Venison blues

[sallym]

or try this
Deli Ostrich - Recipes � Springbok with wild mushrooms

Bubblewrap, have you seen this site?

Osgrow - Buy ostrich, kangaroo, crocodile, bison, zebra, springbok meat online - exotic meats

Thought it might interest you. Makes an interesting Bar-b-que.

[bubblewrap]

I can get ostrich & buffalo meat off Loughborough farmers market(2nd wens each month)

[BarleySugar]

Vension, red wine and marmalade pie

I do a venison, red wine and marmalade pie, but you could make it as a casserole. Sorry I can't give quantities, but this is an idea I got from an internet recipe, and I just cook by chucking in ingredients.

Crush garlic cloves (usually 2 reasonably sized ones, don't overdo it) and fry gently in a good quantity of olive oil or butter.
Toss cubed venison (stewing type is fine, about a pound) in flour, and add to the garlic. Cook until the flour browns slightly. Add a good glug of red wine (stir well as the flour will make a paste first, like making a roux sauce), some mixed herbs, a squirt of tomato puree, enough water to cover the meat, and 2-3 beef stock cubes. Allow to stew until the meat is very tender, stirring occasionally as the gravy will be thickened. Add about half a jar of marmalade and taste once dissolved. Adjust seasoning, it is quite a rich flavour. I have made this without marmalade too, it's just as good.
If you are making pies, allow to cool before putting into your pastry case, otherwise it's ready to serve. I find it freezes quite well, so sometimes I make a batch (brother stalks wild deer, and is usually successful) and freeze for future use.

[Hilary B]

That sounds tasty barleysugar!

[shirlthegirl43]

Was glad to see this thread, Ive got some venison thats been in the freezer for ages, had no idea how to cook it.

Do a search on here - Dexterdog asked ages ago for venison recipes and I posted two casserole type ones. Also this time last year I was asking for ideas for roasting a haunch and got good advice (need to check those out again too as I have just ordered my New Year haunch for this year). My mum always covered the wild roast with a watercrust pastry to stop it drying out.

[BrideXIII]

My mum always covered the wild roast with a watercrust pastry to stop it drying out.

Beef wellingtonish?

[shirlthegirl43]

Beef wellingtonish?

No, more of a case of the venison being in a marinade in the large roasting pan and then a pastry 'lid'

[BrideXIII]

No, more of a case of the venison being in a marinade in the large roasting pan and then a pastry 'lid'

ah! got it,
thats even better cos i can ditch the pastry when its cooked lol.

[RedThorn]

Bubble
Mix half ostrich half beef mince! Fantastic flavour and far healthier than 100% beef. Once tried, you don't want pure beef again the taste is great.

Found with venison the flavour is not to my oh's taste so best in a casserole & slow cooked (She's fussy as she doesn't like the wine in the food either :P) 10 mins before finishing the cookingg, the tip of a knife of Bicarb thrown in and stirred in helps ensure meat is tender enough.

[Birdie Wife]

Venison! One of my favourite things . Many people who say they don't like the taste have usually been subjected to a piece of stinky stag shot just before the rut, when the hormones are really getting going in the animal. This gives it a realy gamey flavour, too high for me I'm afraid. Hind (red deer female) is always lovely, and roe especially lovely. Sika deer is also supposed to be excellent, although I've never tried it.

Red wine in a marinade can dry venison out and toughen it, I never use it except a splash to deglaze a pan. You're better off marinading red wine vinegar tbh. The cooking method obviously depends on the cut of meat. My best fool-proof venison casserole is to use the stewing meat, cut into bite sized pieces and tossed in seasoned flour. Cut a red onion or two into wedges and char in a hot pan - put them into your casserole dish. Add a bit more oil to the hot pan and brown the venison meat, put that in the casserole too. Deglaze the pan with a slug of red wine or red wine vinegar and add those juices to teh casserole, together with a squirt of tomato puree and top it up with stock - vege stock is fine if you don't have game stock. Cook slowly (about 140degC) for 3 or 4 hours, until the meat is perfectly tender.

For a whole haunch of vension, roast as you would for beef. A boned out shoulder is also good stuffed with a mushroom and thyme stuffing, rolled and roasted slowly until very tender.

[shirlthegirl43]

ah! got it,
thats even better cos i can ditch the pastry when its cooked lol.

That's the idea - the pastry was just water and flour as I recall. Cracked off a while before the end of cooking to allow the meat to brown.

[BrideXIII]

That's the idea - the pastry was just water and flour as I recall. Cracked off a while before the end of cooking to allow the meat to brown.

Best way in my opinion, pastry is there to look good, not to be eaten LOL.

i wonder if you can do venison in clay, same as hedgehog * runs and hides*

[shirlthegirl43]

Possibly, but what would be the need - the clay is to help remove the prickles in the hedgehog case.

[BrideXIII]

Possibly, but what would be the need - the clay is to help remove the prickles in the hedgehog case.

well i guess i'll have to skin the deer then

[Alison]

I usually cut it into chunks and do it as a stew a little red wine helps.
Done in the slow cooker over a number of hours.

I tend to do mine like that too with a load of field mushrooms if possible too. Really yummy and rich. Like steaks too and serve those with a mushroom and red wine sauce so have just realised that I seem to only eat it with booze and fungi....

Anyone tried ostrich?

Yes, bought some this morning at our local Farmers' Market. Got some stir fry strips today which will be lovely light and tender quick cooked with some onion, cabbage and what ever else I've got in and served up with some soft noodles. Comes from a farm somewhere up Preston direction and tend to buy some most months.