Let's play The Wild Game Game.
I have a huge venison roast and two elk steaks in my fridge, generously gifted by a local hunter. I have no earthly idea what to do with them! Seriously, I was thinking about turning it all into jerky because I know how to make that... but something tells me if I can prepare these right, I'll have a real treat.
Your quest, should you choose to accept, is to tell me the proper way to prepare these things.
I know many of you have freezers full of wild game. What are the tricks of the trade to make it flavorful, less gamey, tender, and delicious?
Any tips, secrets, tricks or help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
21 comments:
The elk isn't gamey at all and you can treat it like any steak. But if you aren't used to wild meat, maybe try a marinade or rub. The venison, well I think it's way gamey tasting and recommend chopping it and using it in your favorite stew recipe. :)
What a blessing! (I am jealous!) You're going to love it! It's so lean and delicious! Not like a Texas deer at all, which is only good for sausage. You probably won't taste anything "gamey" about it...especially the elk.
My favorite way to prepare it is just cutting it into medallions (less than a 1/2 in thick) and frying it in butter, garlic salt and pepper. As always, when using butter, make sure to use a lot ;) Cook it however you like your beef. Ours is always a little pink in the middle....but not much (it's a different looking pink). If you find it to be a little "gamey", you can soak it in milk for the day, but if it was harvested from around here, I doubt you'll need to.
Other than that, I use it in anything I would use beef for: stew, stir fry, we make some into hamburger and use it for spaghetti and tacos, whatever else you can think of. It also makes great sausage and who doesn't like jerky?
Let me know how you like it :)
My favorite way to eat game is in sausage. Usually it is mixed with high-fat pork. I've never done it myself, but my husband's brother makes some good stuff (elk).
Elk can be eaten like steak , delicious no prep work just a hot grill and fav spices. Deer meat I usually brine it a few days like a turkey. It pulls the blood out and tenderizes it. Then cook like a pot roast or make crockpot bbq.
EXCELLENT! This is exactly what I was going for :). Will report back after I've cooked the beast :). Thank you, Carley!
Oh yum! My husband loves the sound of this, so we may yet concoct some sausage :). Thanks, Stacie!
A hunter neighbor gave us elk and deer last year. The elk roast I cooked like any roast. It was not gamey but very good, more lean than beef. The deer is ground and I haven't used it yet. I don't like lamb and I've been told that it has a similar gamey taste. When I get down to the bottom of my freezer, I'll probably cook up some deer patties and serve it to my husband. We also have some boar sausage which I'll probably cook at Christmas when my older kids are visiting.
Boar meat... gah!! Apparently some people have the genetic makeup to be able to taste and smell the "boar taint" and others can't. I definitely can and P U!!!!
I'm thinking I'm leaning heavily towards sausage or jerky for the venison, and regular grilling for the elk steaks :).
Thanks for the input, Katherine!
My dad makes a venison breakfast sausage. It's spicy but oh so good. If you want to the recipe I can get it for you.
I once had Elk stew that was delicious! My husband mixed some deer meat with pork to make jerky and burgers.
That would be awesome :). I don't have a tried and true recipe. Thanks, Whitney!
Burgers... didn't even occur to me! A venison burger (even though I have no idea what it would taste like) sounds delicious!
Check out my blog. (I put a link on it for your blog too :) Hope you don't mind.)
justasmidgenoflove.blogspot.com
Most of the recipes that call for beef; I use elk for. I love love elk anything. My mom typically marinates her elk steak in a soy sauce marinade to tenderize it. I have and haven't. I love it any which way.
Enjoy the recipes I posted.
Ali
Thanks for linking to me, Ali! You've got a lot of great recipes on there! :)
Hope they are helpful. :)
It's too bad we don't live a smidge closer...we have all the meat processing equipment.
If you do end up making burger, grind bacon ends with it. The meat is so lean that it needs something to fatten it up a little, plus bacon makes everything better!
Can't wait to hear how it goes :)
Let me know if you try anything
Oh gosh, that sounds so good! I read this after I sliced most of the deer and marinated it for jerky. If we get some more, though, this sounds ideal :).
We're having the elk tonight and I did chicken fried venison medallions yesterday. They were DELICIOUS. I took your advice and soaked them in milk and we sensed no gaminess at all... it was tender, flavorful... a really rich flavor. We loved it.
Will do! :)
Wow, lots of comments for sausage from the venison. I just slice the tenderloin, roll it in flour, salt and pepper then pop it into a pan coated with butter. OMG, the best stuff I have ever eaten. I have had lamb and don't care much for it. But give me some deer steak and I will be a friend for life.
I'll post soon what we did with it, but after my first experience, I tend to agree with you... :)
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