Outdoor Addiction

For the longest time I had terrible trouble with my deer meat being too chewy but it was never over-cooked (once I got the hang of grilling it). I went to a local grocer the other day and bought a tenderizer hammer and the tenderizer "salt" or whatever you call it and took two packaged deer loins from the same deer hammered one and put the tenderizer on it and did the other how I always did it just adding seasoning and grilled them both. The one I tenderized was the best deer steak I have ever eaten. the other one was still a bit chewy. But the tenderized one cooked a LOT quicker as expected but was left nice and juicy and a little red where as the other one seemed to dry up a lot even still being a little red in the middle.

Before it hit the grill I took the tenderizer hammer and I tenderized the deer on both sides flipping it a few times. After that I began adding my seasonings. I began by putting on some Lawry's Seasoned Salt on both sides. Then I added a little garlic salt, then proceed to put on the tenderizer salt. Once I had applied this to a side I lightly rubbed it all in to ensure it wasn't going to just come off on the plate. Once I put it on the grill cooking on the lowest heat possible, I let it sit for about 2 minutes on each side before flipping it. After the 2 minutes each side, I flipped it once a minute (roughly). The meat was done in about 4-5 minutes. It was just a little pink on the inside but it was the juiciest and most flavor filled deer steak I have ever ate!!

I may have found my new favorite way to have my deer steaks!! I'll post some pictures next time I make them!

Oldtimr

If you had to pulverize a deer loin with a tenderizer hammer and or put meat tenderizer on it , you aren't cooking it anywhere close to right. Almost made me cry to read about that abuse. I suspect you are cutting the loins too thin. I cut my tender loins 3 to 4 inches thick and cook them to med rare and you can cut them with your fork.

jerseyhunter

If you need to tenderize your meat ,use a Jaccard with the needles. Meat mallets are for smashing chicken or veal into cutlets.

Outdoor Addiction

I probably am. I cut them about 2 inches thick. I've not had a lot of experience butchering. In fact this year is the first year that I actually butchered the whole deer alone. I bought a vacuum sealer and sealed them up rather than using freezer paper like they had been done in years past. As far as cutting them, do you butterfly them when you go to cook them or leave them at the 3-4 inches? I'll take any tips I can get to make them better. These were better than any other way I'd done them before.

Oldtimr

No I do not, butterflying is one of the things that can make they dry. There are some butcher shops that butterfly the loins and don't even ask so if you go back to a butcher shop, tell them not to do that. I cut them between 3 and 4 inches thick, depending on the size of the loin. Then I rub just a little bit of olive oil on both sides and salt and pepper both sided, don't be afraid to salt them. Sometimes I wrap a strip of bacon around the outside and tie it on with one wrap of string and sometime I dont. If I use the bacon, I put them in a screaming hot skillet and roll them untill the bacon is pretty well cooked and then lay them on one side and cook for about 3 or 4 minutes, then flip to the other side and stick the skillet in the oven set at 500 degrees and give another 3 or 4 minutes. Try it without the bacon first but use the string anyway, it makes and keeps the loins round while you cook them, keeping a unifor thickness. You will get smoke so warn your wife. Then I put them on a platter and cove with foil and let them rest for 10 minutes before serving them. They will continue cooking with cary over heat. They will be pink to darker pink inside and very tender. Two things make fillets tough, in fact that applies to all venison, cut too thin and over cooking. I am a firm believer of very high heat for a short time. You went the right direction with the vacume packing. All my game is vacume packed, I would never go back to wrapping. I found a fillet that was in my freezer for over a year, believe it or not, and it was just as good as if I only had it in the freezer for a week and no freezer burn. As an aside, if you ever do find freezer burn, cut it off befor cooking or you will get an off flavor. Cooking game is a learning process we all go through, none of us were born with the knowledge.

Outdoor Addiction

It is most certainly a learning process that I feel I am still in the beginning stages of. I want to get down one particular way before I start branching out and trying other ways. That doesn't sound too complicated of a way to do it so I will have to try that next year and be sure to cut them thicker. I am young and just learning the butcher process and trying to figure out the best way to make things work. My setup to butcher is great but my methods of cooking could use some tweaking! but other than that I haven't really had a deer that was too tough for me to chew altogether but the first doe I killed had been around for quite awhile. I think she was like the grandmother of the population and was almost like chewing on a tire. But over the past 4-5 years they keep getting better and better! Now to focus on how to cook my turkeys! Thanks for the input OT!!

smitty0220

I always find it interesting how folks prepare and cook things. I usually cut loins about 1 1/2 " thick then cook in a black skillet, 2-3 minuets per side, let sit for 3 minutes. They have been wonderful. Never thought about thicker cuts for loins. Will have to try that. I still use butcher paper not vac and have not had any problems. Had some steaks last week from 2011 and there was no freezer burn. (Just so you know - the package got lost behind some other things!). I will definitely try thicker cuts on hind quarter steaks next time I butcher. You guys are right - it is a constant, enjoyable,learning experience.

jcrobra

I leave my loins whole when I cook them - so on a typical doe I'll get four 8inch pieces of loin.
To prepare all I do I rub with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. I use a pellet grill set at 275, then grill until the internal temp is 130. Take the loin off, crank the grill up to 500 or use a hot cast iron skillet and then just sear each side for 1 minute. This process is call reverse searing. You'll get tender, juicy medium rare awesomeness all the way through.
Then just slice the loin into medallions to the thickness of your choosing.

Getting a meat thermometer is probably the best investment a wild game cook can make.