Deer Legs
 

When I cook meat off the deer legs they seem to be stringy and chewy. Is this normal or am I messing up? If it's normal should I have groung it up in burger?
Thanks,
Chuck

RE: Deer Legs
 

yes, Talking about the bottom part I hope, the shanks as I call them, The top part is steak and stew.

RE: Deer Legs
 

I usually grind the meat we take off the shoulders and extra trimmings. We usually have enough steak from the hindquaters that we get plenty of
ground meat from the shoulder and neck.

RE: Deer Legs
 

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.

RE: Deer Legs
 

Tough cuts will always benefit from slow cooking , if you can't invest in a smoker then find a way to create one . You won't be wasting effort .

RE: Deer Legs
 

Thanks Folks,
You have been very helpful.
Chuck

RE: Deer Legs
 

I noticed on this net you are a Life Member. How does one become a Life Member?
Chuck

RE: Deer Legs
 

Chuck 7 I think it is by the amount of posts you make, not sure how many it takes to be life member or even just what life member means.

As to deer legs I have gotten spoiled and only eat loins cooked rare. the rest if the deer goes to burger, sasuage, and mostly jerkey. See next post for a new recipe.

RE: Deer Legs
 

1000 posts to become a lifeless member, I mean nolife member,... Opps I mean lifemember.:D

RE: Deer Legs
 

Thanks Folks

I've had neck roast before and they ae wonderful. I may do as one man advised. Roast the loins and burger the rest.
Chuck

RE: Deer Legs
 

Oh, dont ruin the leg steaks or backstrap. They are just about as good as the loin.;)

RE: Deer Legs
 

That deer's got quite a spread on those antlers. Nice looking deer. Every time I see that picture I fall in to coveteousness.
Cee ya man,
Chuck

RE: Deer Legs
 

Thanks Chuck. I just started really playing with my digital camera this year. I wish I would have had it when I shot my biggest deer.[:o]:D;)

RE: Deer Legs
 

Chuck........1001 post's.

RE: Deer Legs
 

Chuck......cut the back strap, cut into 3/4" pieces and Marinate in Kirby's Mojo
Marinate over night. You can pick-up a bottle at Publix or Winn-Dixie.
The next day, roll them in Drake brand flour and fry.Put them in a Zip-Lock
bag and eat them for lunch while hunting.
The Tenderlion marinate in Kirby's over night and bake in oven with some
onions, geen peppers and 1/4 potatoes.
With me they don't make it to Lunch.

See Ya!

RE: Deer Legs
 

Thanks for the imformation Rebel. Are there any special benefits of being a life member or just that you get 5 stars?
Chuck

RE: Deer Legs
 

I did as you suggested . The steaks were great!

RE: Deer Legs
 

You're Welcome Chuck!
Where did you find the Kirbys Marinate? Posting on the Forum one of
these recipe's, made the Internet! Under Kirbys Marinate!

Just 5 stars and deleted alot!

RE: Deer Legs
 

The meat in the lower leg is too stringy and full of tendons to be of any use. Even in burger the sinue bungs up the grinder. Excellent dog food though. IMHO

RE: Deer Legs
 

I agree with the smoker method, last fall we deboned 2 complete haunchs of a deer(ok the shanks where not included) for our annual wild game cook out. I did a dry rub with garlic, garlic pepper, seasoning salt, dried chives/parsley, Emrils southwest and keens dry mustard. I then made up a injection merinade of merlot wine/brown sugar/lemon juice/same spices, with a turkey injector pushed the merinade into several pockets of the roasts(unlike poultry the meat is not porous so it means more places and less liquid in each site). After letting it settle I applied the dry rub to the entire roast. In my smoker I used hickory with a small protion of mesquite chips and made sure it was smoking good before placing the roast inside. Maintaining a heat around 230 I cooked it for 7 hour, applying/maintaining the smoke in the first 2 hours and it was delish. By far the best wildgame roast I have ever tasted. I served it to indivdiuals who don't care for venison roast and they raved at how tender and full of pleasant flavour it was.

I did a smaller one this weekend with much less thought or effort, dry rub with favorite seasonings and no injection. Again same smoke method just less time due to a small roast size and equally good...so tender and venison really does smoke well!

Another good one for roast is the ever popular no fuss crockpot. a can or 2 of mushroom soup, french onion soup mix dry, 1/2 can of water (if placing in veggies) and 1/2 can white wine - chardonnay, seasoning, cloves of garlic, some slice of onion and turn it on low. Depending on the size I turn mine to cook on low for about 4 hours then go to warm. If the gravy doesn't have enough flavour for you a little beef boulin added. Bring to a boil and mix water with some cornstarch or flour is all that is required.

Still my favorite is Grilled Backstraps - simple merinade of choice for 8-24hours (italian dressing, your own, store bought...whatever). Wrap in bacon, skewer with tooth picks and season to your liking. Fire up the grill to red hot, then turn down when placing the meat on the grill, this will accomplish those lovely grill marks without having to over cook! I would say about 1-2 min then I switch to get my cross pattern, then flip and do the same thing on the other side. Once the grill marks are accomplished I grill the bacon on all sides and bona appetite. I like the meat to be no more than med rare but if you want to grill to med or even med well the bacon will help fuse the meat so it does not dry or become tough on you.

RE: Deer Legs
 

Thanks Skeeter,
I will smoke my next venison roast.
Chuck