FOOD Help...How To Cook A Venison Roast

[Namsgrls]

We have been “gifted” with some venison...some of which is a good sized roast. I, personally, don’t like venison, so I have no clue what to do with it. Dh is almost the only one in the family that likes it, so I want to be able to fix it so it will be edible. If anyone can offer advice or recipes I surely would appreciate it. I will check back later so thanks in advance!

 

[WalknTrot]

An easy way to keep it moist is to crockpot it. Cover with onions and garlic, salt and pepper. I usually rub in some dry beef stock powder, just to enhance the flavor. Fill up the rest of the pot with your taters and carrots.
Yum! Makes nice gravy too if you skim off most of the fat from the juices. The key to venison if you are not a fan is to be sure to eat it hot.

Hopefully, it was well taken care of meat (hoof to freezer wrap). The problem with most people not liking venison, is that they've never had any that was properly handled.

 

[Jonas Parker]

It's a lot of work. Just bring it over here and we'll take it off your hands...

 

[auxman]

Venison Roast

"We've always cooked with venison...and this tender flavorful roast and gravy have been a favorite at our house for years," says Ruth McLaren of Shermans Dale, Pennsylvania.

www.tasteofhome.com

Ingredients

• 1 venison roast (3 to 4 pounds)
• 10 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
• 1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder, divided
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 7 medium carrots, quartered
• 5 small onions, quartered
• 1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
• 1 teaspoon browning sauce, optional
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons cold water

Directions

• Cut 10 deep slits in roast; place a garlic clove in each slit. Combine the rosemary, 1 teaspoon onion powder, garlic powder and thyme; rub over entire roast. Cover; refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Add 1/2 in. of water to a roasting pan. Place the roast, carrots and onions in pan. Cover and bake at 325° for 2-1/2 to 3 hours or meat is tender. Remove meat and vegetables to a serving platter; keep warm.
• Strain drippings into a measuring cup. In a large saucepan, combine 3 cups drippings, bouillon, browning sauce and remaining onion powder. Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir into drippings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with roast.

Nutrition Facts
1 each: 263 calories, 4g fat (2g saturated fat), 145mg cholesterol, 403mg sodium, 13g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 3g fiber), 41g protein.

 

[Dozdoats]

Venison is like mutton in that the fat easily goes rancid. If it was stripped of fat when processed, it will of course cook up dry if hot handled properly. So lard it with beef tallow to actually roast it, or slow cook it in the crock pot etc.

 

[The Cub]

As you know, venison is quite lean. Accordingly, I recommend cooking it in the microwave to avoid drying out.

I would roast it on 80% power....maybe 70%.

Alternatively, using the thermometer control......until an internal temp of 145 degrees.

Using your fave recipe.

 

[Ractivist]

Cut it into steaks, eat medium rare....can’t go wrong. Or Italian beef....do not over cook, venison should always be med- rare imo.

 

[John Deere Girl]

An easy way to keep it moist is to crockpot it. Cover with onions and garlic, salt and pepper. I usually rub in some dry beef stock powder, just to enhance the flavor. Fill up the rest of the pot with your taters and carrots.
Yum! Makes nice gravy too if you skim off most of the fat from the juices. The key to venison if you are not a fan is to be sure to eat it hot.

Hopefully, it was well taken care of meat (hoof to freezer wrap). The problem with most people not liking venison, is that they've never had any that was properly handled.

This is how I fix them, and everyone loves them. If processed correctly, it tastes like really good beef. My MIL, who swears she won't ever eat deer, loves it. They lived with us for a few months, and I wasn't buying beef when I already had deer.

 

[Mattk]

Ahhh, the smell of a fresh venison roast. I cut my in thin slices and make jerky.

 

[Issy]

Soak it overnight in milk in the fridge the day before.

 

[Millwright]

I second the crock pot.

Cover it with bacon.

 

[vestige]

As you know, venison is quite lean. Accordingly, I recommend cooking it in the microwave to avoid drying out.

I would roast it on 80% power....maybe 70%.

Alternatively, using the thermometer control......until an internal temp of 145 degrees.

Using your fave recipe.

I ain't gonna do that

 

[LittleYellowFlower]

I have cooked venison roasts, stews and soups for years...many more venison roasts than store bought thanks to my sons’. I cook them in the crockpot with the same recipes I use to cook beef roasts. I do add beef stock as opposed to plain water though. Those who do not know it’s venison have no clue.

(If it was an older deer I will soak it in milk overnight to remove the “wild” taste.)

 

[Ku Commando]

All y'all talkin' 'bout the crock pots....well, that's 'bout as good as it gets in civilized society......but I'd rather break out the heavyweights....literally.....at about 250 deg

[Makes GREAT popcorn too !!]

 

[Garand]

Make jerky out of it.

 

[Luddite]

If you like barbecue, make it just as you would for a pulled pork bar-b-q.

Another similar option: slow cooker, can of tomato soup, cover with water, onions, season to taste.
Cook until tender, then add taters & carrots. Cook until the new additions are done.

