The Many Virtues of Venison

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One of the greatest conservation successes of modern times focuses on the comeback of the white-tailed deer. As a mountain boy who grew up in the Smokies in the 1950s, though I was hunting, fishing, or just prowling around in the woods at every opportunity, my encounters with deer were almost non-existent. When I headed off to college in 1960 I knew precisely how many whitetails I had seen—10. They were scarce enough for any sighting to be a moment to remember.

There was no deer hunting season in Swain County, and if a local hunter enjoyed success in the nearest place they could be hunted, the Pisgah National Forest, he would be a local celebrity—the talk of the town in barber shops and the gathering place for tellers of tales known as Loafers Glory—for weeks.

Today, deer are everywhere. They can become a destructive nuisance in flower beds, gardens, and farm fields, not to mention a major problem in terms of damaging encounters with vehicles.

The pluses (mostly) and minuses (if you’ve had a garden wiped overnight I don’t need to describe your angst) are part of the grand restoration saga associated with the animal, but perhaps most interesting of all is what restoration has provided in terms of culinary opportunities. Deer meat has made quite a return not only in the high country but on tables all across the country, a sort of folkways of food harkening back to an era when venison was a key part of diet.

For anyone familiar with what the meat offers in terms of taste and health benefits, that’s something to be greeted with a heartfelt shout of “hallelujah.” When properly handled from shot to pot, venison is both tasty and versatile. It lends itself to an amazing array of preparations, and pretty much anything you can prepare with beef can likewise be done with deer meat. Moreover, it enjoys the significant advantage of being far healthier than beef or, for that matter, other agriculturally produced meats. Venison contains none of the growth supplements and dietary hormone infusions of commercial meat; indeed, venison should be viewed as the ultimate organic meat. It is so wholesome that in many instances it is recommended as the only red meat individuals with heart problems should consume. I would offer one caveat—women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant should avoid it. The meat can be linked to toxoplasmosis.

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Unsurprisingly, given these considerations and a veritable host of other benefits associated with deer meat, venison has grown in popularity on a sort of parallel course to the resurgence of whitetail populations. So much is this the case that you can often find venison (albeit farm-raised rather than taken by hunters) available through upscale butchers or grocers, and the meat is readily available through online sources. Whether you are a successful hunter, someone interested in new dining adventures, or merely looking to expand main dish options in your food consumption, venison merits close attention. The recipes offered here, selected as a sampling of how different cuts can be used, are but a tiny index to almost endless possibilities. With my late wife, Ann, I wrote three venison cookbooks and the books contain hundreds of recipes. That means lots of proven options for venison preparation, but even so I greet each new deer season with great enthusiasm. That’s in part because it brings the opportunity to restock my freezer with wonderful meat, and I also know there will be plenty of opportunities to experiment with new dishes featuring deer meat.

Party Meatballs

If you want a sure-fire breakthrough with folks who say they won’t eat venison because it’s “gamey,” too tough, or simply have a mental food block, take this dish to a neighborhood potluck or similar gathering. Just say the food is meatballs until every last morsel is gone and folks start asking for the recipe. When you tell them the meatballs were made from venison your little bit of deception will make converts if my personal experience is any indication.

  • 2 pounds ground venison
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 12-ounce jar chili sauce (be sure it is sauce, not chili)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 10-ounce jar grape or red currant jelly

Mix venison eggs, salt, and pepper and shape into small balls.

Combine chili sauce, lemon juice, and jelly and place in a 9- x 13- x 2-inch baking pan. Add uncooked meatballs and bake, covered, at 350 degrees for one hour. Remove cover and bake an additional 30 minutes. Transfer to a chafing dish and serve hot with toothpicks.

Makes 30 to 40 meatballs.

Quick and Simple Chili

When it comes to hearty eating on a cold winter’s day or after arduous hours spent outdoors doing anything from hiking to yard work, a steaming bowl of chili with a pone of cornbread as a side soothes the soul and fills the inner man. There are endless recipes for chili but this one is simple, straightforward, and scrumptious.

