19 Ground Venison Recipes | What to Make with Your Deer Meat (2024)

FAQs

What is the best to mix with ground venison? ›

Beef fat works well with ground venison, and makes the flavor closer to ground beef. Pork fat is lower in saturated fat, has less flavor and will allow the venison flavor to shine.

Grind It Right

I like clean, ground venison that is just clean, ground venison. It's amazing for tacos, spaghetti sauce, and other dishes. If I want meatballs or some burgers for the grill, I'll mix an egg or some bread crumbs into a pound to hold the whole thing together.

Depending on what you're planning to cook, you may want to add fat to your ground venison. This added fat can be bacon, pork shoulder, pork belly, beef tallow, etc. It's purely personal preference. I always add about 15-20 percent fat if I'm making hamburger or kebabs, which makes the meat juicier and more flavorful.

Divide the ground venison into 4 balls and gently form them into ½”-thick patties. Press your thumb into the center of each patty to create an indentation. This will help the burgers cook evenly. Divide the salt and black pepper between the patties, seasoning both sides.

Given that deer are leaner than cows, venison is generally healthier to eat than beef. An average cut of venison, in fact, has around half the calories and a sixth the saturated fats of a similarly sized cut of beef. It also has more proteins, vitamins and minerals than beef.

Cook to a minimum of 160 degrees F. When you grind meat, you spread any bacteria present throughout the entire batch.

Hunters are encouraged not to consume meat from animals that test positive for CWD, or any animals that appear sick. It should be noted that the CWD test is a disease monitoring tool and is not a food safety test.

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.

Storing Raw Venison

If you decide to home process the venison, whole cuts of venison may be stored in the refrigerator for three to five days (at 40 F or below) before canning or freezing. Ground venison may be stored in the refrigerator for one to two days (at 40 F or below) before canning or freezing.

How to season venison to taste like beef? ›

Spice it Right: Employing a spice blend similar to those used in beef recipes can also help venison mimic the taste of beef. Spices such as paprika, cumin, and coriander, when used judiciously, can contribute to creating a beef-like flavor profile in venison.

Color: Fresh venison is a dark, brownish-red in hue, while venison that has gone bad typically has a greenish tint. Texture: Good venison is firm and tough, and it should feel smooth and slick to the touch. If the venison looks loose or has started to break apart, the spoiling process has begun.

Fat is the emulsifying agent that allows the mixture to stick together and retain juiciness. Sure, you can use eggs to make it stick, but you won't get the same mouthfeel since eggs don't melt when cooked. My rule of thumb is to add 10-20% fat when making venison burgers.

Venison Jerky and Feta

The jerky and the cheese are considerably tender and moist in the pairing and combine well. Venison has a nice texture that is easy to chew and, when combined with feta, will make for a flavor that melts in your mouth.

Ground venison is typically much leaner than ground beef, and can quickly become too dry when cooked. Sometimes I combine ground venison and ground beef 50-50 to make a better mix for any recipe that calls for ground meat.

Venison: Red wines with earthy or smoky flavors big enough for the meat's taste and richness (Mourvèdre, Syrah, Pinot Noir) and strong beer (Porter, Belgian Strong Ale, Double Stout). (Elk pairs similarly.)

The best ground beef to buy for burgers is 80/20 ground chuck – 80% lean meat and 20% fat. Ground chuck is ground from the shoulder and has that ideal lean-to-fat ratio of 80/20 (i.e. not too lean) for a super flavorful, juicy burger.

Deer fat is not palatable and does not melt well, making it a poor choice for adding fat to your ground meat. On the other hand, beef and pork complement the flavor of ground venison, and contain enough fat to hold the meat together in a patty and prevent it from drying during the cooking process.

The CDC also urges hunters to cook their venison more thoroughly. They recommend cooking steaks and other whole cuts to at least 145 degrees at the center and letting it rest three minutes before carving and eating to ensure the heat kills all parasites. Ground venison should be cooked to at least 160 degrees.