How make venison tender?
Whitetail Deer
I m very happy with the flavors I get when cooking deer. Like it very rare so I'm not over cooking it. I would love for it to be more tender though. What prep can I do to get less chewiness? Anyone got secret methods?
age 2 weeks btw 34 and 38 degrees F
My daughter's elk this year was a little tough bought this and it has been super tender since using.
Tenderizer like John shows. Mine is a Jaccard, but same thing. Also use a marinade that is acidic to break down the fibers. Red wine, vinegar, lemon juice, etc. as part of the marinade.
Interestingly, many people also do a wet brine with baking soda that supposedly really tenderizes it. Baking soda is an alkaline. I've never tried that but many swear by it.
I like to marinate it in McCormicks seasonings. I always use lemon juice in the marinade. Don't overcook it for that will make it tough for sure.
The most important part is...Harvest the small ones. They're always tender. ;-)
When I harvest an older deer I'll use it for jerky/sausage/meat sticks or summer sausage.
I use something similar to what JohnMc suggests. Tenderizes even the most toughest cuts like shoulders etc.
My favorite marinade/tenderizer is a cup of cold coffee, a tablespoon of brown sugar, and a teaspoon of Kosher salt. Let the meat soak in a ziplock for at least 15 minutes, a couple of hours in the fridge is even better. The acid in the coffee breaks down the meat and eliminates any gamey tastes. Be sure to get the meat to room temp before cooking.
Matt
Even two days aging in the fridge can make a noticable difference. Soy sauce as a marinade also helps.
That tenderizer JohnMc mentioned is great. I like my steal rare or blue (below rare). Nature never introduces something bad you have to cook out but man does. Eating a rare steak is a lot safer then eating a raw steak - even though a rare steak center is raw. The outside is cooked which is where the man introduced issues are. That tenderizer can push things into the meat that will not get cooked. I am reluctant to use it on a steak I am cooking blue or rare.
Your best bet is aging as long as possible at 1/2 a degree above freezing. Hard to do but it works great if you can.
A meat hammer also works and does not push into the meat as much.
Shoot younger deer helps. Luckily you are not cooking past rare.
I have found aging on the bone (hanging the skinned deer) for a week or two yields a much better venison steak. Also I have noticed since I cut my own game the benefits have been compounded
Four hours in a crock pot and it will be very tender.
Jaccard, long sous vide at about 125 (depending how rare you like it), and a quick sear.
Marinade : 1/4 cup oil , 2 tbs vinegar, 2 tbs water , 2 tps red wine , 1 tbs garlic salt or 2 cloves , 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp worschtishire , tsp soy sauce , 2 tbs brown sugarc Generous amount Steak spice of your choice .( I use chicago and maple bacon steak spices ) Mix in glass pan with 2lbs of steak 24 hrs. Then sit at room temp before grilling for 2 hrs . Cook medium rare . 4 minutes a side on BBQ, or 5 minutes for thicker steak .
Garnish with buttered garlic mushrooms
Because venison is so lean , you eat it rare . The flavor of meat is better rare . If you cook cold meat it gets shocked . Let it sit 2 hrs outside fridge before cooking Another trick is a little butter on the steak during grilling .
Forgot .. cold IPA BEER ..LOL
I hunt for the meat, doe or young bucks preferred . But who can't resist a big buck once in awhile? Older deer marinate longer , 2 days . Or make sausage with older deer .
Correction on marinade above , (sorry from memory. Add seasoning salt , and should be 2 tbs red wine not tsp. I use a smooth red blend .
Step One: Shoot does, not bucks.
Step Two: Shoot deer less than 3 years old.
Step Three: Cool the meat asap, do not let it hang unless you have the proper temperature controlled environment. In early season my venison goes from field to freezer in less than two hours.
Step Four (perhaps the most important): don't shoot deer during the rut.
Follow these steps and you won't need gimmicks to tenderize.
Man, some good looking pics got on here!
I do marinade, usually in a ziploc bag with meat tenderizer and soy sauce. Might leave it in there for a 2-5 days before washing it off and cooking. I also like to dry it, then leave it on a rack in the fridge for up to a week. Always get it to room temp before cooking. Always cook rare.
I haven't tried vinegar, wine, coffee, or baking soda marinades. And I haven't tried the blades of furry torture device thing pic'd, but willing to give it a go.
More likely to grab a Fat Tire or a dark of some sort, doesn't even have to be cold.
Thanks for the comments guys, and pic never hurt!
Sorry x-man. I fail at steps 1, 2, and 4... but I'm great at #3!
