The beauty of hunting wild game is the bounty of meat stored away on the backside of the hunting adventure. Meat stored in the freezer, or preserved for the pantry or shelf, will feed family and friends for months to come.Â
But what is the best way to cook this hard-earned meat for the table? That, of course, depends on who you ask. Below you’ll find a look at the best ways to cook a venison steak, according to a few members of the Bowhunting.com team, as well as my own personal preference.Â
Cast Iron with Courtney Kaufmann
You can never go wrong with a venison steak on a cast iron skillet! It’s simple, quick, makes the house smell good, plus you don’t have to rely on good weather, like grilling.
Place the skillet over medium heat, trim any fat off your steak and pat it dry with a paper towel. This is super important as it will help your seasoning stick and give your steak a good crust when cooking.
Then, season your steak however you would like. Honestly, just salt and pepper will do the trick, but I like to add a seasoning rub to add some extra flavor. Next, add 2 tablespoons of oil to the heated skillet, place your steak in the middle of the skillet, and cook for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Flip it over, add in some unsalted butter and rosemary (unsalted butter doesn’t burn as fast and your steak is already salted anyway), and baste the steak for another 1 1/2 – 2 minutes.Â
The residual heat will continue to cook your steak after you’ve removed it from the skillet so make sure to pull it a few degrees before your desired doneness. Remove steak from skillet, and let sit for at least 10 minutes before cutting or serving. This will help keep the juices in the meat.
While waiting on the steak, I like to sauté some onions with a little garlic in the same skillet, utilizing the leftover juices from the steak. Plate the steak and sautéed onions, and that’s it. Quick, easy, and delicious!
Sous Vide with Justin Zarr
The first question for many people is, “What is it?”
Sous vide, also known as low-temperature, long-time cooking, is a method of cooking in which food is placed in a plastic pouch or a glass jar and cooked in a water bath for longer than usual cooking times at a precisely regulated temperature (Wikipedia).Â
Sous Vide is a great way to ensure your meat is evenly cooked and maintains just the right temperature. Nothing kills a good cut of venison quicker than overcooking. With grilling or searing, you run the risk of leaving it on just a little bit too long and having it turn into a piece of shoe leather rather than the tasty morsel you were looking for. With sous vide you simply can’t overcook your venison, and it turns out perfect every time. For the “culinary challenged” like myself, it’s a fool-proof method that I’ve grown to love.
I cook my venison steaks to 127 degrees in the water bath, then I pull them out, season with salt and pepper, and sear them on the grill or cast iron skillet for a few seconds per side. This is more for cosmetics than anything, and it gives that nice char on the outside of the meat. Throw a little bit of garlic butter on top, and you simply can’t beat it!
On the Grill with Brodie Swisher
When the weather is nice, I personally like to handle business from the grill/smoker out on the deck. I love the sights and smells of outdoor cooking. And it’s a great time to shoot my bow as I keep an eye on the meat. Does it get any better?
I keep things pretty simple when it comes to meat prep. Salt and pepper on their own work just fine for me, but I always like to try new seasonings as well. Shake it down, pat it in, and on the Camp Chef it goes.Â
I’ll pull the meat when the internal temp is around 115 degrees and throw it into a smoking hot cast iron skillet for a reverse sear to lock in all the goodness.Â
I’ll finish things off with a quick baste of butter and Italian herb seasoning. For those looking for even more flavor, a splash of Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce is hard to beat.Â
We want to hear from you. What is your favorite method for preparing meat for the table? Comment below, and let us know which of the methods above you like the most.
