3 Ways to Cook That Deer You Just Killed
Photo credit: Getty Images
Novelist, Field & Stream columnist and author Jonathan Miles, whose cookbook "The Wild Chef" hit shelves this August, had a pot of venison stew simmering on the stove when we spoke recently.
"It’s pretty simple stuff," he said of its contents: onions, red peppers, cloves, chicken stock, Hennepin farmhouse ale. The star ingredient, venison, came from a recent hunt, during which Miles’s 10-year-old son killed his first deer.
"We’ve been working on safety and targets to get him ready for a couple years now," Miles said happily. "It was wonderful."
Hunting has been a major part of Miles’s life since his late teens, and about half the meat he eats comes from beasts he has killed himself. We asked him to do a quick inventory of his deep freezer, and he reported several doves, ducks, a goose, and (of course!) venison.
"Venison, when it’s cooked just right, is incredibly mild. Kind of woodsy," Miles mused. "When it’s overcooked, it does create the gaminess people tend to recoil from."
"The Wild Chef" cookbook covers a slew of venison recipes, many of which feature offal. There’s grilled venison heart, marinated in balsamic vinegar and chopped fresh thyme, seared venison liver with bacon and caramelized onions, and venison steak and kidney empanadas.
"Nothing angers me more than other hunters that will just take out the backstrap (venison loin) and leave the rest of the deer,” Miles said. “I do feel we are obligated to eat all of it.”
Below are a few recipes suitable for various venison cuts: the hind leg, loin, saddle, haunch, and shoulder. We’re not sure we can think of a better food for football season than venison nachos!
Venison Nachos, Carnitas Style
Photo credit: Weldon Owen Publishing
Serves at least 6
Ingredients:
About 2 lbs venison roast, trimmed and cut into substantial chunks ( 1 1/2 inch or so)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp juniper berries
2 Tbsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp oregano
4 bay leaves
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, roughly chopped
1 qt chicken stock
1/4 cup lard (or olive oil)
Tortilla chips
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar
limes, chopped cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, and/or pickled jalapeños for garnish
Pat the venison dry with paper towels, and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the venison in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, and brown on all sides about 12 minutes total. Transfer the browned pieces to a plate. Add the garlic to the pot and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute, then add the juniper berries, cumin oregano, bay leaves, chipotles, and generous dashes of salt and pepper. Stir to combine, and cook for about 30 seconds more. Add the chicken stock along with the reserved venison and any accumulated juices on the plate. Bring to a simmer and cook, partly covered, for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the venison is very tender but not quite falling apart. Remove the lid and continue to simmer for about 30 minutes more, until the liquid has almost evaporated.
Remove the venison with a slotted spoon, transferring to a plate. Discard any remaining liquid and solids, and clean and dry the pot. Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the lard. When it is hot, add the reserved venison pieces in batches and fry them until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, and, when cool enough to handle, shred the pieces.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange the tortilla chips on a sheet pan or, to make life easier, an ovenproof serving platter. Sprinkle the cheese over the chips, distributing evenly, then do the same with the shredded venison. Place in the oven and cook until the cheese has melted and the venison is sizzling.
Venison Backstrap with Red Pears and Pickled Golden Raisins
Photo credit: Weldon Owen Publishing
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For the venison and marinade:
2 lbs backstrap (venison loin), cleaned of all silverskin and cut into 2 even chunks
2 Tbsp exta-virgin olive oil
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 Tbsp coarse cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp grapeseed or canola oil
1/4 cup red wine
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup beef or chicken stock
2 tsp butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the roasted pears:
2 ripe red Anjou pears or other firm pears
2 tsp grapeseed or canola oil
2 tsp sugar
1 sprig rosemary (roughly 2 tsps fresh rosemary leaves)
For the pickled golden raisins
2 Tbsp mustard seed
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
Make the venison: Marinate the venison in olive oil, thyme, and black pepper for at least 2 hours or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat a heavy-bottom ovenproof saute pan over high heat until smoking hot. Add the grapeseed oil and seat the venison on all sides until golden brown. Places the pan in the oven. Roast until the internal temperate reaches 135 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer, 6 to 10 minutes. Remove the venison to a plate and let rest.
In the same pan, combine the red wine and the red wine vinegar. Reduce over high heat until thick and syrupy. Add the stock to the pan and reduce until syrupy again. Add the butter to the pan and whisk to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Make the roasted pears: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Core the pears and cut into eighths. Toss them in a bowl with oil and sugar to coat.
Make the pickled golden raisins: Put the mustard seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat and shake occasionally until they start to pop. Remove from the heat. Let the mustard seeds cool in the pan, shaking gently every minute or so, until toasted and fragrant.
Put the raisin in a heatproof container. In a small sauté pan, combine the vinegar, 1/4 cup water, the syrup, and the toasted mustard seeds. Bring to a boil, stirring to prevent burning. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the raisins. Let cool. (Cover and refrigerate if making ahead.)
Serving tip: Cut the venison on an angle and arrange on a plate. Nestle the pears alongside. Sprinkle with raisins and drizzle sauce on top.
Caveman Roasted Leg of Venison
Photo credit: Weldon Owen Publishing
Makes 1 roast
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil, or as needed
1/2 cup fresh thyme leaves
8 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh rosemary
3 Tbsp juniper berries, crushed
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup cracked black peppercorns
1 bone-in whole venison hind leg
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 cups game or beef stock
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, thyme, garlic, rosemary, juniper berries, salt, and pepper until it resembles a coarse paste. (Add a little more olive oil, if needed, to make it goopy enough to spread.) Rub this mixture onto the venison, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Remove the leg from the refrigerator a couple of hours before cooking. It should be at room temperature when it goes into the oven.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Drizzle the meat with the vegetable oil, patting it lightly with your fingers to coat evenly, and place the leg on a rack set in a large roasting pan. Roast, undisturbed, for 1 hour.
Heat the stock to a low simmer on the stove top. Turn the meat. Using a baster or ladle, baste the meat with about half of the hot stock, and roast for another hour. Set the stock aside and keep warm, reheating it to a simmer just as the next hour is up.
Turn the roast a second time, and repeat the basting with the remaining stock. After about 15 minutes, start checking the meat in its thickest part, away from the bone, with an instant-read meat thermometer. The cooking time will depend on the size of the roast. Remove the roast from the oven when the thermometer reads 120 degrees Fahrenheit for rare, or 126 degrees Fahrenheit for medium-rare. (The meat will keep cooking a bit after it’s removed from the oven.)
Move the roast to a large cutting board and allow it to rest for about 20 minutes. Carve and serve.
