wild taste
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Steve Wynn
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It doesn't taste wild....it tastes different. You eat beef because you want beef the beef flavor, you eat pork because you want pork flavor etc.
Beef ribs don't taste like pork ribs unless you drown them in sauce so you can't taste anything but sauce. Expect the venison to taste different so, don't expect it to taste like anything other than venison.
BUT.... if it wasn't a fairly quick kill, it may have a strong flavor from the adrenalin. Then I don't think there is anything you can do about it.
Steve
Beef ribs don't taste like pork ribs unless you drown them in sauce so you can't taste anything but sauce. Expect the venison to taste different so, don't expect it to taste like anything other than venison.
BUT.... if it wasn't a fairly quick kill, it may have a strong flavor from the adrenalin. Then I don't think there is anything you can do about it.
Steve
Clipper
Member
Huh?
...Given the cost of the hunt, lost work, equipment & license, etc. That venison is one of the most expensive cuts of meat you'll ever eat. If you want it to taste like beef, it's a durn sight cheaper to buy beef. I prize the 'wild' taste of venison, and can't figure why anyone would go to the trouble and expense to harvest it if they weren't crazy about the taste...
...Given the cost of the hunt, lost work, equipment & license, etc. That venison is one of the most expensive cuts of meat you'll ever eat. If you want it to taste like beef, it's a durn sight cheaper to buy beef. I prize the 'wild' taste of venison, and can't figure why anyone would go to the trouble and expense to harvest it if they weren't crazy about the taste...
Rembrandt
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If the animal was calm and relaxed when shot the wild taste will be minimal....if it's been stressed and on the run, the muscle tissue retains more blood and adrenelin, hence stronger wild taste.
Brother shot an Antelope that had been on the run for nearly a mile....cooked one of the roasts in a crock pot. Entire house smelled like sagebrush, no one would eat much of it...even the dog had a hard time choking it down.
Several cooking tricks that help....marinating the meat in 7-UP overnight is one solution. Have heard letting the meat soak in milk overnight will help...(no first hand experience to confirm this). Heavily season with kosher salt and garlic to cover the taste. Large doses of BBQ sauce and ketchup may work as a last resort. Another solution would be to make it into jerky, heavily seasoned and smoked.
Brother shot an Antelope that had been on the run for nearly a mile....cooked one of the roasts in a crock pot. Entire house smelled like sagebrush, no one would eat much of it...even the dog had a hard time choking it down.
Several cooking tricks that help....marinating the meat in 7-UP overnight is one solution. Have heard letting the meat soak in milk overnight will help...(no first hand experience to confirm this). Heavily season with kosher salt and garlic to cover the taste. Large doses of BBQ sauce and ketchup may work as a last resort. Another solution would be to make it into jerky, heavily seasoned and smoked.
'Card
Member
I generally prefer a little of that 'wild' flavor myself - but if it's too strong, you can always marinate the meat. Just pack it in a ziploc bag, pour a good marinating sauce (I like this stuff called Allegro I get at Food Lion - but preferences there differ, obviously) in, squeeze the air out of the ziploc and seal it up. Put it in the fridge and flip it over once every 6 hours or so and you'll be good to go in a day or two.
ACP230
Member
Quite often the "wild" taste is from venision that's been badly handled.
If a deer is killed quickly, gutted without getting the contents of the guts on the meat, and cooled quickly, it will taste better. It's better to break camp and take a deer home and butcher it, or take it to a processor, rather than keeping it hanging around while you try to fill a second tag. Get as much of the fat off the venison as possible too. It tastes funny.
I prefer venison to beef most of the time, except I don't like cold venison much. Young deer and does tend to be more tender and taste better too.
If a deer is killed quickly, gutted without getting the contents of the guts on the meat, and cooled quickly, it will taste better. It's better to break camp and take a deer home and butcher it, or take it to a processor, rather than keeping it hanging around while you try to fill a second tag. Get as much of the fat off the venison as possible too. It tastes funny.
I prefer venison to beef most of the time, except I don't like cold venison much. Young deer and does tend to be more tender and taste better too.
B.D. Turner
Member
Some folks soak deer meat in salt water before cooking to get rid of the dreaded "wild taste". I do not want my deer meat to taste like beef or pork or anything but what it is. I have found it tough if fried or broiled in an oven.
