How to Introduce Venison to Your Table

Venison is one of the most controversial foods out there. Some say it is the only meat. Some say it is sacrilege to slaughter something so beautiful. Others just say yuk!

There are those out there that hunt just for the thrill. Others actually eat their kill. If they can find some one to cook it.

Venison is also one of the most misunderstood meats. I have heard people say they would never eat a deer. Never knowing the Italian sausage I used in the spaghetti sauce was made from venison.

Venison is considered the healthy red meat. It is full of protein and iron. The added vitamin content doesn't hurt either. Couple all that with low fat and low cholesterol and you have a healthy burger. Here's the breakdown.

A four ounce serving of venison has only 174 calories. The fat content is only 4%, while cholesterol is only 8%. There is no sodium or carbohydrates. Venison provides you with 68% of the Daily Value (DV) of protein. It also gives you 28% of the DV for iron.

Did I mention the B vitamins? B2 (riboflavin) 40%. Riboflavin has been known to help with those pesky migraines some people are susceptible to. Venison contains 60% of the recommended daily value of B12.

Not bad for a quarter pounder, huh? Subway, eat your heart out!

Every year my friends and family go hunting. So there is always a tagged deer someone needs processed. This past year, I had 5 hunters come to me with their kill to process into jerky, breakfast sausage, Italian sausage, and ground meat. This is how I do it.

I will start with the ground meat. The first thing I do is cut the meat into small cubes. This makes it easier to go through the grinder. I have an electric table model I borrow from my brother-in-law.

As I feed the meat into the grinder, I add small amounts of pork sausage to add a bit of fat. Venison is a very lean meat. The ratio is two parts venison to one part pork sausage. After grinding once, I do it all again. I keep doing this until it is the consistency I want.

A word of caution, the meat will get warm and could cause bacteria levels to rise. To avoid this, I keep the meat in a metal bowl on ice in a cooler. I work with only two or three pounds at a time.

The ground meat can then be used for deer burgers or any recipe you would use hamburger for. I suggest if you are not used to the taste of wild game, you add salt, pepper and other seasonings, like onion or garlic powder. You can do this during processing or cooking. The spices do marinate the meat, though. So be careful if you add it during processing.

As for Italian sausage, the process is in two stages. You can either make it in bulk or pipe it into casings. Most butcher shops carry casings at a reasonable price. I got more than enough for $5.00. Make sure you wash the casings before using them. I usually wash them and let them soak until I need them.

Determine how much sausage you want to make. I do 5 pounds at a time, leaving 2lbs. as bulk and piping the other 3lbs. I gather all the ingredients first. This makes the job very fast and efficient.

Italian Sausage
5 lbs ground venison
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp rosemary
2 Tbsp Fennel Seed (I like a lot of this seasoning, you may use less)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper (If you want it spicy, use cayenne pepper)

Grind all of this together three times. This will evenly distribute the spices into the meat. What i do next is fry up about 1/4 cup of the sausage to see if I like the taste. I find that sometimes I want to add more of one thing or another. When adding more spices, do so with caution. Again, the spices meld with the meat as it is in the freezer or refrigerator. Just because it tastes a little bland, doesn't mean it will be that way when you finally cook it.

When you are satisfied with the seasonings, you can either package it for freezing with freezer paper or pipe the sausage into the casings. Make sure you mark the packages with the date for freshness.

Breakfast sausage is made much the same way. Using different spices, you can make it with a hearty, smoky taste. You may prefer a delicate, sweet sausage. It is all up to you. Here is my recipe with variations included.

Breakfast Sausage
5 lbs ground venison
2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp sage
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
(maple flavoring can be added......1 tsp at a time)
(hickory flavored liquid smoke can also be added....1/2 tsp at a time)
(brown sugar can be added....1/4 cup at a time)

Grind all ingredients together three times. Again, fry up a small portion and taste it. Adjust the seasoning to accommodate your tastes. You can either pipe this sausage into casings or wrap in freezer wrap for bulk. My family prefers links to patties, so I pipe most of this.

Now for my favorite recipe. I have more fun with this than most any other thing I do in the kitchen. I can make deer jerky as spicy or bland as I want. I can make it a deep robust flavor, or a spicy hot tidbit. This is a two day process, but well worth the effort

Start with a roast that you have put in the freezer for an hour or two. This makes the meat easier to slice that nice thin slice you want for jerky. You can slice it any way you want. The thicker the slice, the longer the processing time. If you don't have a dehydrator, don't worry. You can do what I do and use the oven.

You can make your marinades while the meat is chilling. Start with a basic recipe.

1 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp liquid smoke........this comes in many flavors, I prefer hickory or mesquite
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp pepper........use cayenne for spicier jerky
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
(I have added 2 Tbsp brown sugar to this recipe for a spicy sweet jerky that my 5 year old niece said I should sell)
This marinade is enough for 3 lbs of meat.

Slice your meat in thin strips, usually 1/8 of an inch thick. It all depends on your preference. Place into a storage bag or container. Add the marinade. Mix it well so the meat is well covered. Store in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Make sure you turn the meat every few hours to distribute the flavors of the marinade. This is why I like using a storage bag. I can just flip it every time I open the refrigerator door.

You can either use a food dehydrator or put the meat in the oven. I prefer the oven. I spread it on a cookie sheet and place it in a warm oven. 150-170 degrees. Many recipes state that you need to leave it in for 10 to 12 hours. I have found after many years of experience that it only takes four or five hours. You will know when the jerky is done when it is completely dry and stiff. A note here, if you add brown sugar, the jerky will not be as dry as others.

Food safety notice........many recipes state to store in an airtight container. I agree with this. I also will tell you that there are no preservatives in this homemade product. Store it in the refrigerator. It will keep for quite a while there. Old time jerky was cured with salt and other preservatives. That is why it could last without refrigeration.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as me and my family do. I also hope this makes it easier to get someone who is dead set against eating "that poor deer" to try something new.

In writing this article, I was thinking about all the deer hunters I know that eat their game. It hit me that none of them have any serious heart problems. Just a silly thought, but could it hold some merit? These people eat their venison is every way possible, from burgers and steaks to jerky and sausage. Many of them are overweight and a couple even smoke. So it isn't just that good old fashion healthy lifestyle they are living. It's just a thought. But the next time someone asks why you would want to eat "Bambi", now you can tell them the healthy reasons you choose the other red meat.