I grind it all, deer, moose, elk, If I want a steak I buy a AAA grade ribeye
Bluesman - you had me until "IPA" lol
The secret to having consistently tender meat is in aging it for three weeks before it is ever frozen. We have been aging our venison for over twenty years with great success, and the results are indisputable! We remove our cuts from the carcass and then let them sit uncovered in a refrigerator for 24 hours to chill and dry slightly. I then vacuum pack them and place back in the refrigerator for a full three weeks. The key is to keep the temperature between 34 and 37 degrees so the enzymes can break down the fibers properly during this time. Freezing the meat kills the enzymes and stops the aging process, while too high a temp can allow bacteria to grow. After aging three weeks the meat can be frozen. I guarantee once you try this method, you won't want to eat venison that hasn't been properly aged!
this has been a good thread, i appreciate the tips.
as carcus posted, "I grind it all, deer, moose, elk, If I want a steak I buy a AAA grade ribeye.".
i do the same mostly. wild game is overrated. probably because of the cost per pound we try to justify. :)
i often wondered how tenderloins got its name.
some of the meat shown in the photos above is too raw for me. i like it cooked a bit more.
Fuzzy x3 - after his canning thread I take anything he says regarding the cooking of game as the gospel.
Last year I shot a mature buck in early November that was 100% rutty, aged it a little over a week as the weather allowed and it was the best venison I’ve ever eaten
I use the sharp spiked tenderizor for steaks, cutlets, cube steaks.... NEVER for loins though. Loins, just dry rub and grill rare to less than medium rare. Rare occasion will mariniate loins but when grilled perfectly with a nice dry rub, it's just my favorite dish of all. The natural juice it produces when you slice it is heaven on earth.
I use a tenderizer like the Jaccard and marinate in Italian dressing overnight. It seems to make good steaks melt in your mouth, and lessor steaks or ones from older deer much more tender.
Aspen Ghost, we like ours cooked to 127 in the Sous Vide for at least an hour and a half, then a quick HOT sear in clarified butter in cast iron. Always perfect, more tender than on a grill, with or without the Jaccard. Wife likes 129 degrees, I like 125, so 127 is our compromise.
What cut are you talking about? Some cuts should be tender and best suited to being cooked like a steak (backstrap, tenderloin). Some cuts are going to be tough and will cater to longer cooking methods to break down interconnective tissue and fiber that makes it tough (roasts, ribs, etc). I've generally found that if you match the cooking style to the meat you'll solve 95% of the problems.
I'm thinking specifically chunks of backstrap that I'd like more tender, but I'm assuming any effective method will also work to some degree on any cut.
We always have a freezer full of home-grown beef so deer is a nice bonus, but I LOVE well marbled beef.
When you say chunks of backstrap, are you talking more bite size pieces or chunks that are closer to steak size? I think you need to be very careful with bite size chunks if you're sauteing them as they cook so quickly that they are easy to overcook or undercook.
Actually I love bite sized cubes of backstrap. Barely cook them and they are great, but like you said easy to over do it.
I'm thinking more about whole backstraps. I normally marinate them, pan sear them, then finish them in the air fryer.
"then finish them in the air fryer."
There's your problem...
I leave the backstraps in lengths of about 8-10" with a very light dry rub. Traeger low n slow till it reaches 120 inside(usually takes a couple hours) . Slice into steaks about 1-1/4" thick(this is when I remove the silver skin) and sear in butter on hot cast iron. You can cut it with a wooden spoon.
Leftovers, if any, are sliced thin and dipped in Ole West Dipp'n Sauce. I warm the sauce, not the meat(everyone who's tried this will never go back to anything else)
I can't imagine grinding all this delicious meat into burger.
"Air fryer". I've finished backstrap over open fire, oven, cast iron, and smoker. The air fryer is by far the easiest to insure I don't over cook it and get the exact internal temp I want. Would love to try a Sous Vide, I've heard great things!
I've got a pellet smoker and have used it on deer but usually over cook it. I should try that again. In fact, I'm starting to think I should thaw out a beef brisket around Christmas and throw in a some deer while it's on.
The air fryer strap from Thanksgiving...
I just did a bison brisket and it is wonderful. Marinated overnight with a dry rub. Then injected heavily with beef stock, red ale, apple juice, worchestershire, melted butter. Five hours in the pellet smoker (with an extra smoke tube) until it stalled at 165. Then foiled and mopped with the rest of the injection in the oven for five hours until it hit 195. Then wrapped in butcher paper and rested in a cooler for four hours.
Our friends who are new to wild game were totally raving about how tender and juicy it was. They expected something tough and chewy, and it was just thr opposite.
Grilled bacon wrapped venison tenderloin from a few nights ago. My wife doesn’t like any blood, so I have to overcook it, but it was still incredible.
Matt
Matt, explain to her that it isn't "blood", but rather a mixture of protein and water, colored red, called myoglobin. May not work, but so many people believe it's "blood" and are grossed out.
When I used to grill 45 T-bone steaks a day for our big calf branding parties, there were a couple guys for whom I had to put their steaks on the grill 15 minutes before everyone else. If there was any pink in the meat at all, they had to go back on the coals. Criminal.
Nice work Jaq, that looks amazing!
