Preparing Deer Meat To Taste Like Beef

[Tubby]

I love deer meat and always try to bag one at least every season. However, my wife doesn't like the taste of deer meat. No matter how I prepare it, she can still taste that it's deer and not beef. Is there any way I can try that will "hide" the taste of the meat and make it taste more like beef?

[Judy Ann]

Originally Posted by Tubby

I love deer meat and always try to bag one at least every season. However, my wife doesn't like the taste of deer meat. No matter how I prepare it, she can still taste that it's deer and not beef. Is there any way I can try that will "hide" the taste of the meat and make it taste more like beef?

Yes. IMO, if the deer wasn't ancient, dropped when shot, and was processed correctly many cannot taste any gamey flavor if cooked and prepared correctly (according to the cut). There are a few tricks however, like using the ground venison the same as you would beef in spaghetti sauce, chili and meatballs. I find that vension burgers need some ground chuck added or they will be too dry. I cook roasts low and slow after applying a rub and letting it sit for at least 24 hours. Perfect for dutch ovens and crock pots.

Grill the tenderloin seasoned simply or as you would a beef tenderloin to barely (135 degrees) medium rare (I sear both over high heat briefly and then cook over indirect heat with the grill lid down) and serve with your favorite sides and a nice cabernet. If you make beef cubed steak low and slow with onions, venison is even better. I'm really getting hungry now!!!

[jason]

What if you grind up a 50/50 mixture of chop meat? I'll have to ask some other people for other ideas.

[dinosaur]

Most doe meat tastes like beef already but the way to remove the gamey taste from buck is to marinate it in red port wine.

[Newanderthal]

Originally Posted by jason

What if you grind up a 50/50 mixture of chop meat? I'll have to ask some other people for other ideas.

That's my suggestion. Make deer burgers by mixing it with ground chuck. If that doesn't work, she'll just have to stick with less gamey meats. Poor you. You'll have to eat all that venison by yourself... unless you want some help. I can tell you the address of a freezer that has some extra storage space.

[ChadTower]

What is her objection to "tasting like deer" rather than beef? Maybe you should just stop giving the woman venison... save it for yourself.

[jason]

Originally Posted by ChadTower

What is her objection to "tasting like deer" rather than beef? Maybe you should just stop giving the woman venison... save it for yourself.

Not sure why, but that just made me chuckle. Sounds like something I might do too.

[guns4570]

I process all of my venison my self. I remove all of the fat that I can find. Deer fat gets rancid very quickly and taste like bad mutton. I usually add 25% beef and even might add beef fat if needed to Hamburger.

[wvbreamfisherman]

There are two things I've found that are important to having good flavor in venison, the first as guns4570, is to remove all possible fat. The second is to never cut through a bone with a saw when butchering a deer. The bone dust contains marrow, and it goes rancid very rapidly as well. Always debone or disjoint when butchering.

[SweetSassyLady]

Have you tried soaking the roasts in salted water overnight in the refrigerator and then using packets of dry onion soup mix to season it with? I have found that makes it taste pretty much like beef for me. Some people just have different tastes when it comes to food.