What is the tastiest part of a deer?
The inner loin is the most tender part of the deer, giving you a succulent and delicious piece of meat that can be grilled with as little doctoring as possible, often just some salt and pepper. The backstraps are also a popular source for steaks, and like the loins, they are often cut out and grilled right at the camp.
Which venison cut is tender enough to roast?
Backstraps and tenderloins are the trophy cuts for a reason. They're tender, beautiful, easy to cook, and hard to screw up as long as you're paying attention. They are also lean.
How do you make super tender venison?
Hanging your meat, skin on, for about two weeks is the best option. Aging the meat allows the animal's natural enzymes to break down the connective tissues and mellows the flavor. Cihelka said this is the reason his venison is so tender.
What is the best venison?
Back Strap. Our favorite cut of venison is the backstrap. The back strap sits on either side of the spine and includes the loin. This is the most flavorful and tender cut.
When should you not eat deer meat?
Do not shoot, handle or eat meat from deer and elk that look sick or are acting strangely or are found dead (road-kill). When field-dressing a deer: Wear latex or rubber gloves when dressing the animal or handling the meat.
What do you soak deer meat in to tenderize?
A suggestion is to soak the meat in solutions of salt and water, vinegar and water or buttermilk if you suspect it could be tough. Fruit juices can be used as pre-cooking treatments also, but here we are getting more into the marinade process than in the soaking action.
Does venison get more tender the longer it cooks?
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.
Why is my deer meat chewy?
Cooked Too Cool, for Too Long For many, the result of that is “This is raw and gross.” And so they place it back on the grill. After a while, it turns gray, chewy, dry … and still gross. Grilled venison is best when eaten with a medium-rare interior, but the outside needs to be cooked.
Does marinating venison make it tender?
Using a dry rub, marinade, or brine will tenderize your meat, allowing you to cook the tough cuts in much the same way you would cook a tender cut. All of these methods infuse flavor and break down the meat, causing a tender juicy result in the finished product.
Is backstrap the same as tenderloin?
Backstraps are the large muscles that run parallel along both sides of a deer's spine and rest on top of the ribcage, whereas the tenderloins are much smaller, and are located inside the abdominal cavity underneath the backstrap and the spine.
Is venison a healthy meat?
Venison's health benefits are many. For starters, it's one of the leanest, heart-healthiest meats available — low in fat, high in protein and packed with zinc, haem iron, and vitamin B. It's also economical. “If you get two deer a year, you have enough food for the entire year,” Czerwony says.
What seasonings go best with venison?
Herbs offer the perfect solution. Bay, juniper berries, rosemary, sage, savory, and sweet marjoram all pair well with venison, as well as many other wild game meats.
What part of deer is used for roast?
rumpRoasts. The roast is the upper portion of the rump, although a roast can be cut into steaks or even ground, if you wish. Discreet tissue lines separate bands of muscles on the hind quarters, and any sizeable chunk of red meat you harvest from the hind quarters will make an excellent roast.
Is backstrap the same as tenderloin?
Backstraps are the large muscles that run parallel along both sides of a deer's spine and rest on top of the ribcage, whereas the tenderloins are much smaller, and are located inside the abdominal cavity underneath the backstrap and the spine.
How many roast can you get from a deer?
Basically, you have four major cuts of meat consisting of the sirloin tip, back loin (back straps), front shoulder, and back ham section. The back ham portion of the deer includes the top round, bottom round, sirloin, and eye round.
Can you get a brisket off a deer?
Yes, deer have brisket, and so do pigs, lambs and goats. While all the briskets (they sometimes go under the name of breast as well) of these animals are smaller than the typical beef brisket that most people think of when they hear the word, every one of them is worth cooking.
Want to get the most out of your deer? Learn what each cut is best used for with this guide, complete with a venison processing chart and recipe suggestions
Like this Venison Processing Chart? Download a large, printable version (for personal use) here: JPG version | PDF version (Outdoor Sportsman Group Illustration)
Venison Neck
Venison neck is laced with silver skin and oftentimes fat. It’s one of my favorite cuts for slow cooking. All that collagen breaks down with slow, low heat, and takes on an amazing texture that rivals that of pork shoulder.
Venison Ribs
Depending on the size of the deer, you may not get more than a few scraps of meat here. We cut off strips between the rib bones and save it for grinding or filler meat for stew and chili.
Venison Tenderloin
The tenderloin is the first cut that is usually taken off a deer. This cut is so tender that it should be treated simply – salt and pepper is all it needs, with a quick hot sear with butter on the grill or in a pan.
