Opening Day

Today is “Opening Day” in the

State of Michigan.

“Opening Day” means the beginning of firearms season to hunt deer.  This is the time when normal sane people trade in their normal sane lives for a time of sitting endless hours in the woods waiting for that perfect rack of horns to appear! I don’t think I would have the patience for this (enjoyable?) sport but oh I do love the venison.  I have eaten venison all of my life and I thought today I would pass on a few tips and some of my favorite recipes.

We always debone the deer when we have it processed.  It really helps to eliminate that “wild” taste.  When I cook the meat I always completely thaw it, rinse all the blood off and then soak it in red wine vinegar or milk.  This further helps to alleviate the wild taste.  I am including 3 of my favorite recipes as follows:

Venison with spices, peppers and onions

After I have soaked the meat I rinse it well then brown it in a little olive oil. After about 10 minutes  I completely drain the oil off and rinse again,  I then add a number of spices, seasoning salt, Mrs. Dash, pepper and pretty much whatever suits me that day! I add water to cover and let simmer for several hours. I then add mushrooms, peppers and onions and continue to simmer until all veggies are tender.  The meat is always tender and delicious.  You can add a lot of spices or a few depending on personal taste.

Crockpot venison

This is a very easy recipe. I use an onion soup mix, a can of coke and a bottle of A-1 Simply put your meat, about 2 pounds in your crockpot, cover with the ingredients and turn on low for about 8 hours  Voila! Delicious

Celery soup venison

I thaw and soak meat in red wine vinegar then brown it on both sides in olive oil  Drain and rinse the meat and add a can of cream of celery soup and a can of water.  You can add an extra can if you are doing a lot of meat  I usually do 1.5 to 2 pounds of meat.  After simmering for about 2 hours I add peppers and onions.  The soup makes a really nice gravy and this is good with garlic mashed potatoes or rice.

There are a lot of recipes online also and I always have fun trying new ones. I have found that adding a healthy fat helps make the meat more tender and less dry since it is such a lean meat.  I have also barbequed venison many times after marinating overnight in a good oil marinade so it doesn’t dry out on the grill. Jerky is also a favorite at our house. There are many jerky mixes on the market that include everything you need except the venison and they are excellent.  We use a food dehydrator but you can also use your oven at a very low temperature.

We have to take extra caution on the roads during this 2 week hunting season.  The deer are being disturbed from their natural habitats and crossing the roads heedless of traffic. I am praying for safety for all of our hunters and drivers as well during this 2015 season. Happy hunting!