Deer meat - " Gamey" taste

chrissum · 08-07-2003, 08:16 PM

My wife, upon trying deer steak for the first time, did not like the strong taste of it, as she is from the city, can anyone tell me a way to maybe prepare hers differently? I like mine grilled with a little pepper. One friend suggested soaking the steak in salt water for a few minutes to draw the blood out of it. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

LeeinVa1 · 08-07-2003, 10:20 PM

Letting it soak in buttermilk for a few hours in the fridge will take that taste out of it also.

jerseyhunter · 08-08-2003, 07:14 AM

Draw the blood out with the salt water then sprinkle with garlic powder and pepper let sit in fridge couple hours then grill. Maybe just serve her the Backstrap or chops as some people call them. Make sure there is no fat, silver skin or bone in her piece or for yours as far as that goes . There should be no strong taste to begin with. maybe it was freezer burned.

logs · 08-08-2003, 08:37 AM

Something I have tried with Antelope (sage grass taste can be strong) is soaking it in tomato juice. The acid in it tenderizes the meat and kills any other taste. Rinse it off and prepare it just like beef.
A lot of times when I go backpacking I' ll pack a couple of deer steaks in a zip lock bag in soy sauce. It doesn' t take much, just about a 1/4 cup in a bag with two small steaks. It help preserve them for the day hike in and when I grill them they taste great. Both simple but they work.

Beans Morocco · 08-08-2003, 02:25 PM

The number one cause of gaminess is poor handling after the kill. There are hundreds of articles and book chapters on it. Our deer around here graze in and around sagebrush, and when properly handled taste like our elk. (better than the best prime beef from anywhere) However, if the damage is done, I also recommend a good soak in buttermilk.

roscoe dog · 08-14-2003, 06:47 AM

Soak it in apple juice for a couple of hours then season with montreal steak spice and grill.

rhetoric · 08-14-2003, 10:42 AM

I' m with Beans Morocco (never thought I' d say that). The gamey taste (if not in the kill and the field dressing) is in the butchering. Gut it quickly w/o paunching the belly, get it cold fast, and get the hide off right away. Then, when you are butchering, avoid saws (get bone chips in the meat), and get the fat and gristle out. Fat in a cow tastes good. Fat on a deer tastes gamey. Then, take your steaks and I pour a bit of lemon juice over them in a baggy and then add Italian dressing. Marinate for at least 24 hours and then don' t grill them -- just walk them by the grill. Overcooked venison is dry and tough. Rare venison is out of this world. Finally, just as you' re about to take the steaks off the grill, season liberally with Lawry' s Season Salt. Can' t be beat!

logs · 08-16-2003, 11:15 AM

rhetoric, now thats a much better statement" The gamey taste (if not in the kill and the field dressing) is in the butchering. "
I took my first Antelope with the Bow last year in WY. It was dress within 5 minutes of the kill and since I' ve field dress over 150 animals I think I know what Im doing. No urine, waste or contaminants on the meat.
I dropped the skinned Antelope off at the butcher that the outfitter recommended and had it shipped because I wasn' t returning directly home after the hunt.
Some of the Antelope had a sage taste to it. I have never had that with any of my Deer, Bear or Elk. I was also told by several of the locals near Gilette WY that Antelope do have a sage taste. I can' t imagine they are all poor meat handlers???

DougMD · 08-19-2003, 06:22 AM

Marinated deer meat cannot usually be distinguished from beef. I hate the gamey taste too, but if it is taken care of properly and marinated, it tastes great!

rebel wolf · 08-20-2003, 10:39 AM

most gamey taste meat is due to not trimming the fat off the meat wild game has a off odor also when cooked with the fat on it....