Tough as leather.
 

Well, with the season winding down my dad and I both have got a whitetale this year. Hoping to get an elk but that's another story.

So after my pop gets his deer, we skin it out, let it hang for a day and butcher the next day. Decide to have a few fresh steaks and so he cooks them a bit over done and of course they are like leather.

Then, the next week I get my deer. During the field dressing we cut out the tenderloins right there and go and soak them for over an hour. This time, we broil them and watch them very closely. Got to a nice medium rare and go to eat them and still....tough as leather.

So could you all help this new hunter out on how to properly cook deer meat so it doesn't taste like the sole of my shoe??

I would greatly appreciate any help.

RE: Tough as leather.
 

cut up the stakes nice and thin. put about half a stick of butter in a pan put it on medium heat season with salt, pepper and season salt. and enjoy and if u want it really tender and are goin for just the meat shoot a fawn or two

RE: Tough as leather.
 

You could try soaking the meat in milk, this will usually help if you dont care for the game taste.

As for cooking the tenderloins (posion glands) just warm them up on the grill. If you dont like the thought of eating an under cooked piece of meat then dont look at it. But dont over cook a tenderloin you will ruin the best part of the deer.If you cook them right it will be a melt in your mouth piece of meat. with the best taste.

RE: Tough as leather.
 

some times a deer is just tough; most time 2 in a row is not??????????[:o][:o]

the way we do it:: we put a little tendresier on it,sprinkle with Lowyers seasoning ; Cauvanders seasoning(or everglades seasoning) (sometimes we will pound it with the hammer with the points on it)then put in a ziplock with 1/4 cup Zesty Italian Saliddressing,seal and refergiate over night if possible.
if your gonna cook it that day, let it soak as long as you can, maybe couple hrs.[8D][8D][8D]

flour lightly and panfry to med; you can also grill it without putting the flour on it.

the main thing is toNOT overcook it.
thats the way we do it.

RE: Tough as leather.
 

Actually if you want more tender steaks cut the steaks thicker....not thinner. I butterfly my steaks so they are about 1-2 inches thick. Fry them in butter and salt and peppeer ohh hell ya!!!

RE: Tough as leather.
 

Sounds like you just lucked out with some poor grade venison. The tenderloin should have been melt in your mouth the way you described cokking it. I have mistakenly overcooked a loin and it is still very tender. I have fried them, bbq'd them, broiled them. Never had them tough.

I will sometimes marinate in an oil based mix. You can get those package mixes in the grocery store and leave it for a day in the fridge.

I am guessing (just thinking out loud) that there can be deer who, based on diet and habitat, are just never going to be as good table fare as others. I think this is the same for cattle? Isn't that why there is different grading's of beef? If both the deer were from the same area I wonder if that is why you got 2 tough ones?

RE: Tough as leather.
 

I agree with OntElk , some deer are just tough . Older ones are notorious for this . The only cure for a tough deer is tenderizer or long slow cooking .

RE: Tough as leather.
 

tenderize tenderize tenderize & do not over cook

RE: Tough as leather.
 

Someone said something about milk. I haven't used milk but, i have used buttermilk to soak a deer in. Soak for about 45 min. then do the whole butter salt and pepper thing. Definatly don't over cook. Buttermilk really works. If you can't find it in the store just take some whole milk and add lemon juice.

RE: Tough as leather.
 

Never have had a tough tenderloin...

Overcooking sounds like your problem.I cut my steaks a little thicker as well to ensure I don't overcook em. If they are brown all the way through, they are overcooked. I don't cook with salt, but I have heard salting meat while it cooks can toughen it a tad (not sure about that though).

RE: Tough as leather.
 

First I just want to say a big thank you for all of your advice. You have all given me some great ideas to try next time.

A couple of questions if I may:

1) What is the best way to tenderize?? Do you use the hammer or just use one of those sprinkle on (herb type) of tenderizers?

2)Those of you who talk about frying them in butter and salt and pepper, how do you get them to keep their juices in? Is there a certain technique?

3)Is there any danger to eating undercooked wild game?

Thank you all again.

RE: Tough as leather.
 

Pastor Steve -PM being sent.

RE: Tough as leather.
 

As for the danger of eating undercooked wild meat... I'd feel safer eating rare venison than rare beef.
Some deer are just tough, I once killed a 7 yr old buck that was so tough you couldn't even cut the gravy ;)

RE: Tough as leather.
 

Well I live and hunt Mchenry County IL and have three does so far 06'.
Ihave personally cut/cooked/and prepared meat from all three deer.
Over the last three years i have found moisture to be the key in my "straight cuts".So my field prefrence is to bring out my "FORMAN Grill", plug it into the old dodge pickup and cook them right there.Moisture being the key.Good Luck

RE: Tough as leather.
 

Over cooked most likely. Also could have been cut wrong with the grain vs against...this makes a huge difference on any steak or roast. I have had only a few tough as leather deer even after the proper care was given to prepare it.

