Spicy Korean-Inspired Venison (Great Ground Venison Recipe!) (2024)

FAQs

What is the best seasoning for venison? ›

Pure ground venison cooks up great with a little cooking fat like pork lard. However, many people like to add fattier cuts of meat or pure animal fat to their ground venison to enhance the taste and spread their venison out into more meals.

Sometimes I combine ground venison and ground beef 50-50 to make a better mix for any recipe that calls for ground meat. If you do this, you can buy the cheaper ground beef that is a 75-25 mix of lean to fat, and when you add the leaner ground venison, you still get a pretty lean mix.

As a hunter, you can ask the process to mix in beef fat or pork fat, or none at all; often people will get some with added fat and some without. Beef fat works well with ground venison, and makes the flavor closer to ground beef.

The best seasonings for ground venison include salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, and dried herbs such as thyme, rosemary, or oregano. These seasonings enhance the natural flavor of the venison without overpowering it.

For recipes such as meatballs, meatloaf and taco meat, it is okay to cook ground venison all the way through, which is 160 degrees. Most of these recipes will also have other ingredients in them—breadcrumbs, eggs, water, etc. -- to help keep the meat moist.

The distinct game flavor of either birds or animals will be milder after soaking the meat overnight in the refrigerator in either a salt or vinegar solution.

There are different things you can do to remove the gamey taste. You can soak it in a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water over night in the refrigerator, or soak it in milk and rinse thoroughly before cooking it.

I personally prefer pork fat, my friend prefers beef fat, while other friends prefer adding bacon as fat. I know a few and far between people that actually prefer deer fat, while others like duck and bear fat.

Is ground venison healthier than ground beef? ›

Given that deer are leaner than cows, venison is generally healthier to eat than beef. An average cut of venison, in fact, has around half the calories and a sixth the saturated fats of a similarly sized cut of beef. It also has more proteins, vitamins and minerals than beef.

With most ground venison recipes, my magic number is 80 percent lean and 20 percent fat. Adjust the ratio according to your personal taste. For sausage and other cured meats, the fat content can be much higher. Slightly freeze the fat before running it through your grinder or chopping it into small pieces.

Many hunters suggest soaking your game meat in vinegar. However, vinegar's acidity can often dry the meat, making it especially tough. Instead, try soaking the meat in milk or even buttermilk, which will produce better results with most wild animals, especially when dealing with backstraps.

The distinct game flavor of either birds or animals will be milder after soaking the meat overnight in the refrigerator in either a salt or vinegar solution. 2. Vinegar solution - 1 cup per quart of cold water. Use enough solution to cover the game completely.

Deer fat is generally bitter, unlike beef fat. This is probably the number one reason why folks think venison, particularly ground venison, tastes gamey.

Soaking: The most common soaking liquids are buttermilk, saltwater, white milk, vinegar, lemon juice and lime juice. While some hunters swear by certain soaking methods to take the “gamey” flavor away or bleed the meat after processing, others don't find it all that helpful.

For an excellent marinade, you will need an acid (wine, vinegar, lemon juice, or lime), an oil (I prefer olive oil), and herbs and spices of your choice. Not only do marinades add flavor, but the acid will also effectively denature your meat, which will result in tender, tasty venison.