Thoughts on eating venison from Editor Anthony Licata.

When my dad was teaching me to hunt deer, he’d run through a checklist before we left the house. License? Got it. Cartridges? Yep. Deer drag? Uh-huh. Empty plastic bread bag? Of course. How else was I to carry home that once-a-year treat: fresh venison liver?

I still pack a bag for liver, but I seem to be the exception judging from the strange looks I get from my hunting companions as I reach into the entrails of their field-dressed deer to pluck that glorious purple slab out of the pile. [ Read Full Post ]

Thoughts on eating venison from author and F&S contributor Rick Bass.

It’s not my place at all to suggest a right way or a wrong way. My own view is that if a post-kill ritual comes naturally, fine. But if it doesn’t, it’s as disrespectful to fake as it is to not even consider one in the first place. I don’t much like hearing other hunters whoop and shout and high-five following the occasions when they are fortunate enough to find an animal—I don’t care for that at all. But I usually hunt far enough into the backcountry that that curious aversion of mine generally takes care of ­itself—self-selected against such intrusion by distance and terrain. [ Read Full Post ]

A venison preparation tip from Hank Shaw, author of the award-winning food blog Hunter Angler Gardener Cook

Your trophy is now heaped on the countertop in small mountains of meat. Here is how to keep the meat fresh-as-the-day-it-was-butchered if you plan to eat it in…

One Week: There’s no need to freeze it for such a short time period. Keep the meat well wrapped, and in the coldest part of the refrigerator, far away from the door.

One Month: Center the meat in laminated freezer paper. Fold the short ends over the meat and turn the package over on a countertop, keeping it in contact with the counter to push out air. Once it’s flipped, use your fingers to press the air out of the sides as if you were sealing an envelope. Repeat twice more and tape the flap.

One Year: There are two methods to keep meat edible for the long stretch. A vacuum sealer sucks all the air out of packages, staving off freezer burn and saving freezer space. If you don’t have a vacuum-sealer, freeze each cut in water. Place the meat in a zip-seal freezer bag, and fill the bag with ice water. Press down on the bag... [ Read Full Post ]

A venison preparation tip from Hank Shaw, author of the award-winning food blog Hunter Angler Gardener Cook

Nearly every part of the deer can be made into jerky, but the best cuts are the eye round and rump roast from the hind legs. Any large roast from the hind leg will do. Why? Big cuts mean larger pieces of jerky, and these roasts have most of their muscle fibers running in the same direction. This is important.

To our mind, the best jerky is pliable yet chewy—and doesn’t make you gnaw on dried muscle fibers longer than your hand. That means cutting against the grain of the meat, in 1/8-inch-thich slices. Don’t cut too thin or the venison will dry out like a shingle on your roof. The best way to get this cut every time is to partially freeze the meat: A large roast will need 90 minutes to 2 hours in the chiller before cutting. [ Read Full Post ]

A venison preparation tip from Hank Shaw, author of the award-winning food blog Hunter Angler Gardener Cook

Save those bones! Venison makes excellent stock. More important, you’ll use more of the animal, and you’ll elevate your cooking when you prepare rice or soup with homemade stock. Follow these tips for great stock:

1. Use leg bones, as they often have stray bits of meat on them. Adding meat makes a richer stock. Even better, toss in a venison shank.

2. Never let the stock boil. Bring it to a bare simmer only. Boiling will cloud your stock and can make it bitter.

3. Simmer meat for at least 3 hours before adding vegetables. Meat and bones take longer to give up their flavor, while vegetables need just 1 to 2 hours.

4. Strain your stock with a fine-mesh strainer or, better yet, one lined with cheesecloth.

5. Only add salt after you’ve strained the stock. Adding it too soon can result in a stock that’s too salty at the end. [ Read Full Post ]