Grilling Times for Venison

venison,like buffalo should be timed carefully,medium rare is almost too well done.

The main reason that people don't like venison is that most people voer cook the steaks and under cook the roast. Remember STEAKS high heat for a very short time ROASTS low to med heat for a long time or until very tender.

Im a retired meatcutter and have been cutting deer for people years.Allthe bad rap that deer meat has gotten over the yearsis people not tacking care of the meat in feild and after getting it home.I eat it all heart,liver,and all the reast of the deer.I make jurkey,sauges,ground meat,out of it.And its not as hard as some peoplethink it is,if you would like to know more seen email to bigron5448@comcast.net

I so agree with Ron. My husband is an avid hunter and I have NEVER had gamey tasting meat. Its all about the field dress and cooling.

I always add the spice marjoram to venison and of course bacon is great with the meat. Venison is all we eat and I use it just like beef. Just get your mind out of the gutter (lol)

Hubby, too is an avid deer hunter, fisherman and gardener. We sustain ourselves on venison along with our fish and other seafood and veggies grown. Crazycreek is right - the key is proper field dressing and cooling; we keep it on ice for 4 days, draining the liquid daily and adding more ice. This drains the blood. Then we process it making ground, cubed, roasts and jerkey. The "ooh I couldn't eat deer meat" converts in our past number in the dozens. And the lean health factor can't be beat!!

While it may be more tender to cook Venison or other wild meat to only rare to medium rare, some deer do have natural occurring diseases, not to mention the potential of contamination while processing the meat. So my advice is to trade a little tenderness for safety, and cook to at least medium rare to medium. I eat my deer meat medium to medium well... as I am not fond of the thought of E. Coli and I making a run to the hospital. If you learn to age your meat, that will go a long way in adding in getting tender meat as well, but be careful however you process your meat, whether it is beef, venison, elk or whatever.

I am in total agreement when it comes to handling wild game in the field. Keeping the meat as clean as possible and cooling it down is soon as possible adds to the taste and safety of the meat. I too ice down my deer meat for several days, draining the blood off every day. This is the best way I have found to remove most of the gamey taste. Where I live, I don't have the facilities to age the meat properly. The ice helps in this process to an extent. As far as eating rare wild game, I feel this is a matter of eater beware. I eat rare beef even with the slight chance of getting Mad Cow. E-coli is very much more likely in a cut of wild game. I personally cook deer meat a little toward well But, to each their own.

I have found that some meat has more of a gamie flavor than others, but in the past I have used milk, black pepper and fresh garlic to marinade the meat 24 hours before I cook it and it takes out the wild taste.

Where have these last 3 reviews come from? I kill an average of 10 deer a year, and all the comments before those are spot on with in field care, letting the deer hang for at least a week(if possible) and eating it near rare. I bet the folks who soak it in milk or water for a week don't have many "converts" like us real hunters. If you have to keep it in a cooler to age the meat, use ice jugs to keep the water off the meat. E Coli? Please. Not my deer. Man I'm getting hungry!

I personally with the help of my husband, like to take care of the processing of our deer. I have heard too many horror stories as to the handling of the meat. I don't really know if most people keep a close eye on the heart and lungs of their deer...those are the two most common places to check for decease. After de-boning the meat, we let it set in the fridge for at least 5 days. Then we package it for the freezer.....letting the blood drain is the most important part of getting rid of the gamey flavor. Backstraps on the grill 2nite!!!

I agree with all the above, but one important thing we all are missing is the shot! If not a quick kill the deer will release numerous amounts of "Natural Stress" hormones and toxins to fight off the trauma and pain. A deer that has to be tracked after a bad shot tends to have a sour, gamey taste as it circulates chemicals to fight off death. SO!!! One Shot One Kill and your deer and your guests don't have to suffer!!!

I agree with all the above, but one important thing we all are missing is the shot! If not a quick kill the deer will release numerous amounts of "Natural Stress" hormones and toxins to fight off the trauma and pain. A deer that has to be tracked after a bad shot tends to have a sour, gamey taste as it circulates chemicals to fight off death. SO!!! One Shot One Kill and your deer and your guests won't have to suffer!!!

