The tenderloin, striploin, knuckle and rump are the most tender cuts. Medium-tender cuts are the eight rib rack, top round and bottom round. The flank steak and osso buco are the least tender.
To get the best meat from a deer for steaks, cut along the mid-thigh area of the hind legs. That will offer up a great cut of meat for a delicious, mouthwatering venison steak. The lower part of the front and back legs can also be made into delicious shank cuts.
Classic roasts and suggested trimmings for venison
The two cuts of venison we favour for roasting are saddle (loin) and haunch (back legs). Both are best cooked on the bone for flavour and succulence.
The foreleg and front shoulder of a deer are some of the meatiest cuts and they are also very versatile. Since these are lean, often tough muscle groups, you'll want to make sure to cook the meat on high heat to break down the connective tissues and tenderize the meat.
When people describe venison taste and texture, they often use words like rich or earthy; this is a festive-tasting meat, often imbued with hints of the acorns, sage and herbs that the deer enjoyed during its life. It's also considered to be less juicy and succulent than beef, but also smoother and firmer.
How does it stack up to beef? Venison has 50% less fat than beef, making it a healthier red meat alternative. And where's it's low in fat, it's high in protein—that's why eating venison is great for anyone trying to build lean muscle. Venison is also great for those on restrictive diets.
Is Venison More Expensive Than Beef. Depending on the time of year and your location, venison is often cheaper than beef. Ground beef costs about $4.50 per pound, while ground venison can be as low as $1.00 per pound.
The term venison comes from the Latin verb venari, meaning “to hunt.” It can refer to meat coming from boar, hares, and certain species of goats and antelopes, but is most commonly applied to deer meat.
Many people forego eating venison because they think of it as a tough, chewy meat with a wild, gamey flavor. Actually, they are not wrong–if they prepare the meat as if it were beef they had purchased from the supermarket. In other words, the secret to tender, tasty deer meat is in the cooking.
The deer's realistic meat yield is about 58.15 pounds. Because waste can vary between deer to deer, we suggest using the “realistic” figure as a gauge. In the above example, the buck's realistic meat yield would range from 58 to 68 pounds.
Despite its cholesterol content, venison contains less total fat and saturated fat than beef, pork, and lamb. This may make it a better option if you're eating a heart-healthy diet or limiting your intake of saturated fat.
For the record, backstrap refers to a length of loin on the back of a deer, elk, moose, etc. It's the ribeye in beef and loin in pork. Tenderloins are the two strips of very tender meat under the loin, behind the ribs.
Venison is a very low-fat meat with 1.6g of fat in 100g of venison. This compares to 1.1g in the same amount of chicken but 4.3g in beef. Venison is also low in saturated fat, which is great because a diet that's high in saturated fat can raise the level of cholesterol in the blood and increase risk of heart disease.
On shoulders (front legs/front quarters), you get shoulder roasts, shanks, etc. Other cuts of meat to remove include backstraps, tenderloins, flanks, ribs, and neck. Of course, remove all bones, lymph nodes, and other unsafe-for-consumption parts.
Do not eat the eyes, brain, tongue, spinal cord, spleen, tonsils or lymph nodes of any deer. If hunting in an area where CWD has been confirmed, have your harvested animal tested for CWD and avoid consuming meat from any animal testing positive.
If you get the all-clear, the liver, kidney, and heart are all edible and, when properly prepared, can be incredibly tasty. There is a very long global tradition of eating the deer's heart that extends to countless ancient cultures all over the world. Whitetail deer hearts are complex and delicious when enjoyed fresh.
Venison is very low in fat and is best served medium-rare. This equates to an internal temperature of 57°C/135°F if you're using a meat thermometer.
Deer are harvested mostly by hunting, and the hunting laws of most states in the U.S. prevent private hunters from selling their game. Also, the many local health laws and federal regulations (FDA, et al) have requirements that make it difficult for deer meat to be commercially available.
Being wild and grass fed, venison is much leaner than beef, and contains less saturated fat. 'It's also rich in conjugated linoleic acid, which is thought to support a healthy heart, iron and B vitamins, which help you convert the food you eat into energy, and play a vital role in brain and nervous system function.
Do not eat any detestable thing. the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope and the mountain sheep. You may eat any animal that has a split hoof divided in two and that chews the cud.
Venison's health benefits are many. For starters, it's one of the leanest, heart-healthiest meats available — low in fat, high in protein and packed with zinc, haem iron, and vitamin B. It's also economical. “If you get two deer a year, you have enough food for the entire year,” Czerwony says.
Venison can be used to refer to any part of the animal, so long as it is edible, including the internal organs. Venison, much like beef or pork, is categorized into specific cuts, including roast, sirloin, and ribs.
“Wild game meat, including venison, bear meat, and wild fowl may contain a variety of bacteria and parasites that can cause illness in humans if the meat is not properly cooked,” cautioned State Health Officer Karen McKeown. “Even healthy-looking animals can carry germs that can make you sick.”
Cooking really good venison steaks isn't really hard, you just need to keep a few things in mind: marinate and/or properly season the meat. don't overcook it. rest before serving.
Venison is packed with a whole heap of B vitamins. B12 and 6 are both included here and these nutrients are critical for the ever-so slightly important factor of brain health (among other things). Deficiency can therefore influence mood and produce depressive-like symptoms.