Best way to cook Venison Steaks

[BStarkey 46947]

I picked up my son's first deer from the processor's last night. Looking for your best method/ways of preparing venison steak on the grill, smoker, or stove/oven. I know it won't be long until he wants to eat some of his trophy. Thanks.

 

[packard]

I treat it just like a quality beef steak. I like mine medium rare. Seared over oak or hickory coals is best. However you like your steaks.

 

[srad]

DO NOT overcook venison steaks... gotta keep some pink or red in the middle.
If overcooked to 'medium well' or 'well done', it takes on a liver-y flavor (my experience anyway).
Also, steaks are great but if you have a roast cut (neck or chuck) and s-l-o-w cook it a crock pot or dutch oven for several hours...
mmmmmmm, good. And it's pretty much fool-proof.
You can use any slow cook beef roast recipe and just substitute the venison.

 

[bocefus78]

Rub some oil on the steaks. Season as you would a beef steak if you wish. I just use coarse salt and pepper.
Cooking needs to be VERY hot and VERY fast. If you overcook deer steaks, you might as well chew on your leather boot. You want it pink to red in the middle. Any cooking beyond medium will result in a tough steak.

 

[snorko]

Cooking wise, venison is very similar to lamb. I agree with the above. For loin steaks and chops, a 3-5 minute sear on each side, depending on thickness should suffice. Roasts may benefit from larding.

 

[avboiler11]

Pepper one side, Tony Chachere's on the other.

Hot grill.

Oil on the grill surface with an old rag or paper towels. One minute, turn 90 degrees, one minute. Flip, one minute, turn 90 degrees, one minute.

Remove, let sit a couple minutes.

Enjoy.

+1 on DO NOT OVERCOOK VENSION

 

[sportsman223]

Cut up into smaller pieces marinate in Zestie Italian salad dressing over night bread in golden dip and deep fry

 

[KJW]

Just posted the following recipe in another thread.
Backstraps cut about 3/4" thick and marinated overnight in the following mixture; 1/4 C honey, 1/4 C lemon juice, 1/4 C olive oil, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 chopped garlic clove.
Cook it in a pan/skillet on the stove top. The key is to not overcook it. Overcooking toughens venison! Three to four minutes per side on medium-high to medium heat is a good guideline. If it's well-done it's overcooked! You definitely want it to be pink in the middle.

from "Making the Most of Your Deer" by Dennis WalrodBackstraps cut about 3/4" thick and marinated overnight in the following mixture; 1/4 C honey, 1/4 C lemon juice, 1/4 C olive oil, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 chopped garlic clove.
Cook it in a pan/skillet on the stove top. The key is to not overcook it. Overcooking toughens venison! Three to four minutes per side on medium-high to medium heat is a good guideline. If it's well-done it's overcooked! You definitely want it to be pink in the middle.

from "Making the Most of Your Deer" by Dennis Walrod

 

[fullauto 45]

my easy version:

Soak the meat in buttermilk for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. You can add a spice or two to the milk if you like. I don't.
Remove the meat, clean off the excess buttermilk ( just use my hands and wipe it off, some people wash it off with water) and add salt and black pepper or I use Old Bay seasoning and Garlic powder. Season lightly.
Heat your skillet or grill very hot. I sear both sides of the meat for about 1 minute each.
Turn down the heat to a medium or low and cook for about 5-6 minutes per side.
Serve with Seasoned Greens or baked potato.

Thank me later.

 

[fullauto 45]

I did do this a couple of weeks ago. Oh my! It was as good as it looks.

Bacon Wrapped Cheese Stuffed Venison Loin
[h=1][/h]

 

[bobjones223]

+1 on not over cooking them. 145 deg. internal temp. Is about perfect anymore and you start to destroy it fast.

 

[AtTheMurph]

Rule number one is to age the deer. Everyone is in a hurry to get the darn thing to the butcher. I see my relatives shoot the thing, gut it and have it to the butcher before it's even cool.

Weather permitting I will hang a skinned deer in my garage (I wish I had a walk in cooler) for upwards of 3 to 4 weeks. Then it gets butchered.

No need to worry about tough meat. No worry about livery taste is over cooked. Just good meat like lean beef only more tender.

Rare to medium rare steaks, or medium if you prefer, done over coals on the grill. I like to rub them with a little olive oil salt and pepper then right on a really screaming hot fire. If hot enough and done right you get that little bit of burnt crust and tender inside.

If I cut some really thick steaks, like 2in or more, I'll cook them in a low oven for a while to get the internal temp to about rare then slap on a super hot fire to get the char. This is the best way to do them IMO, especially tenderloins.

