How to Cook Venison to Lose The Gamey Taste

Face it - venison does taste different, but if it didn't - it would be beef! There are ways to cook venison so that it doesn't taste sooo gamey. In fact, we've had people not realize they were eating venison at all until we told them.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• a small (5 qt) pressure cooker
• venison
• favorite stew vegetables
• strong seasonings liek garlic and onions
• mushroom or tomato soup

1. If you are a hunter, you may not get to be so choosy. Here in Indiana, our deer are practically corn fed. Ask any of our farmers and they will tell you. What the deer eat will affect the taste. The age of the deer, especially a buck, will also affect the taste. Hunters, usually guys, like to go for the big rack, but a younger deer is going to be better meat.
   How the meat is handled immediately also has a lot to do with the outcome of it's taste. Field dress the venison and drain it as quickly as possible. Some people soak the meat in salt water and some put it on ice right away. Others let it age several days and that will depend on the weather and where you have a place to hang it.

2. Once the meat is processed and ready to cook you have several options. My guys think it's best cooked outside on a campfire, but that is not always an option. A small pressure cooker works best for me. Place the roast or stew meat in a pressure cooker with a few tablespoons of oil. You can flour the meat first it you like.
   Brown well in the pressure cooker WITHOUT the lid.
   Then, add at least one cup of water to start with.

3. Attach the pressure cooker lid to the pot as the manufacturer directs and place on your stoves burner. Turn up the heat to a medium high until your jiggler starts to jiggle. (If you've never used a pressure cooker - see my other article.) Let the meat cook for 15 minutes.(Fast cool at this point by placing the pressure cooker in a sink and running cool water over it until the pressure valve releases.)

4. Open the lid and add potatoes, vegetables, seasonings and a can of mushroom or tomato soup. Onions, garlic and other more potent seasonings hide the gamely flavor, too.
   Replace the pressure cooker lid and jiggler. Return to medium high heat and jiggle for another 20 minutes. This time turn the heat off and let the pressure cooker cool on it's own.

5. If you want to thicken the stew more, add instant mashed potatoes, or instant oatmeal, give the broth a chance to thicken as it cools. Or, thicken with flour or cornstarch mix into ½ cup of water and added to boiling broth. Cook the cornstarch until the broth is clear or the flour mixture until thick. Stir constantly if using this method. If you floured your meat before browning you shouldn't have to add any more thickening.

Tips & Warnings

• Strong seasonings hide the gamey flavor
• The pressure cooker will make your meat fork tender and harder root vegetables will not need near as much time to cook as usual.
• Never leave the pressure cooker unattended.
• If you've never used a pressure cooker, please read all instructions carefully and check out your equipment first!

[482main]

on 12/19/2008 I love the lead-in to this article, which offers useful tips.

[sunshine11219]

on 12/8/2008 THANX FOR THE TIPS