  • 1 to 2 pounds ground or chopped venison (if you want a bit more “substance” use the latter option with stew meat chopped into small pieces with an ulu or chef’s knife)
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 16-ounce can of kidney or pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 package chili seasoning
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Brown venison and onion in a large skillet. Transfer to a stew pot and add tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, water, and seasonings. Simmer 45 minutes or longer for flavors to blend. Serve with topping options such as chopped chives, grated cheese, or sour cream. Serves six.

Loin Steak with Crab and Shrimp Sauce

Here’s a twist on surf and turf that is suitable for the finest, fanciest dining moment, and it’s an offering you won’t find even in a four-star restaurant.

  • 1 pound deer loin steaks, cut ½-inch thick
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon margarine
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Crab and Shrimp Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • ¼ cup White Zinfandel wine
  • ¼ cup margarine, cut into 12 pieces
  • ½ pound crabmeat
  • 12 medium shrimp, cooked and shelled

Heat olive oil and margarine for steaks in a large skillet and quickly cook loin until medium rare. Place on a platter and keep warm. It is best to cook loin after the sauce begins to thicken.

For the sauce, heat two tablespoons oil in a large skillet. Add mushrooms to skillet and sauté for five minutes. Then add cream and wine and reduce until thickened (about 10-12 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Stir in margarine one piece at a time, incorporating each piece completely before adding the next. Add crabmeat and shrimp and heat through (about a minute). Pour over venison and serve immediately.

Makes four servings.

Crockpot Cubed Steak

Crockpot cookery is perfect for the busy individual who wants minimal prep time, a “fix it and let it cook” approach, and a delicious dish at the end. Here’s a recipe with a number of possible variations.

  • 6 to 8 pieces venison cube steak
  • Enough flour to coat the steaks
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 can mushroom soup
  • Soup can filled with water
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Cover each steak with flour and brown quickly in a heated skillet to which the olive oil has been added. Remove steaks and add them, along with the drippings, to a crockpot already holding the mushroom soup mixed with water and garlic cloves. Cook in the crock pot for five hours on medium heat, checking once or twice to see if any water needs to be added and to turn the steak pieces. In the final hour of cooking you can add, if you wish, carrots, onion slices, celery, and potato slices to make a complete dish. Another possibility is to add rice or noodles, along with more water, late in the process. Alternately in the latter case, cook the rice or pasta separately and serve meat and gravy atop it.

Makes 4 hearty servings.

Venison Barley Soup

Soup might almost be a synonym for comfort food, and whenever you think about the pleasure provided by a nourishing, filling, and tasty meat-based soup, venison richly merits being in your thoughts. Here’s a delightful combination of a grain that blends wonderfully well with venison to produce a rich marriage sure to brighten any mountain table. Partner the soup with a green salad, some sliced fruit, or maybe cheese and crackers and you have a fine meal.

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup onion, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 pound ground venison
  • 1 14-ounce can chicken broth (or for a bit more richness, make a comparable amount of beef broth using bouillon)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 1 cup potato, diced
  • 1 cup carrot, cut into coins
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/8 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons crushed sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1 cup cooked barley

Heat the olive oil in a large soup kettle or stew pot. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add minced garlic, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the ground venison and cook until browned. Add broth, water, celery, potatoes, carrots, salt, pepper, parsley, basil, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the tomatoes and their juice, the sun-dried tomatoes, and the cooked barley. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Serves six.

Cheeseburger Pie

Ground venison can be used in all sorts of ethnic dishes from Tex-Mex to Italian, from British Isles shepherd’s pie to Central European offerings such as goulash or schnitzel, but it also works wonderfully well for grilled burgers, soups, chili, and other tried and true American foodstuffs. This is one of my favorites, and the beauty of the pie, along with its taste, is simplicity.

  • 1 pound ground venison
  • ½ cup evaporated milk
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup chopped onion
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 8-inch prepared pie shell

Combine ground venison, milk, ketchup, crumbs, onion, and oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fill the pastry shell with the venison mix and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes and then remove from oven. Toss the cheddar cheese with the Worcestershire sauce and sprinkle on top of the pie. Bake for another 10 minutes and then allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Six servings.

About the author: Jim Casada is a full-time freelancer with dozens of books to his credit. Those include The Complete Venison Cookbook, The Ultimate Venison Cookbook, and Venison Cookbook: From Field to Table. For more information, visit jimcasadaoutdoors.com.

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