The final day of the statewide flintlock season is behind us, signaling no more deer hunting until this coming fall. Hopefully, you found success and are now wondering about the best way to prepare venison for a family meal. To start with, the best assurance of a tasty meal is a well-placed shot, proper field dressing, processing the deer so as to end up with the most desirable cuts, and then properly cooking the venison. Assuming you followed each of those important steps, let’s look at some ways to prepare venison dishes.
Venison Steak

High in protein, low in cholesterol, and pleasing to the palate – especially cooked over a wood fire – a venison steak is simply hard to beat. But, there are two tricks to having it turn out to be a crowd-pleasing entre. A light coating of Italian dressing or Gazebo Room Greek dressing will keep the meat from sticking to the hot rack used in a wood-fired grill and will not detract from the great taste. Secondly, and most importantly, do NOT overcook venison. For the flavor of venison to be at its best, it should be cooked to medium-rare or medium, then allowed to rest for 4-5 minutes and served at that level. Any venison cooked beyond medium (toward well-done) becomes tougher and less flavorful.
Crock Pot Venison Ramen

OK, I’ll admit that Ramen noodles are not the healthiest to eat, but the real culprit is the seasoning pack (heavily laden with salt) included in the packaging. By discarding that seasoning pack, you are on your way to a quick and easy way to present a tasty dish for dinner. Here, then, are the ingredients:

1 pound ground venison (deer, moose, or elk), 1 cup diced carrots, 1 cup sliced mushrooms, 1 medium sliced red bell pepper, 2-3 large roughly chopped onions, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons honey, 14.25 ounce can chicken stock, 2 packs uncooked ramen noodles (seasoning packets discarded!).

Brown, the ground meat in a large skillet over medium heat, drain the grease and place the meat in your slow cooker. Add the carrots, mushrooms, bell pepper, onions, ginger, and minced garlic. Then, pour in the chicken stock, soy sauce, and honey. Mix well until combined. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. About 30 minutes before cooking is complete, add the 2 packs of ramen noodles, ensuring they are covered with the liquid. Once the noodles are cooked, serve immediately, garnishing with parsley or chopped onion.
Venison Chili

One of the absolute favorites within my family, especially now that the cold winter weather is upon us is venison chili. It is not difficult to make and lends itself to changing the ingredients to suit your family’s preferences. I begin by selecting a large soup pot – in the 16-20 quart range. Here is my recipe:
• 3 pounds of venison burger
• (2) 48-ounce cans of chicken broth (or beef broth) & 2-29 ounce cans of red kidney beans
• (2) 29-ounce cans of diced tomatoes (I also add a quart of my canned stewed tomatoes)
• 2 large, sweet onions, 2 red or green bell peppers, 7-8 stalks of celery (all chopped or diced), and a one-pound pack of sliced mushrooms.
• Chili powder and salt and pepper to taste.

Combine the cans of broth, beans, and tomatoes in the soup pot and bring the ingredients to a gentle boil. Meanwhile, brown the venison burger in a cast iron skillet and add it to the pot. Chop or dice the onions, peppers, and celery, brown in that same cast iron skillet, and add to the pot along with the sliced mushrooms. Add chili powder and then salt and pepper to taste. Consider adding minced garlic and/or freshly chopped parsley or cilantro. Allow all ingredients to simmer for at least one hour. When serving, top with parsley or cilantro as a garnish.

What is not consumed over the next few days can be frozen in quart containers and will make a quick and delicious meal for months to come.

I hope you will try these recipes and discover that venison is not just a healthy meat, but also extremely tasty table fare as well.