How to Soak Venison in Water to Remove Some of the Gamey Flavor | Livestrong.com (2024)

Venison is a lean cut of meat that's high in protein and low in fat.

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Venison can be off-putting to some because of the "gamey" taste of the meat. But, soaking venison in water before cooking it can help remove some of that flavor.

Plus, venison makes for a nutritious meal. This type of meat has very little fat, as deer store their fat underneath their skins, making venison a very lean cut of meat.

Here's exactly how to soak venison before preparing it for a meal.

Fill a large bowl or bucket halfway full with ice. Use large cubes versus small slivers to keep the ice from melting for as long as possible.

Pour between ¼ cup and ½ cup kosher salt into a pitcher and add 1 quart of water. Stir until the salt dissolves into the water.

Place the cuts of venison onto the ice. Smaller cuts are better because the salt water will draw blood from smaller cuts of venison easier than large cuts.

Pour the salt water mixture over the venison. Make another batch of saltwater if your first batch does not completely cover the venison.

Allow the venison to soak for 24 hours. After 8 hours, remove the venison and set it into a new batch of brine.

Soak the venison in white vinegar for one hour after you've finished soaking it in the salt water (you don't have to dilute the vinegar with water). This will help tenderize the deer meat and remove any leftover "gamey" flavor.