with. Most of the time you mix in some beef for added fat. Ringed bologna style and hot dogs are a good way to have venison.

If you are a hunter or know someone that hunts I am sure you know of all these things already. Most hunters will get their meat processed  at a location that charges a fee to do this. Some people I know do it themselves which is rare but impressive.

I hope you give venison or game meat in general a try. It is healthy and a good substitute for beef/chicken and even pork.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily