Is it the venison or is it my cooking?

[campergeek]

Tonight I cooked venison for the first time (tenderloin cuts given as thanks for helping a friend drag his buck out through heavy brush), and I couldn't eat it. I'm curious as to whether it was the deer or me. Below are details on both the deer and my cooking. I'd appreciate any tips.

The deer:

The deer was big for around here (8 point, 180 lbs. dressed) but from the teeth seemed young. After my friend shot and field dressed him, he came looking for help to drag him out. From shot to when we got him in the truck (dragging him about 1/2 mile through brush and over downed trees) was probably about an hour. Then we washed out the carcass with a hose, and put the buck into my friends van where he waited until we could clean up the cabin (a personal emergency required my friend to head straight home from the processor). Total time from shot to processor was probably about 3 hours. The day was 50-60 degrees. One other note is that my friend did not remove the musk glands - when asked why he said he was afraid that if he did it wrong it would be worse than not doing it at all. I don't know if those would affect the tenderloin, though. As far as I know, this particular processor returns the meat from the same deer you brought in, so let's work from that assumption.

The preparation:

This was the first time my wife would be eating venison, so I didn't want it to be overly gamey. To try to make the flavor mild, I used the same technique my mom always did with liver. After thawing the meat, I soaked it for about 4 hours in milk. Then I rinsed it and soaked it in marinade for about 45 minutes. The only marinade on hand was Watkins honey mustard, so that's what I used. In a pan I carmelized white and red onions and garlic in olive oil with some black pepper. I pushed the onion mix aside and fried the venison in the resulting oil (not a lot), about to medium - medium/well (my wife has a thing about anything cooked less - I did prepare one chop medium/rare for myself).

I've eaten venison twice in the last few months, and both times I really enjoyed it. This time I put it in my mouth and it had a gamey/musky flavor that was overpowering: it literally took your breath away. My son (4 y.o.) spit out his first bite. After two bites (had to be sure) I decided it just wasn't right. My wife, seeing our reaction, wouldn't even try.

I'm open to any suggestions as to possible problems. Maybe the onions? Maybe the honey/mustard marinade? Maybe just bad meat? Please help me convince my wife and son that this is not how it's supposed to be.

 

[dakotasin]

i don't know... i do know that in the last couple of days, i found out i don't eat nearly as well as i thought i did... you guys posting your rather complex recipes and such... lol...

my wife does most of the deer cooking here, and not sure what exactly she does... i do know that the first few times she tried to make it, it was inedible. now when she makes it, there's never leftovers - and people who claim to not like deer will eat it and not know the are eating venison...

so... i think you got ahold of bad meat, though i have nothing to base that on (the timeframes you posted aren't enough to cause any ill effects). biggest mistake w/ deer is overcooking it, but you posted that your med.-rare piece wasn't so good, so it had to be the deer. also, i don't believe that the glands do anything for or against the flavor.

 

[mete]

It sounds like you did the right thing , the most imortant is to immediately dress out the deer. The glands should have nothing to do with it . It's probably that the processor switched deer ,by chance or by choice. If the deer was switched with one that had not been taken care of properly it can be bad. One friend had that happen and even his dog wouldn't eat it. That's why I always butcher my own deer.

 

[Dan Morris]

I have always cut my own meat, do not do anything special. Game is only cooked till med rare as it tends to dry out quick. I've truly never had a bad piece of game with the exception of a bear steak. Sounds like a a switch!
Dan

 

[Art Eatman]

From what you said, I saw nothing in the handling nor in the recipe that should have caused any gamey taste.

Art

 

[Mike Irwin]

It's the deer.

I've always soaked my venison in milk for a day or two before cooking.

It really helps mellow the meat if it has this musky taste, which I find to be very unpleasant.

 

[MeekandMild]

One big point for hunting does. Buck tastes too much like goat for me.

 

[RCL]

One thing that wasn't mentioned was where your buddie hit the deer. Was it a gut shot? Was he careful in field dressing it? The tenderloins being where they are, it's easy to contaminate them with contents from the digestive tract if you are not careful. Just a thought.
I never remove the musk glands, and it's never been a problem.
As far as cooking, I don't soak or marinate tenderloin, although I don't think it really made a difference hear. Cut them about 3/4 inch thick, slow cook in butter on med.-low heat till med. rare, a little garlic, salt and pepper, maybe some onions on the side of the skillet (cast iron). Serve with rice and steamed veggies.

