Confession time

I'm not great on venison steaks so only take the prime cuts for steaking(basically backsteaks) and the rest is made into biersticks, sausages and mince which works well. Hard to beat homekill beef and lamb/mutton

I love to hunt, so I eat Venison. Won't shoot a red, eat Sika back steaks/mince etc, love all cuts of Fallow.

Tried fallow, both bucks. Not impressed. Shot early rut.
Currently eating sambar hind. Quit good slow cooked.

By far prefer lamb, goat, pork tho.

fallow buck notorious for being bad.... sambar as being tough lol.

My preference has been Fallow hinds/yearlings.

Shot a Red Stag in the bush last year just before the roar, fat as. Backs steaks were absolutely delicious.

Sacking the cook sounds expensive to me.... but some of those new young cooks look very tempting.... but probably high maintenance.... when i was young and broke i lived off Red venison and hated it after a few years, as others above have said, young grass feed Fallow are the best, well cooled and hung for a week or too helps a lot. i marinate venison a lot, it can take all the gamey taste away if soaked for a day in it.

There is another side to this....we are getting fussy and realistically aren't hungry anymore. When you live on Weetbix n tomato sauce for a week as nothing else in cupboard you appreciate most anything else.

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

There is another side to this....we are getting fussy and realistically aren't hungry anymore. When you live on Weetbix n tomato sauce for a week as nothing else in cupboard you appreciate most anything else.

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Read my mind. I'm guilty of being fussy tho.

Keep in mind there is a reason why deer were never kept as primary livestock, despite being able to retain good condition on quite marginal grazing and relatively high stocking density.

Their fat is by and large unusable. I have had venison where either fat was left on or used as part of sausage etc.

Mouth feel after eating is that of a wax crayon ( :ORLY: ).

I think venison has seen a revival of interest in the mainstream (outside of the traditional continental dishes) due to the touted low fat content. However, youneed to add in a whole lot of fat/oil for cooking and spice for taste still for it to be remotely palatable.

Compare this to a good cut of beef that can be cooked in it's own rendered fat and needs some salt at most to make great eating.

Don't fire the cook, how about trying a different recipe?
@Thar was kind enough to drop off a fallow backsteak and after 5 days in the fridge I tried this recipe - marinated overnight

The wife said it was the best thing I've ever cooked for her

Venison Tenderloin with Blackberry Sauce
This delicious and simple recipe is the perfect way to highlight the subtle game notes in venison with blackberry, a
wonderful berry for pairing with red meats.Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide (http://rufusguide.wordpress.com/2012...ckberry-sauce/)
Ingredients:
1 lb venison tenderloin or backstrap
1 cup dry red wine
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 cups chicken stock
3 tbspblackberry jam
Salt/pepper
Directions:
Make the marinade by mixing the wine and the mustard. Salt and pepper the venison and cover and marinate with
mustard mix. Put it in the refrigerator for at least six hours. When ready, remove the meat from marinade.
Heat a skillet with some two tablespoons of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil. Brown the tenderloin over
medium-high heat until medium rare, Dve minutes on each side.
Cover tenderloin with tin foil; it will still be cooking.
Deglaze the pan with chicken stock; reduce by half and add the jam. Cook until the marinade thickens and serve
over sliced venison.

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Originally Posted by caberslash

Keep in mind there is a reason why deer were never kept as primary livestock, despite being able to retain good condition on quite marginal grazing and relatively high stocking density.

Their fat is by and large unusable. I have had venison where either fat was left on or used as part of sausage etc.

Mouth feel after eating is that of a wax crayon ( :ORLY: ).

I think venison has seen a revival of interest in the mainstream (outside of the traditional continental dishes) due to the touted low fat content. However, youneed to add in a whole lot of fat/oil for cooking and spice for taste still for it to be remotely palatable.

Compare this to a good cut of beef that can be cooked in it's own rendered fat and needs some salt at most to make great eating.

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Another each to their own situation.
Beef fat makes me crook. Pork fat the same. Don't get how people can eat pork flaps(new age term is pork belly) and kid themselves it's great.
Venison fat, although it might not be really good to eat, can usually be trimmed easily if you don't want it, and the meat from a fat deer is usually much nicer than one with no fat.

