Prior to moving to Wisconsin from Hawaii I had never heard of venison let alone allow it to pass by my lips. Now that I have been here a while and become indoctrinated (somewhat) to the lifestyle, I’ve devoured many tasty venison dishes and most of them were eaten this time of year since fall marks the start of the deer hunting season.
For those of you who are not familiar with the lean meat, venison refers to any wild game meat, though over time (at least in these parts) it has evolved to describe mainly deer meat. Venison is actually quite versatile. I’ve had it in everything from stews and soups to stir-frys and casseroles. Last year I tried venison meatballs for the first time and there isn’t a hunting family around here that doesn’t have its own recipe for venison jerky. You can find a ton of unique venison recipes in cookbooks written by the Iowa Elk Breeders Association and the Alberta Whitetail and Mule Deer Association, otherwise try some of the following simple dishes the next time a neighbor, friend or family member offers to share some of his or her prized catch.
TRADITIONAL VENISON STEW
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups water
2 envelopes onion gravy mix
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 carrots, cut into one-inch cubes
1 cup fresh of frozen peas
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2-3 lbs. deer stew meat
1 bay leaf
6 medium parsnips, cut into one-inch cubes
Directions:
In small bowl, blend water, gravy mix, brown sugar and thyme. Set aside.
Remove all fat and silver skin from meat. Cut into one-inch pieces.
In Dutch oven, brown meat in oil over medium high heat. Add gravy mixture and bay leaf to Dutch oven. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer until meat is almost tender (about 60 to 90 minutes), stirring occasionally.
Add carrots and parsnips; cover. Cook 20 minutes longer. Discard bay leaf before serving.
Serves 6-8.
HEARTY VENISON MEATLOAF
Ingredients:
2 cups ground venison
1 1/2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup warm water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. Place mixture into loaf pan. Pour one 8 oz. can of tomato sauce over uncooked meatloaf.
Bake for one hour.
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