Depends on the cut. I butcher my own and cut the rounds into steaks, cube the leftovers for stew, then grind the rest. Shoulders, I cut roasts, cube the rest into stew meat, then grind the left over.


For steak cuts, it is normal for it to be chewy or stringy, if you cook it like beef. The best way it so marinad it in some form of acid (lemon/lime juice, alcohol, vinegar based products, etc.) and oil. I like bb q sause, thousand Island dressing, and soy sause in a ration of 1:1/2:1/4. Marinade over night, then cook on high heat for a short period of time. deer is much leaner than beef and requires much less time to cook. Another good marinade is Beer/white wine (either works great), oil, and lots of garlic, salt, and pepper; all to taste. I have found that if you cook hot and fast, it tends to be more tender. It is very easy to over cook and make it chewy.