The first time I ever cooked venison I was 11 years old, and my knowledge of cooking anything was minimal. A chunk of butter was tossed into a hot frying pan, then thinly sliced, seasoned backstrap were added into the melted butter.
Once cooked on both sides, the meat was transferred to a slice of plain white bread. Stack it up, and another piece of bread was placed on top. It was the simplest recipe, and honestly not something I would likely ever recreate – but I can still remember how good it tasted. Was it good because of the story behind the hunt? Maybe.
Since then I’ve expanded my skills when it comes to cooking venison, and have some tried and true recipes that I will continue to make forever. However, I didn’t get to this point without some trial and error. I’ve made every mistake in the book when it comes to cooking deer meat, just like many others have.
If you aren’t familiar with cooking venison, there are several very common mistakes that are made. The good news is, they are easy to fix.
1. Overcooking Venison
Overcooking venison is one of, if not THE most common mistake that people make. It’s an easy mistake to make and I’ve been guilty of this both because I didn’t know any better, and also because I simply wasn’t paying attention.
When someone new to wild game cuisine decides to make a dish using venison, they tend to fear undercooking it and go too far in the other direction.
Overcooked venison is extremely dry, tough, and often lacks flavor no matter the seasoning or sauce that accompanies it. Venison only needs to be cooked to 145°, and when you’re cooking a steak it’s my recommendation.
While I understand wanting to err on the side of caution when it comes to raw meat, a quick fix is to purchase a good meat thermometer. Your family and your taste buds will thank you.
2. Cooking It Like Beef
Not all red meat is the same, despite the similarities in appearance. Cooking a cut of venison the same way that you cook the same cut of beef won’t have the same results. Essentially you’ll need to change your methods slightly when cooking venison due to the difference in fat content.
For example, a beautifully marbled steak from a cow will caramelize beautifully in a hot greased skillet, and the end result is a tender and juicy steak. A cut of venison steak cooked in the same fashion will likely result in a dry and slightly tough steak. The lack of fat in venison means that you will need to add some type of fat to the meat to get the desired finish.
For a great deer steak that rivals a restaurant style NY strip, you’ll want to season it well and baste in plenty of butter, and allow the steak to rest before cutting.
When using ground deer meat for burgers or meatballs you can add other fatty ground meat and mix it (example, ground pork fat). I’ve become accustomed to adding a cup of shredded cheese and an egg when making burgers and they come out amazing.
3. Over Complicating It
I think that many of us are guilty of overcomplicating cooking at some point. A fancy recipe and an aesthetic looking end result are always extremely tempting – especially if you have guests.
But, I have found that the best recipes I have made with venison are the simplest ones. Cooking wild game doesn’t need to be complicated, and it doesn’t need to be overpowered by many different sauces and flavors.
Sometimes simple is best – a few quality ingredients will often do the job when it comes to enhancing the flavor of venison.
4. Using the wrong cut of meat
I get it – a lot of the raw cuts of meat look similar and it can make you question what method is best for each cut.
I’ll be honest, I have cut a hind roast and cooked up some killer steak bites in garlic butter with it and no one was the wiser.
But, familiarizing yourself with each cut and the best way to cook them, will certainly pay off.
For example, the backstrap and tenderloins are the most tender cuts and therefore should be reserved for a steak dinner or something that is similarly cooked to a “medium rare to medium” doneness. Yet the shanks and neck meat are something that will need to be cooked low and slow in a Dutch oven or crock pot, or even ground into hamburger meat.
Using shanks for a steak or a backstrap for burger is blasphemy!
5. Making the Same Recipe Over and Over
Growing up in a household that relied heavily on venison as a meat source, we had venison very often. My mother however, didn’t grow up on a “venison household” and only knew a few basic recipes. My mom is a great cook and it was no fault of hers that she didn’t know many ways to cook deer meat. We ate it, and it was good.
When I grew up and moved out however, I soon realized that there were many other ways to cook venison and it gave me a new appreciation for the meat I stocked in my freezer.
Having a few basic recipes that you keep in rotation is great. But if you don’t LOVE venison then maybe it’s time to branch out and find a recipe that makes you look forward to dinner.
Watch the video below for a look at how to make venison summer sausage with Justin Zarr.
