Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi folks
Now this may seem a strange request to put on a GYO forum, but can anyone suggest a way to tempt my OH into trying venison ? I took delivery of a roe deer, ready butchered today (bargain - whole beast for £10 ). I love venison and most other game, but my other half doesn't like the idea - she thinks it will all be too strong and gamey! All suggestions welcome - have a lot of venison to eat now !
Cheers in advance
Rat

I bought some venison loin steaks from our local farm shop / butchers (don't know was sort of deer is was from).

Fried them - then made a sauce in the pan with red wine and cumberland sauce (which I though was quite strong tasting, so to some extent masked the flavour of the meat). So I'd say anything with strong tasting sauce or other ingredients, especially ones your other half does like.

Tasted very much like beef to me - only slightly different.

Good luck - sounds a bargain!

Sewer Rat go to www.uktvfood.co.uk they have over 60 recipes for venison. There must be one there that will be okay.

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Trust me, I have met many people with this problem: I don't like venison, I don't like rabbit...ever tried it? No.

Burgers are a true fire solution, you tend to either do them as they are with egg and bread crumbs, onions and pepper/salt/herbs or add some pork. Either way, don't tell your partner, they'll eat it! Oh yes they will.

It's also a good recipe for freezing them as well.

Andrewo

Hi Sewer rat,

3 bottles of red wine, she'll be so drunk she won't know what se's eating

Hi Nick
You obviously have never met a Belfast Girl ! She can drink three bottles of red wine then ask where the vodka bottle is
Rat

Ther a lot cheaper in warwickshire

Hi, just joined today and saw your post. I bought some venison last week for the first time and thought it was great. It tasted like juicer than normal steak. We gave it to our kids who are 7 and 8 and told them it was beef. They loved it. When they had finished, we told them what it really was and they were not too impressed. However, we are having venison stroganoff for tea - if I make it right. Did you know that venison has half the saturated fat of beef and a quarter of lamb so it is far healthier for you. It is also truly organic as they roam in the wild (I bought mine via t'internet from Scottish Highlands). So, all round much better for you than beef or lamb.

Hi Debbie
What sort of venison did you order, how much, what cuts etc. Only asking as I might be able to source it cheaper for you as there is usually locally shot red and roe deer knocking about. Was working close to Balnagowan Castle ( Al Fayed's Highland retreat) today and saw a heap of red deer - surprised they were down that low as it has been incredibly mild up here so still lots of grub on the hills except for the high tops which got a fresh coat of white again today.
Cheers
Rat

This is my recipe for venison casserole:

Trim the bits of venison into bitesize chunks, removing any major bits of tough sinew, and toss in some seasoned flour. Take a red onion and cut it into wedges, leaving the root end on but remove the skin. Caramelise the wedges in a pan with some olive oil. Put the the wedges in a casserole pot. Add a bit more oil if necessary, then brown off the venison pieces in batches. Put them in the casserole with the onions and deglaze the pan with about 1/2 a glass of red wine or a splash of red wine vineagar. Not too much wine, as paradoxically it can actually dry out the meat, rather than make it juicier! Bubble that down, scaping all the caramelly goodness off the bottom of the pan, and chuck that in the casserole too. A squirt of tomato puree, a bit of chicken stock to almost (but not quite) to the top. Give it a bit of a mix and slow cook at about 130degC for 3 or 4 hours. Take out about 1/2 hour before you want to serve it and season to taste.

Serve with lots of mash to soak up the lovely gravy.

Venison is lovely stuff, with red deer a hind is always better than a stag as the latter tend to have lots more hormones in them at the time when they're traditionally shot, which some unscrupulous dealers pass on to people who don't know any better. Consequently a lot of people are put of venison because they think it has a strong taste. I think in fact its a lot less gamey tasting than rabbit, but then I love rabbit too!

Birdie Wife
Totally agree with you on the venison front - and the rabbit one too. Have two bags of venison left to cook so will give your recipe a go this weekend.
By the way -that's not me sticking my tongue out at you, it's supposed to be me drooling at the thought of more venison this weekend - could quite happily live on the stuff

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

[size="1"]Journal updated Tuesday 5th August

Our neighbour does a fair bit of shooting & his Venison sausages are ab Fab!!

Some where I have a recipe for Rabbit in orange sauce, thats good as well!

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Venison liver is to die for!!!

Main thing to consider when cooking venison is that it has no fat to speak of. So if it's roasting joints then a marinade plus some bacon larded is a good idea. I often start the joint off larded with bacon and wrapped in foil, then take the foil off for the last twenty minutes. Remember also to rest it properly. If you overcook it you will be able to re-sole your shoes. Medium rare is what you want to aim for.

Steaks are beautiful

Great in casseroles but it's not really that time of year yet.

Venison haggis is also excellent.

Richard Corrigan did a venison wellington in which he wrapped the venison fillet in blanched savoy cabbage leaves, then put onto a duxelle of mushrooms & wrapped in puff pastry.... it is stunning!

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How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being.”

You got a great bargain there Rat.If you have a surplus going there you can PM me for a sale. Just don't tell your OH what it is and she will get over her squeamishness, scoff the lot,lick her lips and ask for more.

Hi there,
I`m new here but thought I`d share this with you.
My gran in Germany always used to marinade a saddle of venison in buttermilk for at least 24 hrs-48hrs before cooking in a red wine sauce, and even as kids we liked this as it was mild in taste after having been treated with the buttermilk.