  HUNTER'S GUIDEA Different Kind of MeatDeer season is here once again. This year you vow you won't go home until you have "bagged the big one,"as they say. You are successful in your mission. Now what are you going to do with all that venison?The most important step in preparing the meat is field dressing it. This should be done as soon as possible, and afterwards, the carcass should be kept cool (around 40 degrees but never over 50 degrees). After the venison has been properly prepared, it' time to cook it. Here are some basic tips for cooking venison: - Trim off as much fat as possible. - To enhance the flavor, use some sort of fat, like butter, bacon grease, cooking oil or even beef fat. - Do not salt the meat before cooking. This will remove the juices and slow down the browning. - Don't overcook the meat. This will make it dry. - Cook the meat in a way that will retain its moisture; slow cook it, baste it or simmer it in a sauce. Even if you take the proper steps to prevent a gamey taste, it still may not be enough. What can you do if that bad taste remains? - Soak the meat in vinegar, salt and water for several hours. - Cook with long, slow methods, and do so with sauces or gravies. - Cook with different seasoning or marinades which which tenderize the meat and disguise the gamey flavor. The quality of venison begins with the age, sex and diet of the deer. Older deer will have tougher meat while bucks in rut will have stronger tasting meat due to the stress of breeding season. What the deer eats will also affect the taste of the meat. Some say corn-fed deer taste better than acorn-fed while others say that acorn-fed is better. It's a matter of preference. Basically, the younger the deer, the milder the meat. Venison has less fat and calories than beef. It is rich in protein, and when properly prepared, it will have none of the gamey taste. Remember, the secret to great tasting venison is in the preparation. |