Venison Rump
The rump offers a small piece of muscle, best for pot roast and stew meat. It can also be ground for burger, chili and sausage. The size and quality of the cut will also depend on how careful you were when cutting the hindquarters from the deer.
Shanks
These long bones look like clubs of meat and are full of silver skin and ligaments near the joints. They’re a massive pain to debone and clean – the muscles are tiny, cradled by an extensive network of connective tissue.
Flank
The flanks are thin pieces of meat that stretch between the ribs and hindquarters on both sides of a deer. You can add them to the grind pile or slice for jerky.
What Are The Best Venison Cuts
When it comes to Venison we do not name the cuts like you would in Beef and USDA names. Instead the steaks and roast cuts are simplified to just a few names such as Chops, Rounds, Neck Roast, Rump Roast, Tip Roast, and Ground Meat.
Venison & Beef Meat Charts
First lets take a look at the Venison and Beef Meat Charts so we have something to reference. We will also stick to the well know names of USDA Beef; Chuck (Ground Meat), Tenderloin (Filet Mignon), Rib-eye, T-Bone, Porterhouse, Sirloin, and Roast (Neck, Tip, & Rump).
Comparing Venison Meat Cuts To Beef Cuts
The most common cuts of Venison are; Tenderloin, Chops, Rounds, Roast, & Ground Meat. Here we will compare them against the beef cuts, which will help in understanding which are the tougher cuts of meat and where they are located on the carcass.
All about Venison cuts and uses
Venison is a meat that was relatively unknown not so long ago. Now it is soaring in popularity. Not only its delicious taste but its healthy qualities have captured the attention of many culinary connoisseurs. With literally thousands of venison recipes these days, it is important to know your venison cuts when cooking venison.
1. Haunch (back leg)
Haunches are the back legs and are perfect for making any dish with meat on the bone. They are what is called ‘bone-in-joint’ meaning exactly what it says. However, they are more commonly boned and made into steaks either Topside , Silverside or Pave.
2. Saddle (back)
Again, saddle is a ‘bone-in-joint’. With this cut there are a few choices. It can be cut into racks or chops by keeping the bone. Alternatively, it can be boned out into loin which can be roasted or used as a fillet/tenderloin steak. To point out, these are the most tender pieces.
3. Shoulder
Now, this cut of meat is mainly sliced or diced and used in casseroles and stews. It is also boned, rolled and used for braising (fried lightly then stewed slowly). Another thing to point out with this cut is if you use shoulder cuts from a young deer you can also roast or quick fry it too.
4. Neck
The neck is good for mincing and using as mince meat. Again, with young deer you have further options here where you can get diced meat and use it in stews.
5. Shank and Shin
Shank and shin are usually minced for processing for the likes of venison burgers/sausages etc. Additionally, it can be diced and used in a slow-cook stew. Furthermore, it can be trimmed into a whole shank or be sliced to make Osso Buco.
6. Flank and Brisket
This part of the carcass is most versatile in young deer where it can be stuffed or rolled. As a result of it being fatty in older deer it is often discarded or alternatively trimmed and used for processing.
Follow these venison cooking tips to get the most out of your deer harvest!
A venison loin is cut into steaks. Cut across the meat grain to ensure tender, non-chewy loin steaks.
Getting Started
If you've never done it, removing usable meat chunks from a deer carcass can seem confusing. However, you need not be an expert to do it. First, you must know what cuts are good for specific dishes in order to harvest them correctly and in the right portions. Then, you must know where each cut is located.
Loins (AKA Backstraps)
The loins are the most highly accoladed venison cut, and for good reason. These are the muscle bands that set along either side of the spine, extending from the bottommost vertebra up to the scapula. To harvest each one, cut along the spine starting by the scapula and working down to the last vertebra.
Tenderloins
The aptly named tenderloins are found inside the deer's chest cavity along either side of the spine. If you've field-dressed your deer, then you can easily nab these tasty gems from inside the chest cavity. If you're caping, quartering and packing out your deer, then you can cut in through the back behind the rearmost rib.
Roasts
The roast is the upper portion of the rump, although a roast can be cut into steaks or even ground, if you wish. Discreet tissue lines separate bands of muscles on the hind quarters, and any sizeable chunk of red meat you harvest from the hind quarters will make an excellent roast.
Steaks
The band of muscles between the hock and the rump roasts on the rear portion of the back leg is considered the "steak." The front portion of the back leg is considered the sirloin steak. Once these chunks are harvested, slice across the muscle grain into steaks of desired thickness.
Shanks
The tendon-strung muscles on the forelegs can be used, but are good for little other than stew meat. Once deboned, cut into cubes, then cook via slow cooker until the tendons loosen completely and the meat falls apart when stabbed with a fork.
