The most common reason you'll hear why people don't enjoy eating venison is that they say it tastes 'gamey'. Although I have myself tasted this, it has not been a common experience for me. I grew up with my mother cooking venison for dad the way he wanted it.......always either fried in bacon grease or wrapped in bacon. Of course, this solves one issue, but creates another. You can't enjoy the flavor profile that is there. This is common to other wild game as well.
I am not criticizing those folks who subscribe to the 'gamey' theory, but I have found it doesn't have to be that way once I began to harvest my own deer and cooking it. First of all, there are several common reasons the cut of meat maybe more or less flavored:
Was the deer humanely and properly harvested?
Was the carcass skinned and cooled promptly?
What was the deer's normal diet?
Other butchering and cooking techniques to consider:
Was it butchered into cuts favorable for venison?
Was the location clean the butcher knowledgeable?
Was the bone left in when possible?
What temperature is the venison cooked to according to recipes?
Let's start at the beginning. When afield hunting deer and that one animal comes along you have been looking for, the base line fact remains: I'm still excited, full of adrenaline. This can sometimes affect the shot placement. Through the 'wheelhouse' (the desired shot) just behind the front shoulder and halfway down will pass through the lungs and heart. Shots 'off the mark' can pass through the gastrointestinal system puncturing the stomach, bowels, and elsewhere. These shots result in intestinal fluids escaping into the cavity and affecting lots of tissue. Keep in mind that this type of shot is not immediately fatal, and the animal will run much farther further stressing it and worsening the internal situation. I have to admit I have done this and the resultant odor when gutting the deer will make you rethink your last meal. The smell is unforgettable. The gastrointestinal fluids will permeate the good meats and even with plenty of flushing and cleaning it may not be enough. Much of the meat is ruined and will never be good table fair. Even with good shot placement I end up trimming up a bit of rib meat year when butchering. I hear so much about everyone's favorite proper caliber and bullet with which to kill deer, but the bottom line is simply you have to hit what you're aiming at.
Sorry, but this picture is necessary, leaking intestinal fluids on meat
The next issue is pretty straightforward. Once down, the deer should be gutted as soon as possible and then transported to home or the butcher. Opening the chest cavity is key. Remove as much warmth as possible. If the drive is long, pick up several bags of ice and put inside the cavity. This is helping the carcass cool and remain fresh as possible. It doesn't take bacteria very long to start some sort of growth. When arriving at your destination skin the carcass as soon as possible to further promote cooling. Aging the carcass can help with letting the natural enzymes tenderize the meat. The length of aging is subjective according to outside temperatures (40F or less) and preference. You can bag it while hanging with a good net cheesecloth mesh. Nothing will ruin a good venison carcass like blow flies. If the temps will not remain below about 45 degrees when aging then you will need to quarter and cool the meat by other means, such as a cold storage, fridge, or cooler with ice. If you use a cooler, place the ice in with bags. You don't want to submerge your meat in cold water as it will soften it and inhibit the natural enzymes from working properly.
What your game dines on daily is a very large part of its flavor. I love Pronghorn Antelope, but their diet is mainly sage with some farm wheat on the side. It makes a great pizza meat. Mule deer are mostly a mountain prairie species, and their diet can be varied. Their taste often comes down to preparation, Whitetail Deer is the most common species harvested and the most controversial. Those harvested in mostly forest areas make their diet whatever is available which is anywhere from acorns to young, tender pine tree buds. Those harvested in the lowland farm areas offer some of the finest eating available due to the agricultural diet they consume: corn, barley, wheat, alfalfa, beans, etc. Since our retirement and wintertime in South Central Texas we primarily hunt Axis Deer. There are a good population of good whitetails here, but the Axis are considered exotic, having escaped from big game ranches. There is no season or limit on them. The best part about these is that they are primarily green veggie eaters, preferring grass and alfalfa with extremely lean meat.