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Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

Another each to their own situation.
Beef fat makes me crook. Pork fat the same. Don't get how people can eat pork flaps(new age term is pork belly) and kid themselves it's great.
Venison fat, although it might not be really good to eat, can usually be trimmed easily if you don't want it, and the meat from a fat deer is usually much nicer than one with no fat.

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What's the venison version of crispy pork crackling or the nice bit of crispy fat you get on a good cut of steak?

There isn't one :o

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Originally Posted by Rosco

Sacking the cook sounds expensive to me.... but some of those new young cooks look very tempting.... but probably high maintenance.... when i was young and broke i lived off Red venison and hated it after a few years, as others above have said, young grass feed Fallow are the best, well cooled and hung for a week or too helps a lot. i marinate venison a lot, it can take all the gamey taste away if soaked for a day in it.

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if it smells gamey then tarragon in the marinade is your friend

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

There is another side to this....we are getting fussy and realistically aren't hungry anymore. When you live on Weetbix n tomato sauce for a week as nothing else in cupboard you appreciate most anything else.

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I will just take your word for it on that one Micky

Do you like Brussel sprouts and blue cheese ?

Fallow venison with fat on it never gets trimmed.lots of salt as cooking and it's Devine and oh so sweet. Yeah fat from red not always awesome but it doesn't get chucked out either. In our home you leave the fat on till it's cooked.after that it's up to eater as to if they eat or the dog or chooks get scraps lol

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Originally Posted by Lucky

Do you like Brussel sprouts and blue cheese ?

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likely just a starved Labrador would eat that rubbish

Minced venison with a dollop of lard, lovely. Sausages, meatballs, biltong.... I don't care much for venison steaks. Casserole or curry is good but you can't beat lamb or a young nanny goat. Goat curry is fantastic.
I'd take a nice goat over a red any day of the week.

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Originally Posted by caberslash

What's the venison version of crispy pork crackling or the nice bit of crispy fat you get on a good cut of steak?

There isn't one :o

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Only because you prepare them differently. If you scolded a deer or steer and cooked either skin on you could probably replicate your pork crackling.
But it's greasy crapp I can do without.

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Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

Only because you prepare them differently. If you scolded a deer or steer and cooked either skin on you could probably replicate your pork crackling.
But it's greasy crapp I can do without.

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Well no, in some regions of China they do actually cook deer skin (probably Sika or Sambar, possibly Muntjac) and use it in soups or stir-fry for the 'bouncy' texture (you'll sometimes hear this being reffered to as 'QQ').

Not something I'd be rushing to try but having talked to several cooks at Chinese restaurants here in the UK, the subject always comes up and I am reminded by them that most of the UK has never really been that hungry and forced to come up with solutions to making nearly everything edible.

Fat on venison is simply not the same and does not render nicely. I'm very keen to try bear at some point as it has been noted that bear oil kept most of the Western US alive at one point.

After reading this thread you have convinced me to stop hunting. ;)

Don't give up hunting @Oldbloke, the carry out is great exercise. Just give me the meat and I'll take great delight in disposing of it.

Ok if you don't like venison there is always bugs and insects, I myself will stick to venison YUMMY!

On a side note those 10 shot groups could come in handy on the bugs and insects at 500 meters :)

I had impure thoughts about my maths teacher at school. Fuk is this the right confession thread....

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Originally Posted by BushChook

Minced venison with a dollop of lard .

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We have just got onto this and if we have any doubt that it maybe gamey, we add a bit of mutton fat (tallow) to the mince (i.e. a half of a mutton flap to the front legs and rest of the trimmings. Hindquarters and back steaks usually stew or steak. Only talking hinds and spikers. Basically, don't shoot stags. If it smells like a goat not allowed to bring it into the house. Mince is so versatile

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Originally Posted by blip

I had impure thoughts about my maths teacher at school. Fuk is this the right confession thread....

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yes our science teacher sat up on the bench and did a Sharon Stone with her legs nice very nice around 23-ish and said now can I have your attention with I swear a cheeky grin

I hear you. I actually prefer beef or even lamb over venison. But I enjoy hunting and the amount of meat you get ( not free ofcourse once you add the cost of fuel, gear and all the rest ) still outways buying the same amount of meat from the supermarket to me. ( once you're set up that is )

Plus you get an adventure added into the mix.