Venison Roast Recipes: 5 of the Best We've Ever Found (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook venison so it's tender? ›

The best way that I've found to make sure a venison roast (bone-in or out) tender is to cook it in the crockpot or slow cooker on low for 8-9 hours, or until it is falling apart. If you cook it on low you won't dry it out. Please note that I don't recommend cooking this on high for 4-6 hours.

However, the further down the leg you go the meat gets tougher and these roasts should be slow cooked. I'll be honest, outside of a standing rib roast (which is the back strap/t-loin) most tender venison meat is best cut into steaks and cooked medium rare.

For roasting, choose whole fillet; saddle (bone in); loin (boneless saddle); haunch (back leg, either on the bone or boned and rolled); or shoulder (boned and rolled). For grilling, barbecuing, or frying, choose loin steaks (either medallions or filet mignon); shoulder steaks; or haunch steaks (topside and silverside).

Whole cuts like steaks or roasts:

Cook to a minimum internal temperature of 145 F (medium rare).

Large cuts of venison taste best when pot-roasted for several hours. If you have access to a crock pot, use any recipe for beef pot roast and you'll be pleasantly surprised. However, instead of cooking for two to four hours, venison may require substantially longer cooking time for the meat to become tender.

Soaking: The most common soaking liquids are buttermilk, saltwater, white milk, vinegar, lemon juice and lime juice. While some hunters swear by certain soaking methods to take the “gamey” flavor away or bleed the meat after processing, others don't find it all that helpful.

Soak over night at least 8 hours. This process removes the blood which causes the roast to have that wild unwanted flavor.

You can simply pat the venison dry and season with salt and pepper before cooking, or you can marinate the cut of meat for a few hours or overnight. Personally, when it comes to venison steak and venison backstrap, I like to use a simple marinade to enhance the flavor of the venison without overpowering it.

The distinct game flavor of either birds or animals will be milder after soaking the meat overnight in the refrigerator in either a salt or vinegar solution. 2. Vinegar solution - 1 cup per quart of cold water. Use enough solution to cover the game completely.

What does soaking deer meat in milk do? ›

Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least four hours, and no more than 12, before proceeding to cook it as you normally would. The calcium in milk contains enzymes that will tenderize the meat, and the main protein in milk will neutralize the gamey flavor.

Let venison come to room temperature before grilling it – just as you should with any meat. Thicker cuts - an inch or more - can sit for 30 to 60 minutes. You certainly don't want a charred surface and cold meat left at the center.

Medium rare, or 130 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit, is the magic range to cook venison steak – or any steak for that matter. I usually shoot for 130 degrees. This temperature is warm enough to get the juices in the muscles flowing, to bring out the meat's full flavors and to get any fat to soften.

You want to cook your venison until it reaches an internal temperature of 130° to 140° F and then remove it off the grill. Providing it wasn't cut too thin, it should just be slightly pink on the inside. If it is still pink on the inside that means it is still nice and moist in there too.

Soaking: The most common soaking liquids are buttermilk, saltwater, white milk, vinegar, lemon juice and lime juice. While some hunters swear by certain soaking methods to take the “gamey” flavor away or bleed the meat after processing, others don't find it all that helpful.

Place the meat in a plastic container and keep the deer meat in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. This allows natural enzymes to break down and tenderize the meat. Keep the temperature between 32 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the meat out of the fridge and remove it from the plastic container.

So first make deep slits with a knife and insert sticks of butter, margarine or solidified olive oil to keep it moist and then brown the joint. Place in a dish with some liquid (water, wine, ale or orange juice) and braise 170ºc/ 325f/Gas Mark 3 for 2 - 2½ hours, basting frequently.