Ground Meat

Ground meat can be used for numerous things. Burgers, soups, tacos, and other common meals are well-suited with ground meat. Oftentimes, when processing deer, it’s mixed with hog fat to increase flavor.

Kabobs

Meat on a stick is a fan favorite every time. Cutting deer meat into cubes, placing it on a skewer, and cooking it over a flame gives it a bit of an extra primitive experience and feel. Throw in some sliced veggies, and it’s even better.

Ribs

Ribs are popular dishes, especially with beef and pork. While deer don’t “have as much meat on the bone,” it’s still a viable cut. Consider barbecued buck ribs, too.

Roast

Everyone loves a good roast. Consider deer meat for your next one. Numerous cuts around the neck and hind quarters are excellent candidates for roast.

Sausage

Deer meat can make great sausage. Breakfast sausage, summer sausage, and more, can be viable options for hard-earned venison.

Steaks

Several cuts of meat are excellent selections for cooking deer steaks. Cut steaks into butterflies or filets for the best end product.

Steak Bites

Steak bites in cubes are tasty morsels you can’t miss. Medallions are popular options and are sure to impress anyone who pulls up a seat at the table.

Stew (and Soups)

Anything beef stew can do, buck stew can do better. Cutting up various parts of the deer into cubes and small chunks is perfect for soups and stews. Pair it with your favorite stew recipe, and it’s game on.

Stir-Fry

Speaking of cutting up venison, stir-fry is on the list, too. Slicing up smaller pieces of deer meat, and remaining “scraps” trimmed off the deer while processing, are great for this.

Popular Means for Cooking Venison

There are numerous methods and tools for cooking deer meat. Consider the following popular means for taking venison from raw to chef’s kiss:

● Air fryer

● Baking (in oven)

● Canning

● Crockpot

● Instant pot

● Dutch oven (cast iron)

● Grill (charcoal or grill)

● Open flame

● Skillet

Popular Venison Recipes to Try

There are many popular venison recipes that hunters should try. Some of the below options are excellent ways to prepare deer meat.

Backstrap Steak: Those who love a good backstrap dinner will enjoy this recipe. Courtesy of Alex Foster and the National Deer Association, this option is an excellent treatment for those hard-earned deer loins and straps. It’s a recipe sure to bless taste buds.

Braised Stew: Braised deer meat is among the best options available for the table. These options by David Draper and Bowhunter provide excellent examples of such use. These result in more tender morsels.

Buck BBQ: Most people don’t synonymize deer meat with BBQ. However, it’s excellent for it. An immediate hit with Mathews’ readers, this route to venison greatness is a new angle you likely haven’t tried yet.

Buck Burgers: There are thousands of recipes for cooking burgers. But this just might be the one from the haystack. Mathews hit it out of the park with this outline for deer burgers.

Venison Jerky: Jerky is a fan favorite for virtually all who eat deer meat. This rough cut of whitetail protein is common table fare for most wild game meat eaters. Therefore, this great rendition by Hank Shaw with North American Whitetail is sure to impress. As Shaw puts it, this should be great travel food. Using larger cuts from the hind quarters should maximize taste quality.

Venison Loaded Baked Potato: Most people enjoy a loaded baked potato. Adding venison to the mix only makes it better. Thus, this awesome recipe from Mathews makes complete sense, no questions asked.

Venison Queso: Anything with chips and cheese wins the vote. As such, this green chili venison queso recipe courtesy of Sitka Gear is sure to be a big hit.

Whitetail Pizza: Pizza goes great with everything. Paired with fresh vegetables, herbs, cheese, and more, deer meat can help make one of the best pizzas you’ve ever met.

Venison enthusiasts will enjoy other recipe types, too. Bacon-wrapped venison, venison and gravy, fajitas with deer meat, venison stroganoff, and more, will put a smile on most faces. Check out these other recipes from Mathews.

Why Does My Venison Taste Gamey?

Some individuals complain of their deer meat tasting “gamey.” At best, it leads to diminished flavor. At worst, it’s downright impossible to eat. There are numerous reasons why this can occur.