Try a simple merinade of olive oil, soya sauce, chopped garlic gloves and montreal steak spice (or sub in whatever steak spice you like). Let it sit in a low baking dish for upto an hour at room temp, flipping it over at 1/2 way point to ensure both sides are merinated. Fire up the bbq on high, get it HOT then dump the temperature down to med when you place meat on the grill. Sear both sides maybe 90 sec then finish off by cooking for an additional 3-5 minutes a side. Remove from grill and wrap plate in foil to finish off while you get everything ready at the table. The lengths I have given are based on min 1" cut steak so if thinner reduce the cook times. I like my steaks into chop portions for grilling and 1- 1 1/2" thick, the reason for the smaller steaks itmore evencook and if you do merinate the meat it takes less time and more flavour into the cuts. I still package my steaks in normal portions just chop them when preparing the meal. All my steaks are cooked med rare, for vension (which we eat the most of) my preference is rare though the wife likes a little less red so we often end up on the med-rare side of things.

RE: Tough as leather.
 

Well, once again let me say thank you to everyone who has made these fantastic suggestions.

I'm hoping for some big differences on my deer. My dad's we butchered the next day. Mine we let hang for about a week and just butchered him this weekend and there seemed to be some pretty big differences.The meat felt much more tender in it's raw state that my dads did and there seemed to be a lot more moisture in the meat.

So hopefully with the hanging of the meat and all of your suggestions, we will really enjoy our meat a lot more.

Thanks again.

RE: Tough as leather.
 

I am getting hungry reading this. I like to slow cook tough meat using a Lodge brand cast iron dutch oven. Best roasts I have ever had, and my chili can not be beat.

RE: Tough as leather.
 

Try this...Get out your crock pot...Cut up veggies (I use potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms and 1/2 a green pepper), place these in the bottom of the crock pot...put in your deer meat about a 1-2 pound roast...Lay 2-3 strips of bacon on top, squeeze a lemon over, salt and pepper and then cover with your favorite BBQ sauce, either homemade (I'm from NC and prefer homemade:)) or your favorite bottle of store bought...cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours....If you don't think this is good...You can leave....Not that there's good!!!

RE: Tough as leather.
 

Damnit damnit damnit I need to shoot a deer I'm getting hungry!

RE: Tough as leather.
 

You could try soaking your steaks in butter milk for 3-4 hours be for you cook it. That will let the acids in the milk start to break down the meat fibers to help tenderize the meat. After that rinse milk off meat use in your recipe or grill as normal. I've done this with pork and had it come out almost fork tender.

RE: Tough as leather.
 

That's a rather strange thing to post.

RE: Tough as leather.
 

If you like swiss steak you'll love this. It's best to use round(hind quarters) steak but backstraps work great as well. Thin slice about 1 1/2 to 2lbs meat about 1/3-1/2 inch thick and add tenderizing salt and pepper then pan sear it on both sides in a skillet with butter. Remove the steaks, coat them in milk and cover in flour. Throw then in a crock pot and add water but don't completely submerge the steaks. Turn that crock pot on high, add your favorite seasoning(I use rosemary, oregano, black pepper, and three bay leafs), and watch the water level. It's easy to forget about it but make sure there is water at all times. After about two to three hours when the meat is tender enough to cut with light pressure from your fork add some more flour and mix it in well to give you that gravy. Reduce to medium heat and continue to cook for another 30 mintues or so. You can also cook this with you favorite veggies, but I prefer this with mashed potatoes. My grandma showed me how to make it this way and it's by far my favorite.

RE: Tough as leather.
 

As tempting as it is to immediately cook some tenderloin I choose to wait and let the meat age a little. After you have butchered your deer and cleaned all the meat,if at all possible you should let it age. Meat will naturally breakdown (somewhat) if you allow it too. Most any butcher will tellyou one of the worst things you can do is immediately freeze meat, natural aging is highly recommended. I do this by deboning all roasts, and cutting the meat down as much as possible to take up as little space as possible. Put the meat into the gallon size thick ziploc and place them in the refrigerator(not the freezer)on the coldest setting. Let the meat age in your frig for a few days 3-4 or 5-6 if your frig is real cold. Then prepare it for the freezer. I use freezer paperthen aluminum foil wrapped tightly around the meat and then Iplace the wrapped meatback in the big ziplocs(rinse and wipe them out before putting the meat back in). When you are ready to cook some allow it to thaw naturally(no microwave or water soaking)which sometimes will take a day or two in the frig. Deer meat does really well with dry rub seasonings, sliced thin it can be cooked quicklyon the stovetop in a pan with extra virgin olive oil (just a couple of minutes per side on a med/hi temp). Crock-pots and oven roasting work well too but I recommend starting the meat and letting it cook for at least 3 hours then adding the veggies and continue cooking until the meat will pull apart with a fork. I frequentlyadd butter(not too much)to the meat as it roasts to keep moist or cover it with the thickest bacon I can find at the store. I know some of these tips are overkill and I could type all day on some othermore specific recipes and meat tips for you but I don't want to bore everyone.

Next backstrap you get cleanit and age it in the fridge for a few days,slice it, season it with a dry rub, then put it back in the fridge. Cook it the next day in the extra virgin olive stovetop method and let me know whatyou think.

RE: Tough as leather.
 

I soak the meat in water, ice, and salt for a couple of days, sometimes longer. When I cut the meat, I take almost all of the grissle (tendons, fat, etc...) out. I have never had a problem with "gamey" meat.

RE: Tough as leather.
 

just shoot a doe then when you gut it out cut the loins out to then beat them with a hammer and cook them like a steak or put them in a smoker and put some bbq souce on them