 

[Byron Quick]

About twelve years ago, the subject of "gamey" taste came up in my Anatomy and Physiology class. The professor said that domesticated animals also tasted gamey if the carcasses were not hung in a cooler and aged appropriately.

According to Dr. Stullken, the process of aging meats takes place on the cellular level. Lysosomes are cellular organelles which are the scavengers/sanitation experts of the cell. Waste products in the cell are engulfed by the lysosome and "lysed" by an enzyme. When a carcass is hung in a cooler above freezing but below the temperature where bacteria grows rapidly, after several days the lysosomes burst and release the lysing enzyme. This enzyme then begins to break down the structure of the cell. Once this breakdown of cellular structure has occurred, the meat is aged and tastes very different from fresh meat no matter what the source. Dr. Stullken maintained that fresh, unaged beef tastes as gamey as any buck.

Even so, I've eaten unaged, unmarinaded buck...and I wouldn't call it inedible. Strange? Yes. Please pass the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.

I think I'd find a different processor.

I've found two great ones and one good one. One is a full time butcher who also processes deer in season. The other is a Mennonite family that turns out specialty meats: summer sausage, jerky, hot link sausage, slim jims etc. The good one is just a run of the mill processor but he lives next to his plant and will get out to accept that deer you shot just before sundown and didn't find until 10 PM.

Oh, BTW, with properly aged venison...I've never had to soak in milk or marinade unless it was a recipe where I would marinade beef. Using the same recipes I'd use with beef, I get a superior result.

 

[Art Eatman]

Back when I was hunting the Old Home Place, the deer were butchered, trimmed and wrapped and in the freezer, real quick. No hanging, no aging.

I've never used any marinade. I mostly barbecue the hams; the leftovers make great Bambi stew. Other than the backstraps and inner tenders, the rest of the meat went to deerburger. (Makes great spaghetti sauce.)

Backstraps offer a couple of choices. I've cut them into halves or thirds and then tied the chunks together with string and roasted them in the oven. Another Good Thing is to slice across at about a 45-degree angle and maybe 1/2" thick. Roll in a cornmeal batter, with a little mustard in it. Deep fry. (Don't stand between the platter and the eaters; you'll get run over.)

Main thing is not to let the venison dry out during cooking. No salt in the basting mix; use tongs to turn, not a fork. Cook slowly...

Art

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

Campergeek,

I noticed you said "I did prepare one chop for myself" Was the bone still in? That's a Bad Thing with venison. We always bone out all the meat and trim the fat.

Also, what was the buck doing when your buddy shot it? If it was being chased and the adrenaline was pumping, the meat will have a bad taste. I've eaten antelope which were chased with a truck and then shot, and the meat was gamey and tough. On the other hand, if they are stalked and killed with one shot, the meat is superior to almost anything alse.

 

[Al Thompson]

My vote is that the processor either switched your meat or he didn't take care of it. IMHO, 3 hours is pushing the limit in 60 degree weather. If the processor took another hour or two to chill the meat, that may be an issue.

FWIW, I've killed'em and eaten'em on the same day, no apparent taste problems.

 

[BIGR]

I always process my own deer meat and get it on ice as soon as possibile. On our week long hunts we have to put the meat in coolers and keep it on ice until we get back home. Once I get home I cut up the meat the way I want it. Lately I have been vaccum sealing the meat before I put it in the freezer. It seems to help it last. Usually the night before I put the deer meat in some milk let it soak over night until I cook it. I will agree that those doe's do eat better than those bucks. I have also noticed that if you over cook the meat it will be tough just like leather.

 

[Mornard]

I've gotta check in on this one...

I'd like to mention anything that follows is merely my opinion. Generated by 30+ years of eating venison, and 8 yrs working as a chef. I typically eat 2-3 whitetails each year - all of it.

Don't worry about the musk glands - they didn't do this. The time and temperature seems fine. I'd wonder how old the Watkins mustard was? I've seen some jar mustards that seem to go stale - and the result is a musky dirty odor and flavor.

Don't marinate tenderloins - they are the sweetest, most wonderful thing on the deer. However, you mentioned chop - was this backstrap? I've NEVER had a problem with venison on the bone, or the fat - I'ts sweet and mild. Was the meat bloodshot? If so, that'll do it.

However, one of the factors that seems to flavor the venison the most is what it was eating. Farm country venison will be great - I've also eaten venison from pine woods that tasted like hell - treated the same, we had nothing to pin this on except the diet.

Overall though, I'd suspect the mustard...

