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Even if you’ve never hunted a day in your life, living in western North Carolina means that someone neighborly soul might bring you a venison loin or a few packs of ground venison. If you do hunt, be sure to follow North Carolina regulations. You can find them online here: www.eregulations.com/northcarolina/hunting-fishing/deer-regulations/. Deer meat is tasty and healthy if you prepare it correctly, so don’t worry. Just read our tips and put on your apron!
TIPS
- Venison is very lean. This means you need to be careful to not overcook it. Use a thermometer and get it to 135 degrees. It also means you want to add some fat when you cook it.
- Instead of oiling your pan, be sure to coat your whole piece of meat in oil or another fat.
- Warm it up to room temperature before you cook it.
- If you are cooking a large piece of venison, be sure to sear it at high heat to lock in the moisture and fats. Don’t be afraid to salt liberally.
- Don’t forget to let it rest before you cut it.
- Mushrooms and red wine pair remarkably well with venison.
Chefs say that venison is best prepared medium-well. Betty Crocker says, “Follow directions for cooking beef. Baste the roast with red wine for a special touch. Wild Plum Jelly is a natural with venison.”
She also says ”If you like the “wild” flavor, cook a shorter time with simple seasonings. If you do not, increase cooking time and add more seasonings. Never overcook! It becomes dry and unflavorful!”
Venison Chili
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1/2 cup of bacon grease or lard
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1 onion, diced
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1 pound of ground vension
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2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
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2 tablespoons ground cumin
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2 tablespoons sugar
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4 tablespoons tomato paste
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1 tablespoon garlic powder
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2 teaspoon ground black pepper
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1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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2 cups beef broth
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1 diced tomatoes
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1 can red kidney beans, drained
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1 can white kidney beans, drained
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1 can black beans beans, drained
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1 can tomato sauce
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1 cup coffee (optional)
Cook the onion in the bacon grease until it begins to get transparent and then add the venison. Brown it and add the spices and sugar. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the tomato paste as you stir. Turn heat to medium low and add the other ingredients.
Simmer on low for at least an hour. There are a lot of things you can add to chili, but we prefer to keep it simple. We do, however, always serve it up with a scoop of sour cream and some grated cheddar.
You can also add some gelatin while you are cooking to make it a bit smoother and give it more body. To do that, you would pour a little unflavored gelatin into a bowl of cold water, then when the water soaks up, you add hot water, then pour it all into the chili.
Venison Roast
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1 pound Venison tenderloin
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2 teaspoons salt
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1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper optional
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Pat the loin with salt then put it in the oven. If you like a medium well loin, cook until it is 135-140 degrees. If you like a well-done loin, cook it to 160 degrees. Let it rest once you remove it from the heat then cut it into slices.
Serve with cream of mushroom soup. It is a simple roux you can make by following these steps: saute minced onion and garlic in butter until soft. Turn up the heat and add mushrooms, then cook until they release their moisture. Use a little sherry to deglaze the pan.
Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms and butter, stirring as you go. Add about 2 cups of a liquid of your choice and cook until the mushrooms are tender. Slowly stir in heavy cream and milk until the soup is the consistency you desire. Garnish with fresh herbs and sautéed mushroom.