 

[agmfan3]

Look at the website for "meat eater" he has some really good recipes. We eat venison a lot. Hubby smoked a roast and we sliced it, yum.

 

[hiwall]

We always cook venison about the same as cooking beef and we have had no trouble. I like venison a lot.
We have done it in a crock pot after searing in a fry pan- same as we do beef. We sometimes just roast it in the oven in a roaster pan - same as we do beef. When roasting we always add water as needed to keep it moist.
Its just meat. Cook it and eat it.

 

[West]

Cut it into steaks, eat medium rare....can’t go wrong. Or Italian beef....do not over cook, venison should always be med- rare imo.

Just thought I quote this most important point.

I've never had a really good venison roast, but I've never tried to cook one myself. Other people have feed it to me, and I'll eat it with no complaints, but I love venison period.

I usually cut the roasts up into steaks. And fry up in butter or bacon and onions and dont over cook it.. Also a good mushroom sauce is spread onto my steaks as often as I can make do. Moral mushrooms make the best steak sauce.

Really IMO, venison needs to be properly aged before butchering and if that's not done, for venison lovers it's just okay meat. But if properly aged and butchered it's one of my favorite meals, and even eating it three times or more a week, I love it.

 

[recoil4015]

Wrap in bacon and then crockpot on low. Carrots, spuds, celery. MMMMMMM

 

[recoil4015]

Just saw the Dutch oven post. Open fire coals all day. Again MMMMMM

 

[oleglass]

Look up the recipe for “Mississippi Pot Roast” online.
We use an Instapot cooker and substitute venison for the beef in the recipe. She does soak the meat in milk (In the fridge) several hours before cooking.
Absolutely great, DW loves it and she would never eat venison before.

 

[Marseydoats]

Soak it overnight in milk in the fridge the day before.

I soak ours in a bottle of Italian dressing overnight.
We grind most of ours up into" deer burger" and mix it with hamburger.

 

[WanderLore]

I wash it real good first, then soak in vinegar at least 30 mins. The crock pot is a good idea too.
I much prefer the ground venison. Still wash it before and after I cook it. But it makes great chili and tacos.

 

[WalknTrot]

Yup...if I was cooking it in an oven (or a dutch oven) I'd cook it covered so it didn't dry out. Also I'm a fan of adding a bit of tomato to the pot (as someone above mentioned). Enhances the classic "umami" savory magic. Often, I'll just squirt a few tablespoons of ketchup on top when I start it. A little bit of tomato paste does the same. Just a little. You could also put a 1/4-1/2 cup of red wine over the top. Couldn't hurt.

Bacon strips...you guys are pure evil, but yeah, you betcha...the idea works for me!

 

[Seeker22]

All y'all talkin' 'bout the crock pots....well, that's 'bout as good as it gets in civilized society......but I'd rather break out the heavyweights....literally.....at about 250 deg

[Makes GREAT popcorn too !!]

View attachment 232741

When adding spices, add a pinch or two of powdered cooking sage. Old camp cook trick.

For a faster result that uses less wood, you can cook the roast (or stew) in the crockpot the first few hours and let cool a little. If the meat has a lot of fat, I put the cooled crock (minus the metal surround) in the fridge over night and take the cold fat off the top. Keep that for other cooking. Put your crock on the bottom of the fridge (no racks) because it is heavy and if still a little warm, I fold up a kitchen towel to set it on.

Next day, pour contents of crock minus fat into the Dutch and finish cooking over an open fire. There is just nothing like the wood smoke laced into the taste of the meat and veggies. It's not strong if you kept that lid on, but as close to the food of the Gods as I can ever get.

 

[joannita]

Soak it overnight in milk in the fridge the day before.

Absolutely do this; it removes the "gamey" taste.

 

[West]

Absolutely do this; it removes the "gamey" taste.

It's all good.

I've found that stripping the meat (venison, bird, snake, rabbit, etc..) into small strips and soaking in buttermilk, while working the milk into the meat periodically as it sits in a fridge soaking up the buttermilk. Is even better for those that find gamey meats yucky. And I've had real city slickers love the wild meats. That I tell them is chicken or beef. Because they would never eat Bambi or a wild pheasant.

Then roll the stripped meats in flour and spices, then fry in butter or alike.

 

[It'sJustMe]

What a beautiful gift Namsgirl! I am envious as I have not had any venison in about 40 years and do miss it a lot. I just don't know any hunters anymore. I grew up on venison and never really thought about needing beef or anything. When my Dad first married my step-mom she had never cooked venison before, as she was a city girl, and my Dad was a country boy. I was 4 the first time I remember her cooking a roast, My Dad was very experienced with doing the prep the right way. Dad wanted a nice roast, so she decided that she would fancy it up. So she studded it with garlic, like you use cloves on a ham. and open roasted it in the oven, until it was well done, the way she liked beef. Well, this 4 yo girl's taste buds fought with that venison for at least 2 hrs. All that garlic certainly brought out a gamey taste, and being overdone it was a tough as shoe leather. I was raised in a home that required that you eat everything that is placed on your plate by someone other than you. After 2 or more hrs. I was excused from the table, and grounded for a week for not eating it all. So don't do any of that! Soaking in milk as mentioned above is good if you have the time to do it. Otherwise I think cooking it like your favorite pot roast, in a crock pot, would be tasty. Enjoy!