Tell her it was an odd chance, and the next one will be great.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Mornard makes a very good point. I hunt whitetail on my land in MO where they eat corn and soy beans and they are THE best tasting deer I've eaten. Where I used to hunt in Northern WI, the deer browse on brush and eat white cedar. Some of them, especially older deer can be very strong tasting. And anybody who has hunted mule deer in sage brush knows how stinky they can be. A sloppy gutting job can also leave nastiness on the tenderloins. I always insure that they are removed and cleaned ASAP.

 

[Tactical]

How the dear died is a factor. (Gut shot or vital shot) Did it run a great distance after shooting it or did it die right off.?

Next would be body cooling. Immediately after killing, dressing is vital to cool the body as some as possible. Was the deer dragged out of the woods on a warm day for more than 3 hours?

I take head/neck shots only and cool (and out of the sun) the body as soon as possible.
Your cooking sounds good, I doubt that is the problem.

 

[campergeek]

Thanks to all who've given feedback so far. This is great info for a novice like me! In response to some of the questions raised:

When I used the term "chop" I misspoke (mistyped?). The butcher had sliced the tenderloin into ~ 3/4" sections, then butterflied those. They reminded me of butterflied pork chops, hence I used the term "chop". Sorry for any confusion.

I have no way of knowing if the deer was switched at the processor, so I'll have to keep assuming what I ate was the one I dragged through the woods. I wish we'd dressed it ourselves so we could be sure. This friend usually does so, but in this case he had to get home ASAP.

Gut shot was not a problem. My friend got a clean head shot on the deer (running, at 60 yds. - he'll be the first to tell you it was the luckiest shot of his life). The deer dropped on the spot, but when he got to it it was still twitching so he shot it once more through the heart. Seems backwards to me, but I got no deer so I can't criticize. The deer had been jumped out of brush and was on the run when he shot it, so adrenalin may have been a factor.

Cleaning might have been an issue. He gutted the deer on the spot (cleanly, as far as I know), but didn't have an axe or strong knife to break the pelvic bone, so he didn't get the entire urinary tract cleaned out until after we dragged the deer up to his truck. There may have been some tainting of the meat.

Diet might have been a factor. This deer was in heavy oak/hickory woods, and acorns and hickory nuts were probably a primary part of its diet. I've heard that makes meat much stronger than if the deer has a diet heavy on corn.

Another thing that was asked was whether or not the meat was "bloodshot". These cuts were strikingly purple when thawed. Is that good or bad?

I do have another package of the loin cuts in my freezer, so I've got another chance to try. I think I'll soak longer in milk and then cook without any marinade, to get a more pure taste of the meat.

 

[Art Eatman]

Purple? Doesn't sound righteous. Deer meat isn't bright red like grocery store beef...Sorta reddish-brownish; hard to describe, but certainly not purple.

Art

 

[Mornard]

Campergeek -
seriously, let us know how it turns out... for a deer out of the oak woods, I'd just thaw, breadcrumb or flour, and lightly saute in butter - season with garlic salt and fresh ground pepper. Soaking in milk will not hurt, but personally I don't do it.

Damn, now I'm hungry!

 

[MeekandMild]

Milk! Yuck! Try Marsala wine, and use salt, pepper and flour for the crust instead of anything crunchy.

 

[Tactical]

A deer that feeds heavily on red oak acorns will be a little gamey in taste to a deer that feeds mainly on beechnut, white oak acorn or apples.

I enjoy simpler recipes. I saute onions and rub pepper and garlic on the meat and fry in the butter and onions. fry on low heat and no salt until after cooking.

I never marinade. I like the taste of deer meat and don’t want to cover up. But not overwhelming gamey.

Now I'm hunger. I'm going to have venison tonite.


Let us know how the next eating goes.

 

[Mannlicher]

I have found that the biggest factor is what condition the deer was in when he was taken. If the deer had been running, full of adrenelin, then shot, and trailed for miles, well, the meat is usually not first rate. I like an early season buck for eating, and I won't shoot a 'meat' deer that has been spooked or run hard. A late season buck, worn out and ravaged by the rut, will not be good eating either.

As for the cooking technique, well, I would not do any of those things. No need to soak the meat in milk, and honey mustard on the meat sounds just awful. Venison should be cooked like one of the leaner cuts of beef, bearing in mind the fact that there is less fat in/on the meat. The 'silver skin' HAS to be taken off, and any meat near the bullet wound should be excised. I leave the skin on the deer, and hang it for at least a week in a cooler, at about 38 degrees. This allows the natural aging process to tenderize the meat.