I was talking to a lady yesterday about the upcoming deer hunting season. While she had no distaste for the idea of hunting, she revealed her dislike of the taste of venison by asking, “Do you eat the meat?”

She explained that more than 20 years ago when she last tried a venison meal, “It was too gamey.” I immediately thought it was either not shot properly, not field dressed properly, not processed properly, not cooked properly, or a combination of several of these critical steps.

The best way to ensure that the venison you will serve your family and friends for supper is as flavorful as possible is to take only a well-placed shot, do a thorough and clean job during the field dressing, and cool down the meat as quickly as possible.

Often, if someone says they just don’t like the taste of venison, then one or more of those steps were not followed, or perhaps the meat was overcooked. Assuming that you took all the right precautions, and you have a variety of cuts from processing the deer, let’s look at a few ways to prepare some mouth-watering meals.
Venison Chili

One of the absolute favorites within my family, especially now with the cooler, crisp fall weather, is venison chili. It is not difficult to make and lends itself to changing up the ingredients to suit your family’s preferences. I begin by selecting the largest soup pot available — in the 16–20-quart range.

Here is my recipe:
• 3 lbs. venison burger
• 2 large cans of chicken broth (or beef broth) & 2 large cans of red kidney beans
• 2 large cans 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, and a one-pound pack of sliced mushrooms – all chopped or diced.

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 chopped 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.
Bacon-wrapped Venison Jalapeño Poppers

For a small gathering with just a few friends or a family reunion with dozens in attendance, folks will stand in line for this fun-to-make and fun-to-eat appetizer. As always, bacon wrapped around this mouth-watering morsel makes it taste even better!

You will need:
• One pound of venison – tenderloin or backstrap is preferred.
• A pack of sliced bacon (cut slices of bacon in half – thinly sliced bacon works best)
• Cream cheese, 6 jalapeño peppers, one large sweet onion, and Italian dressing (here, I prefer Gazebo Room Greek dressing)

Begin by cutting the venison, onion, and jalapenos into 1½ to 2-inch by ½ inch slices and slice the bacon strips in half.

On the bacon strips, stack the venison slice, a slice of jalapeño, and a slice of onion – topped with a swipe of cream cheese on the onion slice.

Wrap the bacon strip around the ingredients and insert a toothpick (toothpicks should be previously soaked in water).

Place the poppers in a container, add the Italian or Greek dressing and your favorite marinade, and let them rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Grill over medium heat until the bacon is done. Enjoy. (I promise you – you will!)

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 griddle 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 maximum, 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 tough and less flavorful.

I hope you will try these recipes and discover that venison is a healthy meat and a delicious table fare.