Butchering is a matter of personal preference. Most hunters have a favorite meat processor or butcher that they take their carcass. Satisfaction here is a matter of experience. Keep in mind that if you order sausage or burger your meat goes into a large hopper with many other hunters' meats to make large batches at once. You don't necessarily get your own meat back.
For the past 30 years my wife and I have preferred to butcher our own. Each year we try different cuts or add more equipment to our arsenal. First, and most importantly is a set of sharp knives in various styles and sizes. Don't skimp here. We own the Outdoor Edge set of butchering knives, but also own several Wusthof Trident German Artisan blades, pairing/trimmers, a cleaver, and a good boning knife. This last one is key. Additionally, we purchased a professional meat slicer, grinder, and vacuum sealing unit (our 3rd one).
Typically, we bone most of the meat, but there are several cuts we'll still butcher 'bone in' for the flavor.
With our deer here we bone out the front shoulder saving only a flatiron steak or two, then 'burger' the rest. On the hind quarter we select the best of the round steak (some bone in) and perhaps a roast then 'burger' the rest. Sometimes we save some of the shanks bone in for Osso Bucco. We do save the heart which makes good steaks and the neck which makes a great stuffed roast.
Burger, Sausage, or Brats
Which brings us to the ribs. Barb and I alternate years hunting here in South Texas and as such we agreed to butcher to our own preferences. On years when she hunts, we bone out nearly everything for a few steaks, back straps, and burger here, but I like my 'bone in' meats. I will use my 'saws all' and cut the rib end tips off for flank steak (flanken style) and then cut half rib cavity each side. Half of each side goes to a prime rib rack and the rest to individually cut mini-tomahawk steaks. Both of us like the inner sirloin straps (fish tenders) as well as the steaks that the hind quarters provide. Any trim is once again, burger. This year I'm going to try some bratwurst, breakfast sausage, and chorizo out of a portion of the burger.
This is venison and not beef. Don't expect it to taste like it. The idea here is to augment the flavors, not disguise it. Simply put, leaving the bone in when roasted adds so much flavor it is amazing. Bacon can play a part here, but so can figs, cranberries, vegetables, potatoes, onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Any good salt, pepper, garlic seasoning works well too. Marinades, such as Allegro, Mrs. Dash, Worcestershire Sauce, and even Italian dressing work well. Reverse sear is a technique I like to use with Axis, especially steaks.
Axis Tomahawk Steaks & Prime Rib
Axis Osso Bucco
Axis Salisbury Steak
Crockpot Roast Axis
Of course, these recipes are all Axis Venison, but they were tried and true with whitetails first. The biggest thing to consider when cooking venison is that the 'done' temps are much lower than beef. 160F for beef whereas whitetail venison is done at 145F and even less for Axis Venison at 130F. Axis venison is less than 1% body fat, the least of any game animal. This is evident when skinning. It is all too easy to overcook. You have to keep an eye on the thermometer and decide when to remove. Add the meat either earlier or later as necessary. Burger works well in casseroles such as Shepard's Pie. Some of our other favorites include: Venison Steak Ala Pizzaiola, Venison Burger Soup, Chicken Fried, Venison Zuppa Toscana, Venison Shank Barley Stew, and Prime Rib Rack with Fig Glaze. It just takes planning for each recipe. As far as Axis venison is concerned, the meat is delicious, the best we've ever had. Here is but a single website to get you started, but there are so many more. Venison Recipes | Wild Game Cuisine - NevadaFoodies
Venison Grilled Round Steak
I have found venison to be as delicious a table fare as anything, it just needs consideration. The old days of FRY IT ONLY is over. You can easily enjoy this meat with just about any recipe you have with considerations for a meal worth enjoying. I have been able to use any of my venison and many beef recipes in concert to produce many a delicious meal. Your meal won't taste gamey. I promise you.
"Why is the person who shoots a deer for venison subject to more criticism than the person who buys a ham at the supermarket. Overall, it is probably the intensively reared pig who has suffered more"
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