Most here have great ideas and recipes, but some of them are misconseptions as I have learned over a lifetime as an avid hunter. With FEW exception, I have learned that "NO ONE" will process your venison better than you. Keep it clean & cool it quickly! You will not have to worry about bacteria that way. If you like to age your venison learn to do it "properly" to prevent bacteria. Grinding venison 50/50 with fatty ground beef (75/25) will drasitally improve it's flavor and make your grocery dollars stretch. Many have great recipes and say they don't have a gamey taste. Sorry, but again with few exceptions I have to say Wild Game is going to have a Wild Taste. Cooking roasts for longer than usual times will make it more tender but you can still taste a gamey flavor. When it comes to steaks, you can prevent them from being so tough and bring out a more flavorful steak by not over-cooking them, it's that simple, and I am not talking about a marinated steak either. If you don't like rare to medium rare meat then you should prepare yourself for a tough gamey tasting steak. Something I haven't seen mentioned, is where the animal comes from and it's diet can effect the venison's flavor. Grain fed deer taste slightly different than a 100% acorn/browse fed deer. Finally--"Food for Thought"-- If you have to add so much to a dish to cover up the flavor of the meat you dislike, what difference does it make what kind of meat you are eating? During some Army survival training I endured years ago, I had to eat some of the most unimaginable things known to man. I did this to survive not because I wanted to. Point is, other than it's more healthy for you, if you don't like the taste then why eat it? Novalty? I tried Rattlesnake once, don't like it, won't try it again! I am not saying this to be harsh, I am saying it because I see it so many times that people don't like venison for so many reasons but they keep eating it. Sorry, I just don't get it!

one shot one kill = very good meat,also getting the deer field dressed within minutes. if you do this you should not have to soak the meat in ice.

the very best deer are two thirds grown doe dressed and cooled asap,soaked in salt water and vinegar changing every couple of hours till blood quits coming out then marinate in milk 24 hours in a baggie before cooking. yum yum.

Grilled,fried,rosted,crock pot ,sausage,salami,smoked,canned you name it we have made it. My rules are 1.Never over cook the steaks! med-rare to rare preferd. 2.Back straps should never see a frying pan, only a grill. 3.Marinade is not to over power only to enhance flavor. 4. Sholder and shank meat should be ground or canned with nothing added. 5.Always have a glass of Merlot when cooking and eating Venison.

I agree with everything that has been said. All have a valid point. I love deer meat . It doesn't have the fat of beef and pork. A deer needs to be bled, especially if it has been run before the kill. Soaking the meat in milk will also help eliminate the wild game taste. Remove the white membrane that covers the meat. All this tried and true methods of getting the most out of the flavor of deer meat. Also by adding a little por/beef to the ground meat will also give it a great flavor.

field care is critical, i field dress immediately including cutting scent sacs off legs for all deer i live in a cooler climate and often my deer from shot to skinned out and cooling is 3 hours and when cooking remove bones and white film on meat and it has no gamey taste even if its a buck, but i will not chase a deer either as i want good eating meat and antlers only look nice and don't taste good

Thanks for all the info. I have grown up on eatin deer and haven't heard some of the things I have read here. We eat a lot of tacos and spaghetti as well as roast. I am trying to perfect the jerky. I use a dehydrator and always over dry it. I think I will try the oven the next time. Thanks

Im looking for recipes for deer or moose jerky, also how to make this in the oven. and some marinades for deer and moose roasts/steaks would be appreciated.

I agree with grillinsam. Letting the deer hang for a week before butchering is best. Also, I find that doe's are more tender than bucks...

I've eaten deer and other "wild" game for years, but still haven't understood what people call the "gamey" or "wild" taste. Maybe they think everything is supposed to taste like chicken?! When I cook deer, it's supposed to taste like deer, wild pig is supposed to taste like wild pig, not chicken. I cook a LOT of venison, and all I do is let it marinate 48 hours ziplock bag in the fridge, in a little bit of salt, pepper, and some worchestershire sauce, nothin' more, and it turns out great everytime. I treat it almost exactly like I cook beef or pork. Now...somebody explain to me what a "wild" or "gamey" taste is please. If that "wild/gamey" taste bothers you, or is a turn off to eatin' wild food, maybe you should just stick with a corndog or somethin'