With venison filling freezers in Tennessee, need a recipe?

This year, I’ve harvested two deer. After processing, it adds up to roughly 80 pounds of venison steaks, chops, tenderloin, roasts and burger.

Add that to a lot fish, assorted store-bought meat, frozen pizzas and other “domestic” frozen foods and our freezer space is at a premium.

It’s time to do some cooking.

Wild game is significantly better for us than most domesticated meat. Yes, it does taste different; some people call it “gamey.” Usually that gamey taste is simply due to the fact that it doesn’t contain the amount of fat you’re used to. Three ounces of cooked beef brisket has 24 grams of protein, 223 calories and 13 grams of fat. The same serving of venison loin has 22 grams of protein, 139 calories and only 5 grams of fat. Chicken breast has 22 grams of protein, 140 calories, and 3 grams of fat, according to the USDA.

Okay, venison is good for me, and if I don’t count my hunting expenses, it’s pretty cheap.

So, how to fix it? The World Wide Web is overflowing with venison recipes.

But I was looking for easy stuff…. basic meat & potatoes kind of recipes. You’ll never catch me at the grocery to pick up a pinch of rosemary, parsley or thyme.

To wit, here’s what I found:

They don’t come much more basic than this first one, and I’m real glad I had significant portions of the most recent deer ground into burger. Now I can make:

Venison Sloppy Joes

• 2 pounds ground venison
• 1 pound ground pork
• vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup tomato juice
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet; brown meat and onion. Pour off excess oil and add remaining ingredients. Simmer for about 1 hour. Serve on open hamburger buns.

Chicken Fried Venison

• 2 pounds meat (may be nice slices 1/4-inch thick, or the small bits you get when trimming out hocks) then beat flat with board
• 13 ounces evaporated milk
• salt and pepper
• flour
• garlic powder, optional
• onion powder, optional

Put the meat in a large bowl with the evaporated milk and enough water to completely cover the meat. Allow to stand for 1 hour. Take the meat out, drain only slightly and then season to taste and roll in the flour. Drop into hot grease (375 degrees F) and fry until brown. Do not overcook or the meat will become dry and tough. Serve with gravy made from flour and some of the milk left over and good hot bread.

This one’s got to be good. I discovered long ago that duck or goose marinated in Teriyaki Marinade is primo!

Venison Teriyaki Meatballs

• 1 pound venison, ground
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon sherry
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Combine meat, onion, flour, egg, salt, pepper and 1-tablespoon soy sauce. Shape into meatballs. Heat oil in a large skillet and cook meatballs. Combine the remaining ingredients in a Dutch oven; add meatballs and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Finally, some general venison cooking rules I surfed upon:

• Venison will retain its natural juices and brown more readily if you brush oil before barbecuing or pan frying.
• Preheat before cooking! (Fry pan, grill, oven, and/or barbecue) Never salt before cooking. This inhibits browning and removes juices.
• Most importantly: Do not overcook! Overcooking lean meats leads to dryness. Use high heat and cook quickly. For the best taste and tenderness, serve rare or medium-rare.
• When roasting, pan frying or grilling, cover the meat with foil for 5-10 minutes before serving. This gives the juices time to distribute evenly.
• Do not reheat venison, except in casseroles. It can be served hot, warm or cold, due to its leanness.

https://newschannel9.com/amp/sports/outdoors/venison-filling-freezers-in-tennessee-need-a-recipe