RE: why do people say venison taste bad?
 

To each his own.

RE: why do people say venison taste bad?
 

i actually like the taste of venison more than i do beef or pork

RE: why do people say venison taste bad?
 

Most who have tried venison and didn't like it, probably didn't eat it properly cooked. I cut the backstrap in pieces and tenderize to fry or smother in gravy. It's hard to beat either way. I use ground venison quite often in chili, soup, and spaghetti sauce. Deer sausage is also excellent. I have killed over 100 deer and I can only remember one having a bad taste. So that means there are a lot of people out there who do not know how to properly care for the deer after the kill and to cook it. Chilling it immediately is vital. As someone else said, I don't gut or field dress a deer. I immediately hang it, skin it, cut and quarter it, and put it on ice. I cut the guts away while the deer is hanging just enough to get to the tender loins. That's as close as I get to gutting a deer. I almost forgot, venison jerky is every bit as good as beef jerky. I make a lot of venison jerky.I really don't like grilled venison that much. It's hard to beata sirloin, ribeye, or porterhouse beef steak grilled or broiled.

RE: why do people say venison taste bad?
 

good thread.

i have a friend of mine (older guy from maine) who i help process the deer. he cuts and instructs me to trim fat, connective tissue, silvery tissue etc...

i like the steaks and love the burger... * always taste better on the grill:)

*also agree with the gentleman who stated not to over cook the meat. i find when its overcooked the flavor is lost. (my 2 cents)

RE: why do people say venison taste bad?
 

Superstrutter, I really like your post (#22). It shows how the region of the country you are in can affect what you do. You go like heck, hang it, skin it, quarter it, and just disturb the gut enough to get at the fillets. You have to get the meat refrigerated or on ice in a hurry.

Here in Iowa, we gut first because this gets the meat cooling right away. Some years it is fairly warm with day highs peaking in the 60's but it gets into the 30's at night even then. We hang in a garage with the doors open at night and close the doors to trap the cool air in the day. We still try to butcher within a day. We never have had any go sour and all of our meat tastes better than the locker can provide.

Most years are ideal for us though. The temperature is right at freezing or just above. We have left deer hanging over a week and it just improves the meat. It is nice not having to rush the process. Skinning a deer when it is cold is a bitch though and sometimes you have to take a break during butchering because your hands are cold.

We prepare back strap by cutting into inch or more thick slices across the grain. Salt, pepper, maybe garlic granuals, then on to a HOT pan with a bit of olive oil. We take them off when they are rare to medium rare and we can cut the pieces with a fork.

Last- We do not have any way to keep the filets with the deer gutted. They are exposed to the air so we eat them the same day the deer is shot. Makes a great meal at the cabin.


Bob

RE: why do people say venison taste bad?
 

There are a number of reasons that venison can taste poorly. As identified above improper care, ignorant preporation, and the very true regional difference. I have had some very poor venison in the past. However when you get a corn fed deer and handle it as others have indicated I would take venison over any other meat. It may not be as tender or juicy but to me the flavor has no comparison.

RE: why do people say venison taste bad?
 

some people say they do not like it because they do not like hunting

i had a friend who's mom hated hunting would not even let you talk about it in her house

but she liked deer meat go figure

i love the taste of it i even like to fry some up with just alittle salt and pepper nothing else

i prefer the taste of it plain over a bunch of seasoning

RE: why do people say venison taste bad?
 

Prepare the venison like this, don't be afraid to add sliced garlic and maybe a squirt of lemon juice. What I really like is to make a package of Bearnaise sauce and drizzle it over the venison along with either steamed broccoli or grilled asparagus. These sauce mixes are easy to make and they help take away any gamey flavor without covering the taste of the venison.

RE: why do people say venison taste bad?
 

As far as I am concerned it depends primarily on the age of the deer and where it was killed. A poorly handled backstrap off of a young doe or young buck that has been living off of clover, corn, and winter wheat in Illinois is gonna taste better than a back strap(no matter how well the meat is handled) from anold buck killed in the marsh in south Lousiana or other such locations.

Of course, it is also a matter of personal preference. To me, even great deer steak is not as goodas a mediocre beef ribeye. Also, even a slight gamey taste can be a turnoff to picky eaters who won't eat venison at all.

RE: why do people say venison taste bad?
 

I agree, when does ribeye season open:)I actually have a friend who has cows on his property for tax reasons. He offerred to let me shoot one with my bow when it's time to slaughter one. I don't think I'll do it, I hear that their lungs are so large that with a double lung shot they can still take a long time to die.