I made over 5 pounds of deer jerkey in the last two days and it tastes just great. We cooked some in a pressure cooker monday night and made a nice mushroom gravy that would melt in your mouth. The prep of a deer before butchering is important too with good taste.
I made over 5 pounds of deer jerkey in the last two days and it tastes just great. We cooked some in a pressure cooker monday night and made a nice mushroom gravy that would melt in your mouth. The prep of a deer before butchering is important too with good taste.
JohnBT
Member
Here's one good read: www.noble.org/ag/Wildlife/ProperCareOfVenison/index.html
Along with the advice already given, read the following. It's something I've seen time and time again - almost everytime somebody feeds me a real fresh piece of venison.
"Tenderness is generally improved when the carcass or quartered meat is aged at least a week at 34 to 38 F with good air circulation around any exposed meat. Air circulation around exposed meat causes its surface to dry—the dry layer should be trimmed off during butchering. Tenderness continues to improve during the cold storage aging process until about 16 to 21 days."
Oh, and the fat in milk does soak up a lot of stuff if you use it for an overnight soak. Real milk, not skim.
John
Along with the advice already given, read the following. It's something I've seen time and time again - almost everytime somebody feeds me a real fresh piece of venison.
"Tenderness is generally improved when the carcass or quartered meat is aged at least a week at 34 to 38 F with good air circulation around any exposed meat. Air circulation around exposed meat causes its surface to dry—the dry layer should be trimmed off during butchering. Tenderness continues to improve during the cold storage aging process until about 16 to 21 days."
Oh, and the fat in milk does soak up a lot of stuff if you use it for an overnight soak. Real milk, not skim.
John
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
ACP230 is on target. Many things affect the taste of deer meat, including how it was handled. In my opinion, butcher it quickly rather than hanging it. Hanging it may help tenderize it (because it is beginning to decompose), but it also makes the meat taste more "gamey." Debone completely and remove the fat and as much of the "silver skin" as possible ... and do so quickly.
Deer will taste stronger if they were shot already charged with adrenaline, such as shooting a spooked and running deer. Also, corn fed farm country deer don't taste as wild as deep woods high country deer.
Deer will taste stronger if they were shot already charged with adrenaline, such as shooting a spooked and running deer. Also, corn fed farm country deer don't taste as wild as deep woods high country deer.
Unless the deer is eating something like sage which can add a strong flavor, most of the strong gamey flavor is the flavor of spoiled meat. My deer is immediately dressed out , brought home , hung and skinned , and as soon as the carcass is cooled it's butchered and frozen .It's NEVER strong and gamey !!!
pdowg881
Member
I usually make steak and cheese out of venison.
PotatoJudge
Member
I've had good luck with venison meatballs. I add all the spices and breadcrumbs, along with about 1/2 cup of milk, parm cheese, and a bit of worcestershire, then fry them up. The meatballs go in a crock pot with the sauce for a couple hours. I've had some gamey deer and don't like it much, but the milk seems to have helped with that.
eastwood44mag
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I generally associate "gamey/wild" with either rot or blood. Dress it out fast, soak it in some salt water for a day or two, and marinade it in something acidic.
Tastes fine to me, so long as it wasn't an idiot that did the work.
Tastes fine to me, so long as it wasn't an idiot that did the work.
Some people do not like the taste of game meats, some do.
I am a newbie to hunting but have been an enthusiastic venison cooker and eater for many years. Before I started hunting, my folks had people hunt their land and give us meat, so I've been eating venison since I was a kid.
I agree with those who say that how the animal is killed and how it is prepped probably makes a difference. Still, some people will object to even the mildest tasting game meat.
For people who find it "challenging" or if you get an animal that is particularly strong tasting, try making strongly flavored dishes like marinades, chili, spaghetti, etc. Dishes that cook slowly for a longer time may also help.
Venison stroganoff is easy to cook and well tolerated by the game-averse. Look in any standard cookbook for a Beef Stroganoff recipe - or even, to make it really easy, just get those envelopes of pre-made stroganoff sauce plus noodles in the grocery store, cook the noodles and sauce according to directions, and add the sautee'd venison.
