Thankfully, we are a family of hunters (and gatherers sometimes, lol) and so when it comes to that special time of year (deer hunting season) we like to start breaking out the venison dishes!
It's a rare occurrence that we buy beef because we use venison in most recipes that call for beef. It works great, tastes great and is super healthy!
What is Venison?
Originally it was meant to include all wild game meats but that was a long time ago. In more current terms it is the meat of a deer or antelope.
The difference between Venison and deer is 'Venison' is actually the meat of the deer, where 'deer' refers to the actual animal.
Deer Processing
The act of removing the meat from the carcass. James will actually process our deer a lot of the times himself. As long as you have a meat grinder for the ground meat, you can package up the roast cuts and the ground meat really easily.
Sometimes though we like to venture out and have venison sausage made (our favorite is the green onion sausage) or even burritos and tamales.
If there are any deer antlers, there's a variety of things can be done. If they are big enough then I'm sure a mount is called for. Otherwise you could just create a rattle (to be used during hunting) - for those real small racks or spikes they are really great chews for the dogs!
Our favorite cut from the beautiful deer is the backstrap. In fact, this is what we had for supper last night. Deer backstrap wrapped in bacon (I will be posting this recipe on my site very soon. In fact I plan on posting a good few venison backstrap recipes).
Is Venison Healthy?
Most definitely! It's actually 50% leaner than beef but packed full of protein, so it's great for those on a restrictive diet or are wanting to eat healthier. Also, if you have hunted and processed the deer yourself it's a totally clean meat. The deer has been eating from it's natural habitat.
How To Cook Venison
Following is a list of 27 insanely popular venison dishes that you will be excited to try, either with your own processed ingredients or with store-bought. Perhaps you have been lucky enough to be given some packaged venison meat from a family member or friend and are wondering what to do with it. Check out the recipes below for some inspiration!
Jump to:
Classic Venison Chili Recipes
Other Ground Venison Recipes
Venison Stews and Roasts
Other Venison Recipes
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