First, a deer’s diet can greatly impact the taste of your venison. For example, a grain-fed midwestern deer will eat vastly different foods than a timber-fed, big-woods buck of the Northeast. While subtle, it can produce slightly different flavors in the meat, which is completely normal and expected.

Of course, it’s important to note that the “gamey” flavor is usually more prominent in the fat. Stripping away the fat, silver skin, and other connective tissues, can minimize this risk, and lead to better venison meals.

Mild and general “gamey” flavors aside, strong unfavorable flavors are usually a result of a larger concern. First, delayed field dressing, and retaining the internal organs for too long, can ruin the meat. Likewise, if temperatures are elevated, allowing meat to remain unprocessed and in a warm environment for too long, can do the same. In either instance, this can lead to a foul-tasting venison that might even be dangerous to consume.

Tips for Better-Tasting Venison

The foremost way to ensure the best venison flavor is to properly handle it. As noted above, handling it in a timely manner is No. 1. Beyond that, consider other tips for better-tasting venison.

Field-Dress Deer Quickly: Don’t let a deer sit with the guts in. Remove the entrails as soon as possible. This decreases the odds of the meat spoiling.

Age the Meat (Conditions Depending): Aging deer meat is the process of allowing the venison to tenderize. Natural enzymes break down the connective tissues, which produce a tastier flavor. (Furthermore, dehydration occurs, which results in a smaller piece of meat.) Of course, you must have temperatures low enough (generally between 34 and 37 degrees) to complete the aging process.

Process the Meat in a Timely Window: Unless you have access to a walk-in cooler, most situations don’t allow for aging deer meat. Generally, outdoor temperatures are too warm, or fluctuate too much, to do this. But when you can do it properly, it makes the meat that much better.

Remove Hair and Other Debris: Allowing hair, dirt, and other debris to remain on the deer can damage the meat and ruin the taste. Ensure all foreign objects are removed prior to freezing, but definitely prior to cooking.

Trim Away the Junk: Remove all fat, silver skin, and other undesirable tissues from cuts of meat. Trimming away the junk improves the flavor, texture, and presentation.

Freeze It Correctly: It’s important to freeze deer meat the right way. Freezer bags can work short term. However, vacuum sealing is a vastly superior option. It keeps deer meat fresher and reduces the odds of freezer burn.

Don’t Freeze It Too Long: Leaving deer meat in a freezer for too long reduces the quality of taste. It can remain safe to eat for years, but after one year, taste usually begins to decline.

Thaw It Correctly: Thaw deer meat the right way. Don’t thaw it rapidly in a microwave. Rather, thaw it in warm water (while inside its packaging).

Tenderize the Meat: Using a meat tenderizer, repeated impacts can improve the tenderness of the venison.

Marinade the Meat: A good marinade can take deer meat to the next level. Choose a pairing of sauces and herbs that pair well with deer meat’s flavor and texture.

Add Some Fat: Deer meat is quite lean. Adding some fat back to the mix helps elevate the taste. Oftentimes, pork fat is the popular choice.

Use Spices as Needed: Spices never hurt a piece of deer meat. Choose a proven single selection, or mix of spices, to give it an extra kick. Or experiment with your own creations.

Don’t Overcook It: Overcooking deer meat is a one-way ticket to dissatisfaction. Instead, cook it just right. In fact, for rare, cook to an internal temperature of 125-130 degrees. For medium-rare, cook to 130-139 degrees. For medium, cook to 140-145 degrees. (For ground venison, cook to 160 degrees for the best outcome.)

Eat It Hot: Deer meat isn’t nearly as good cold or room temperature. Instead, eat deer meat while it’s still hot, and the experience is overwhelmingly better.

Have It Your Way

Considering all the options available for cooking deer meat, pick some favorites and have it your way. Like other meats, deer is an excellent source of protein. It tastes pretty great, too. Deer meat is healthy and tasty. All that’s left is selecting the best ways to prepare venison.