Eating Deer meat- misconceptions

[HARLEYBUCK]

How many times have you heard, Deer meat has a "wild taste" or I mix in other meat in the burger, or cook it "well done. My wife and I have been eating deer for years and often. I butcher my own and get more meat than taking it to a commercial place. We cook it just like beef. Buck or Doe no different taste like some people claim. Steaks on the grill, I cook them rare, over cooking makes it tough. Soak steaks for 3-4 days in buttermilk, then wash the buttermilk off before grilling, if you want them real tender. Itailan dressing work well also, but gives it a different taste. I cut the neck in two pieces after removing loose meat and it makes great soup. Burger I add nothing, pack it hard before grilling or it can loosen up a little, but the taste is all deer. Love it!The wife has'nt bought beef foralmost a year. People learn how to eat and enjoy the very last part of the hunt.Anyone agree or disagree? HARLEYBUCK

[johnl]

I agree except with burger I do mix it with pork fat just because patties won't stay together otherwise

[takeakidhuntin]

I try to remove all the fat I can when I butcher my deer.I like the taste of beef fat but don't like the taste of deer fat.

[HARLEYBUCK]

Yes, No fat, no bone except neck bones for soup. Triedcookingtheribs once in a roasterand found out the fat is nasty. Boiling them and let the fat drip off before grilling works much better. HARLEYBUCK

[redhawk13]

I butcher my deer too and useually get a lot of meat, we eat it often too...

[Angus74]

Same here, If it is taken care of and doesnt spoil, it tastes the same, My father in law tried to tell me my buck on Saturday, wouldnt be fit to eat because it was mature, then he tried the "That buck is rutting, so the meat will be strong" I dont understand, It is all good to me and my wife. She tries to tell me she dont like it, but I use the ground all the time, and she never knows the difference. Last year I even had one deer ground into burger, and asked the processor(my brother) to pack it in packages that say beef, my wife has cooked and eaten it all year and never knew any difference,lol, she did comment on how lean that beef was.

[Cloudwalker]

I cook deer by using several different methods and I agree I can't tell the difference between a buck or a doe or a buck in rut. I think the secret is aging the meat. I try to keep it cool for a couple of days before I butcher it, then I soak it in coka-cola and water or vinegar and water.

My preferred method is to cook it in the crock-pot long and slow with a combination of mixed vegetables and gravy or rice and gravy. I also like cooking a shoulder in the oven just like a roast with carrots and potatoes and cream of mushroom soup. As far as grilling goes, I just wrap my steaks up in bacon strips and 10 minutes later I'm eating tender steaks.

Most folks try to prepare venison the same as beef, but it's not the same. The fat content is totally different there fore the preparation methods should be different.

Last week I cooked a homemade soup and used cubed deer instead of beef or chicken. Once again I add a couple of strips of bacon to form a grease base.

Just my .02 worth

[Paul L Mohr]

I have heard some of it depends on where you live and what the deer eat. I know I have tasted deer from California and up north in Michigan and they are a bit stronger than what I shoot. The deer I shoot in lower michigan are pretty much just like beef, just leaner is all.

I also understand what you do after the shot plays a big role in how the meat tastes. Like how soon you field dress it and how you go about it. And how it is processed. Proper handling is very important.

Paul

[Bassman4940]

I try to remove all the fat I can when I butcher my deer.I like the taste of beef fat but don't like the taste of deer fat.

I also trim away every bit of fat I can, because deer fat is just plain nasty!
I add a little beef suet to my burger and pork to my sausage to give it some moistness.

I have a book written by John Weiss titled "Venison: From Field to Table"
It's an excellent book on how to get the tastiest venison, and covers butchering and has a ton of recipes and marinades. This is one of the best books I've purchased on the topic of venison.

[JagMagMan]

How the meat is handled determines how its going to taste! None of my deer ever tastes "gamey!" Get 'em gutted, and chilled, then get all the fat out, and there will be no taste problems!