Some people are really nervous about trying new things such as venison meat. The truth is, venison is actually quite simple to cook with. Once you know the basics of cooking venison then you can really do a lot with it. In fact, for many people once they have tried venison meat they start looking for all new ways to prepare it.



Some claim that anythiing you do with beef can be done with venison. While this is partially true, there are some differences. Venison meat is typically very lean so you may need to add some liquid or fat when preparing. One option is to simply mix one part ground venison meat with one part ground beef for recipes such as meatloaf. The tastes are very similar so this could be a good way to gradually introduce venison to your picky eaters without them noticing.

If you are already comfortable cooking beef then making the transition to cooking with venison meat should be fairly simple. Not only is it a good beef substitute because the taste is comparable, but it is also a healthier choice since it is usually lower in fat than beef. From my experience, however, you may need to add a little more seasoning with venison than you would with beef to reduce the somewhat gamey flavor it may have.

Another difference with venison comes with steaks. For tender steaks you will want to marinade them first. If you don't, they may turn out tough. Any beef marinade should work well with venison, just let the venison meat marinate for a long time, up to forty-eight hours.

Do you like beef barbeque? Well, venison meat works just as well. Just take a venison roast, put it in a crock pot and cover with homemade or store bought barbecue sauce. Allow it to cook all day on low. Once it's tender and cooked through, use two forks to shred the meat or cut it into small pieces. If you see any fat in the meat-- it will have a somewhat silver appearance to it-- be sure to remove it. It isn't something many people enjoy.

Of course, venison meat can be used alone, or if it's ground, it can be combined with beef to stretch out the latter. Though chances are if you have a hunter in the family, once you get adjusted to the taste of venison you may stop buying beef altogether. When someone brings home a whole deer, you definitely get more bang for your buck than buying that much beef (pun intended).

There are so many good reasons to cook with venison meat, both financial and healthwise. Of course the lean meat is a better choice than beef, but you also know that it's probably fresher than what you can buy. We've all wondered how long that ground hamburger has been sitting on the shelf in the meat aisle. With venison, you probably know exactly when the meat was processed. Not to mention buying meat that is free of hormones and antibiotics is going to cost you even more.

It probably will take your family time to get used to the taste of venison. However, this really is one of those things that will pay off in the long run. Next time someone offers you some venison meat, go ahead and try it. Take as much as they are willing to share and do a little experimenting with recipes. You and your family just may find some new recipe favorites!