I'll second the air fryer after searing in a screaming hot cast iron pan or even doing a reverse sear and putting in the air fryer at 200 degrees until it hits 100 or 105 and then searing in a cast iron. Always comes out the perfect medium rare.
I'm fortunate to have a walk in cooler where we can age our deer, hide on, in a controlled environment. I know there are those that say you don't need to age deer, and you don't, but there is absolutely no comparison between the meat from a deer hung in the cooler at 36 degrees for 14-21 days and that from one that is skinned and butchered immediately. Just don't try it with gut shot or improperly field dressed deer.
The other night we took some hind quarter steaks. Pounded them out and made chicken fried steak. It was awesome, tender and juicy. The would have probably been a little tough on the grill.
"I'm thinking more about whole backstraps. I normally marinate them, pan sear them, then finish them in the air fryer."
I soak them in milk or buttermilk overnight in the fridge. Simply rinse the milk off and let it come to room temp before cooking. That way the meat gets tenderized from the reaction to the milk, but doesn't take on the taste of some of the other marinades. Season to your liking and cook as you normally would.
Wet aging (14-21 days) our venison has had a positive impact on tenderness and overall flavor profile. Adds an extra step to processing but well worth it imo. Might be worth a try for those that don’t have access to a temperature controlled environment required for dry aging.
Well this was the wrong thread to look at at lunchtime. LOL. Now salivating.
Surprising to hear this... I find venison is normally really tender - at least compared to say cow or buffalo. Even older deer...
Beyond that, this thread reminds me to butterfly the backstrap in the fridge. Thanks!
Been a great thread and I've learned plenty (like Velveting... I'd never heard of it before this thread got me researching baking soda)! Pics are good every time a food thread pops up. Thanks for the input guys!
From most articles I have read venison needs no ageing. I personally dont but do get the hide off as soon as possible. I have a great recipe Knorrs veggie soup mix Sprinkle a portion on foil Lay roast in the powder. Now sprinkle the remainder on the roast spread evenly as possible. Wrap in foil , I triple wrap it and put in roast pan covered with just a tad if water in bottom. 250 for like 5 hrs And you can tear it apart with a fork. Delicous
Biggest factor we have found is that not every deer is tender but most are. Mmmmmm
I tried the baking soda velveting thing on a beef roast last night. It makes a significant difference, not sure I like it though. The wife and youngest both said what I cooked the other way was better. Probably won't do it again.
^^^ That soup seasoned roast looks great!
Please try it Its a winner
I make very sure its well trimmed , no fat or anything other than red meat
I took a screenshot of your instructions and put dry soup mix on the wife's shopping list. It'll be tried soon.
Liptons onion soup mix also works but knorrs is my personal favorite
^^^ It will be whatever brand the wife finds.
“From most articles I have read venison needs no ageing”
Beef doesn’t need aging either but we all know how much it improves a steak.
If you want to try next level venison, aging is the way to go.
Not so much for a low and slow or braised recipe like what you posted, which looks great, but it makes a world of difference on a fast cooked premium cut.
For steaks dont cook until meat is near room temp. Then sear or grill on high heat and let rest for 5-10 before eating.
Not the cure all but definitely helps with tenderness.
And dont over cook folks. If its medium….its over cooked.
I'll see your "articles", and raise you 40 years of butchering and eating deer, over 250 of em. Lol
this is how we like to tenderize ours...
Catscratch
You never mentioned how you process your deer before cooking. Do you age it, and if so for how long? Deer or beef, if butchered while the muscles are still in rigor mortice will be tough unless cooked forever.
The same applies to birds. Lots of people say wild fowl is chewy. Almost no one ages their birds anymore, which is unfortunate as the difference is remarkable.
How to age wild fowl?
Don't understand the banging pm air fryers, mine is a small el cheapo but I luv it...
Have cooked venison tenderloin many different ways through the years and the past few years after butchering rather than cutting them into butterfly chops, I trimming the ends and leave them solid but cut them in half for servings of 2 and slice deep cuts about 2" apart, flip it over and stagger the cuts on the other side then add my spices prior to bagging them for the freezer so all I have to do is thaw them out and throw them on the grill... Not sure, but maybe pre-spicing may help marinate into the meat while freezing... I know it make it simpler to grab, thaw and cook...
Bacon wrapped with cream cheese with his one...
Zbone I’d eat that with one hand tied behind my back!
Walking Buffalo, I've processed every way possible. Use to have a friend with a walk-in cooler, they hung for 14-21 days. Would hang them in the garage if temps permitted. And now I just process them and get them in the freezer as quickly as possible. To be honest I believe I see more differences in individual animals than I did in different techniques. Used to hang all our ducks, geese, and pheasants too.
Now since I don't hang or age them I usually put meat on a drying rack in the fridge for 1-2 weeks after thawing, sometimes longer before I cook them. I often end the fridge aging in a marinade for a day or 3.
That looks damn good zbone!
Thanks guys, it was very good...8^)