 

[Ku Commando]

And I've had real city slickers love the wild meats

Easy pickin's

......they'll eat gator or shark if they don't know

 

[patriotgal]

Easy pickin's

......they'll eat gator or shark if they don't know

Favorite aunt fed city slickers plenty of opossum and coon. I could go for some fried raccoon. Haven't had any since local coon hunters quit having their big coon fry at Norfork lake every year.

 

[Seeker22]

Absolutely do this; it removes the "gamey" taste.

Kill a young one quick to prevent that adrenaline rush which makes it gamey and bitter if they have to suffer and run before they drop. Older game gets made into burger or Chili with lots of spices to cover up the gamey taste. If I have to resort to milk soaking, the pups always lap that up after I take the meat out. Waste nothing.

 

[subnet]

Crockpots?
Instapot that bad boy and he can be eating it in less than an hours cook time

 

[WalknTrot]

Crockpots?
Instapot that bad boy and he can be eating it in less than an hours cook time

Bah. I ate to many pressure-cooked suppers when I was a kid. No thanks. There's nothing like slow cooking or slow oven cooking.

 

[Namsgrls]

Thanks everyone for the ideas. Sounds like the best way is the crockpot and treat it like a beef roast. You all are a wealth of information.

 

[Jackpine Savage]

We eat 2-3 deer a year but seldom have roasts. Most roasts get cut into steaks or sliced for jerky. Many of the steaks get marinaded and sliced for fajitas.

I agree that the crockpot is the way to go for roasts. One seasoning we often add to roasts is Lipton Onion Soup mix (makes great chip dip too).

I was just watching an outdoors youtube channel where a long time professional butcher added a slab of pork butt to venison front shoulder roasts and neck roasts. He then tied them together. He recommended starting uncovered at 375-400 degrees for half an hour then covering and lowering temp to 325 degrees.

Here's the video. Run time 11:39

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hfac1roecXY&list=PLksX0m4wrQHwY8aepuTO-dGE51MvZIabD&index=16

 

[WalknTrot]

We eat 2-3 deer a year but seldom have roasts. Most roasts get cut into steaks or sliced for jerky. Many of the steaks get marinaded and sliced for fajitas.

I agree that the crockpot is the way to go for roasts. One seasoning we often add to roasts is Lipton Onion Soup mix (makes great chip dip too).

I was just watching an outdoors youtube channel where a long time professional butcher added a slab of pork butt to venison front shoulder roasts and neck roasts. He then tied them together. He recommended starting uncovered at 375-400 degrees for half an hour then covering and lowering temp to 325 degrees.

Here's the video. Run time 11:39

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hfac1roecXY&list=PLksX0m4wrQHwY8aepuTO-dGE51MvZIabD&index=16

A big YES on the dry Lipton Onion Soup mix. That was my mom's favorite quick seasoning for roasts, meatballs, all kinds of stuff. I think it has beef broth powder, plus a lot of onion, pepper, a little garlic, etc. Darned near perfect.

 

[Ragnarok]

An easy way to keep it moist is to crockpot it. Cover with onions and garlic, salt and pepper. I usually rub in some dry beef stock powder, just to enhance the flavor. Fill up the rest of the pot with your taters and carrots.
Yum! Makes nice gravy too if you skim off most of the fat from the juices. The key to venison if you are not a fan is to be sure to eat it hot.

Hopefully, it was well taken care of meat (hoof to freezer wrap). The problem with most people not liking venison, is that they've never had any that was properly handled.

That's good and easy if you aren't used to cooking it. It is delicious and not much can go wrong.

*MY* favorite, though, is making a sauerbraten with it:

Authentic German Sauerbraten

A national dish of Germany, authentic Sauerbraten is marinated, cooked and served with a delicioiusly rich and sweet-sour gravy.

www.daringgourmet.com

 

[DryCreek]

I keep seeing posts where people are talking about fat on venison.
Ain't no fat deer around here.

 

[The Cub]

As you know, venison is quite lean. Accordingly, I recommend cooking it in the microwave to avoid drying out.

I would roast it on 80% power....maybe 70%.

Alternatively, using the thermometer control......until an internal temp of 145 degrees.

Using your fave recipe.

I'm surprised at the responses.

I have cooked the prettiest and juciest beef roast, and juiciest turkey ever in my microwave. LaSagna, chicken piccata, wild ducks, sausage, and much more. Tough cuts, like chuck roasts and round steak come out much more tender. It is hard to goof up with the thermometer probe.

Years ago upon buying my oven, they offered a free cooking course. I was the only guy in the class and the gals got a kick outta razzing me every time I asked a question. Must really been dumb ones.

In any event, it was one of the most helpful and meaningful classes ever.