 

[ars]

My two cents

The basics have for sure been covered above. The first step in delicious venison is proper field care. This includes "gutting" the deer ASAP after the kill being especially cautious to not cut into the bladder or intestines. The biggest mistake I see being made in the area of field dressing is many hunters do not remove the tarsal glands at the time of field dressing. The tarsal glands contain hormones that can negatively effect the meat if left on. I do not claim this as fact but can attest that since I have been removing the tarsal glands, I have not had a "livery" or "strong game" flavor in my meat. The second area that has been covered is aging. Aging is nothing more than allowing the enzymes in the meat to break down various components that lead to delicious meats. If you are unable to age your animal whole, aka hanging, simply remove the steaks you want to consume and let them age in your refrigerator for a week. Finally cooking; Venison is a very lean meat. There is simply not much fat to supply moisture. This is why it is so incredibly important to not over cook. Any moisture in the meat comes from blood and water locked into the flesh. As you raise the internal temp, moisture is forced out of the meat. Force enough moisture out of the meat, you will be left with very dry piece flesh that is not all that palatable. I like to age my meat in the fridge for a week. On preparation day, I pull the steaks out of the fridge and rub them down with salt and pepper. I let them sit out of the fridge for 4-6 hours "dry brining". I heat my grill to 600. I hard sear the steaks on each side. The time varies on the piece of meat and your particular grill. I then move out of the direct heat and let cook until the internal temp reaches 140 f. I then remove, loosely cover with foil, and place on plate to rest. The resting phase is as critical if not more so than the internal temp. If you cut to early, all the juices run out and your perfectly cooked piece of meat will be rendered dry. I like to finish with garlic butter that has had fresh tyme added in. A well prepared from field dressing, to aging, to cooked and resting venison steak rivals the best cuts of beef.

 

[Dargasonus]

I have been sous videing my backstraps for a while now, it's come to be my preferred method. I use a temp controller I put together for my crockpot and cook them at 140 for 45 minutes to an hour. Then salt / pepper and sear in a cast iron pan.

 

[woodwalker]

I put mine on the grill and brown them on both sides. Then put them in a crock pot and I add 2 jars of salsa, 1 bottle of sweet baby rays BBQ sauce, and a half jar of grape jelly. Let them in the crock pot for 3-4 hours. So tender you can cut them with a fork. I also put Dominate one on them. It is a spice from a local company called Marion-Kay spices. They have some of the best spices around

 

[HuntMeister]

I have been sous videing my backstraps for a while now, it's come to be my preferred method. I use a temp controller I put together for my crockpot and cook them at 140 for 45 minutes to an hour. Then salt / pepper and sear in a cast iron pan.

Can you share the details of your crock pot temp control method please? I have been using an immersion cooker but some friends do not have one and want to try this cooking method.
I totally agree that the Sous Vide method is the best way I have ever cooked any type of meat. I like mine right at 132°F and then place them in a very hot near smoking skillet that has some butter or olive oil and QUICKLY sear them.

 

[Dargasonus]

Can you share the details of your crock pot temp control method please? I have been using an immersion cooker but some friends do not have one and want to try this cooking method.
I totally agree that the Sous Vide method is the best way I have ever cooked any type of meat. I like mine right at 132°F and then place them in a very hot near smoking skillet that has some butter or olive oil and QUICKLY sear them.

I made a setup similar to this one to use with my analog crockpot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhedRvUvsBY&t=5s


I bought the controller and wired it into a old 14-2 extension cord I had laying around

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F05UI8O/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Before I got a controller, I used the cooler method, and it works pretty good too!

 

[oldpink]

My brother showed me an excellent and simple way to grill venison steaks, but this has to be done on charcoal.
Form the charcoal into a doughnut shape with an open area with no coals in the very center of the grill, then get the coals to the right point where they're all glowing a nice uniform cherry red.
Wrap each steak all the way around the thin edge with a strip of bacon, then fasten it in place with a toothpick.
Place the steaks in the center so that they are cooked indirectly, and stay with them, getting them mildly seared on one side, then flip and repeat the process such that they are medium to medium rare.
Do it that way and they put even filet mignon to shame.
Nothing else compares to venison grilled this way.

 

[HuntMeister]

I made a setup similar to this one to use with my analog crockpot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhedRvUvsBY&t=5s


I bought the controller and wired it into a old 14-2 extension cord I had laying around

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F05UI8O/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Before I got a controller, I used the cooler method, and it works pretty good too!

THANKS for the details!

 

[gregr]

For backstrap butterflied steaks, I just dust with well seasoned flour, and fry in Olive, or Canola oil like pork chops. As has been said, don`t over cook as venison has no fat.