A marinade mix I really like is mostly worschestershire sauce with a large blob of dijon mustard and a small amount of balsamic vinegar. Dark beers, red wines, lemon juice, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, and fruit juices (particularly pineapple) can all be used in marinades. My mother is a big fan of red wine and juniper berries in marinades.
If you want the marinade to penetrate deeply, cut the meat into smaller medallions instead of leaving it in great big chunks. Conversely, if you have a really good tasting animal that doesn't need much "help" you can get away with larger thicker cuts and cooking it a little more rare/pink inside. Cooking it like a steak (high heat, short cooking time) is for people who like the taste of game and/or a very mild-tasting animal.
I don't know if it really makes a difference or not, but I always trim my venison very carefully before cooking it. I pay particular attention to removing the muscle fascia - the white fibrous outer sheath of the muscle. Peel up a corner and work back and forth between the meat and the fascia with a smallish, very sharp knife. Do your trimming before marinating. This is something I learned from my dad, and I've never experimented with NOT doing it, so it is possible that this step doesn't really help. But I will say my dad cooks some of the best venison dishes I have ever had.
edited to add - I just saw "spooney" above is also a believer in removing the fascia. There probably is something to it. I wish I had a dime for every time I have heard a dinner guest tell my dad, "I don't like deer meat, but this is really good!" Maybe it is removing the fascia that makes the difference.
I am a newbie to hunting but have been an enthusiastic venison cooker and eater for many years. Before I started hunting, my folks had people hunt their land and give us meat, so I've been eating venison since I was a kid.
I agree with those who say that how the animal is killed and how it is prepped probably makes a difference. Still, some people will object to even the mildest tasting game meat.
For people who find it "challenging" or if you get an animal that is particularly strong tasting, try making strongly flavored dishes like marinades, chili, spaghetti, etc. Dishes that cook slowly for a longer time may also help.
Venison stroganoff is easy to cook and well tolerated by the game-averse. Look in any standard cookbook for a Beef Stroganoff recipe - or even, to make it really easy, just get those envelopes of pre-made stroganoff sauce plus noodles in the grocery store, cook the noodles and sauce according to directions, and add the sautee'd venison.
A marinade mix I really like is mostly worschestershire sauce with a large blob of dijon mustard and a small amount of balsamic vinegar. Dark beers, red wines, lemon juice, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, and fruit juices (particularly pineapple) can all be used in marinades. My mother is a big fan of red wine and juniper berries in marinades.
If you want the marinade to penetrate deeply, cut the meat into smaller medallions instead of leaving it in great big chunks. Conversely, if you have a really good tasting animal that doesn't need much "help" you can get away with larger thicker cuts and cooking it a little more rare/pink inside. Cooking it like a steak (high heat, short cooking time) is for people who like the taste of game and/or a very mild-tasting animal.
I don't know if it really makes a difference or not, but I always trim my venison very carefully before cooking it. I pay particular attention to removing the muscle fascia - the white fibrous outer sheath of the muscle. Peel up a corner and work back and forth between the meat and the fascia with a smallish, very sharp knife. Do your trimming before marinating. This is something I learned from my dad, and I've never experimented with NOT doing it, so it is possible that this step doesn't really help. But I will say my dad cooks some of the best venison dishes I have ever had.
edited to add - I just saw "spooney" above is also a believer in removing the fascia. There probably is something to it. I wish I had a dime for every time I have heard a dinner guest tell my dad, "I don't like deer meat, but this is really good!" Maybe it is removing the fascia that makes the difference.
I've eaten alot of venison that tasted exactly like beef, only with less fat (if I hadn't known it was venison you could have told me it WAS beef).
But, this was all from my ex-inlaws family, and they were FIRM believers in hanging it for several days(to "bleed out", gutted and hung by the head). Now, you can only do this if temperatures are low, of course, and I believe they marinated it as well, but don't ask me what they used.
In short, I think alot has to do with the processing, more than anything.
But, this was all from my ex-inlaws family, and they were FIRM believers in hanging it for several days(to "bleed out", gutted and hung by the head). Now, you can only do this if temperatures are low, of course, and I believe they marinated it as well, but don't ask me what they used.
In short, I think alot has to do with the processing, more than anything.
