3 Easy and Delicious Ways to Cook Venison
These recipes are simple to make, require few ingredients, and they’ll be a hit on the dinner table
At the end of another hunting season, hopefully your freezer is full of fresh deer, elk, or moose, and you’re prepared for months of fine venison meals. Fancy gourmet dinners are great, but not all of us have the time or patience to sort through complicated recipes and shop for obscure ingredients. Fortunately, cooking great venison doesn’t have to be difficult. These classic dishes are quick and easy to make, and just about everyone will love eating them.
BACON-WRAPPED LOIN BITES
Backstrap is the cream of the crop when it comes to venison, and there are multiple ways to prepare it. If you’re down for trying a lighter appetizer rather than a hefty steak, bacon-wrapped loin bites are the ticket. Cut a 2-pound section of backstrap into 1-inch, bite-sized cubes. Toss the cubes in a container with a few tablespoons of olive oil, and then shake your favorite steak seasoning generously onto the cubes, tossing to achieve even coverage. Wrap each cube with half a strip of uncooked bacon, and then stick a toothpick through the bacon and the steak cube to hold the bacon in place.
Set your pellet grill to the smoke setting (about 180 degrees). Add the steak bites and smoke for 20-30 minutes. Remove the bites, then dial the grill temperature up to 450 degrees. Once the grill is up to temp, add the bites back onto the grill to sear and crisp the bacon. If you don’t own a pellet grill, the loin bites can be broiled in the oven or cooked on a charcoal or gas grill. Always monitor meat temperatures with a meat thermometer to avoid under/over-cooking.
Dip these steak bites in bleu cheese dressing, barbecue sauce, or your favorite dip or sauce. And be sure to cook a little extra, because these disappear fast!
GROUND VENISON QUESADILLA
Season a pound of thawed, ground venison with your favorite taco seasoning and sauté in a skillet with fresh garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and a tablespoon of butter. Cook until the venison is well done, and then set it aside. Place a large flour or corn tortilla on a clean surface and cover liberally with your favorite shredded cheese. Sprinkle ground venison over the cheese. Add other toppings of your preference, such as grilled or sautéed onions and peppers. Fold the tortilla in half and fry it in butter in a skillet on medium heat until brown. Flip and brown the other side. To dress up your quesadilla, serve it with shredded lettuce, sour cream, cilantro, fresh tomatoes, and salsa or pico de gallo.
VENISON CURRY KABOB
Feeling adventurous? Season 1-inch venison steak cubes with yellow curry powder and steak seasoning, then coat them in Greek yogurt. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Chop green peppers and mushrooms into 1-inch chunks. Slide the steak cubes, peppers, and mushrooms onto kabob sticks in alternating order. Prepare basmati rice, and when cooked, add butter and lemon zest. Prepare a diced tomato and cucumber salad with fresh parsley and lemon juice, and salt to taste. Prepare pitas (there are recipes all over the Internet) as another side.
Set the kabobs on a smoker or pellet grill at low heat for 20 minutes. This is to add a smoky flavor. Remove and set the grill to 450 degrees. Add kabobs back onto the grill and finish to preferred doneness, tracking the steak’s internal temperature with a meat probe. If you don’t have a smoker or pellet grill, a regular grill will do, or you can broil the kabobs. Plate your preferred portion with kabobs and sides, and garnish rice and salad with fresh parsley.
— Story by Wasp Archery staff; venison image courtesy of Realtree Media
SIDEBAR
Off-Season Broadhead Tune-up
After a long hunting season — and hopefully one that helped you gather the main ingredient for some of the above recipes — your broadheads will probably need a little TLC. From replacement blade kits and collars for our fixed-blade models to blades, washers, and o-rings for our mechanicals, we sell the stuff to keep your favorite broadheads shooting straight and shaving sharp for next season. Shop all of our Wasp replacement parts here.