MCgunner
Member
Get it quartered ASAP and soak it on ice water for two or three days to bleed it out. An old buck, especially if he's been rutting, sometimes there's just no way. So, I make sausage and/or jerky out of him. You could soak that meat in the fridge in ice water for a few days, see if it helps. The meat will turn white, bleach out with the blood soaking out of it.
Proper preparation is the key. Deer meat still is a bit different, but I have a taste for it.
I don't consider that it is expensive. Sure, if you add all the corn, the stands, the taxes on the property, the gas to get down there, etc, etc, etc, but hey, I love it as a past time. The meat is just a bonus to me.
Once I get me a hog trap built, I may never have to buy meat at the store again. Of course I will, but it'll help out the food budget. Sure, I have to run down there burn gas to check the trap, but I ain't an accountant and that don't count. LOL! I just love being down there, would go fart off down there if there wasn't anything to do.
Proper preparation is the key. Deer meat still is a bit different, but I have a taste for it.
I don't consider that it is expensive. Sure, if you add all the corn, the stands, the taxes on the property, the gas to get down there, etc, etc, etc, but hey, I love it as a past time. The meat is just a bonus to me.Once I get me a hog trap built, I may never have to buy meat at the store again.
Of course I will, but it'll help out the food budget. Sure, I have to run down there burn gas to check the trap, but I ain't an accountant and that don't count. LOL! I just love being down there, would go fart off down there if there wasn't anything to do.
Lennyjoe
Member
I like to soak mine in milk for a day prior to cooking. Have tried water, salt, marinade but so far milk seems to work best for me.
More people have stopped hunting because they didn't eat what they killed and couldn't justify hunting if they didn't.
Order The Complete Guide to Game Care and Cookery, link below:
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Game-Care-Cookery/dp/087349539X/sr=8-1/qid=1164926842/ref=sr_1_1/104-9250544-2495915?ie=UTF8&s=books
You need to use familar flavors and marinades and cooking methods ex marinate your deer stakes, cook the venison in bacon grease and use gravies and sauces...
Can't go wrong there. The more that you get used to Venison, the less you will have to dress up the meat, but isn't bad to dress it up if you want to.
Order The Complete Guide to Game Care and Cookery, link below:
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Game-Care-Cookery/dp/087349539X/sr=8-1/qid=1164926842/ref=sr_1_1/104-9250544-2495915?ie=UTF8&s=books
You need to use familar flavors and marinades and cooking methods ex marinate your deer stakes, cook the venison in bacon grease and use gravies and sauces...
Can't go wrong there. The more that you get used to Venison, the less you will have to dress up the meat, but isn't bad to dress it up if you want to.
MCgunner
Member
Ate venison chilli tonight. In Texas right now, we call this "chilli weather". It's colder'n kraut out there right now!
Kid absolutely loves venison chilli. She'll be home from her night class shortly.
I suspect the spices used in Tex Mex, and chilli, are to cover up some rather un-tasty fare that poor folks ate back in the day. Take fajitas, for instance, friggin' skirt, tossed out by butchers until poor folks showed up wanting it. They beat the crud out of it, cut it across the grain to keep it from being so tough, marinated it in hot spices, just to get it edible and now days, fajita gets 4 bucks a pound at the store 'cause yuppies like it when they go to Bennigans! Lots of such cuisine is spice for that reason. Tex Mex? How about menudo? How else are you gonna eat guts? Cajun, well, spice it up and you can eat the bait! What is sausage, but meat that's unsuitable for anything else packed in gut and spiced up?
But, there's absolutely no need to spice up back strap! Yummy!
It's colder'n kraut out there right now! Kid absolutely loves venison chilli. She'll be home from her night class shortly. I suspect the spices used in Tex Mex, and chilli, are to cover up some rather un-tasty fare that poor folks ate back in the day. Take fajitas, for instance, friggin' skirt, tossed out by butchers until poor folks showed up wanting it. They beat the crud out of it, cut it across the grain to keep it from being so tough, marinated it in hot spices, just to get it edible and now days, fajita gets 4 bucks a pound at the store 'cause yuppies like it when they go to Bennigans!
Lots of such cuisine is spice for that reason. Tex Mex? How about menudo? How else are you gonna eat guts? Cajun, well, spice it up and you can eat the bait! What is sausage, but meat that's unsuitable for anything else packed in gut and spiced up?But, there's absolutely no need to spice up back strap! Yummy!
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