Cooking With Venison

Favorite Rolled Roast

Use a top or bottom round roast for this method. The meat should be no more than one inch think; butterfly if necessary (see description below). If using elk or moose, you may have to cut the roast into two halves, and freeze one half for later.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/3 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3 to 4-pound boneless deer, antelope, elk, or more roast, up to 1 inch thick

3 slices bacon, cut in half

FRY 6 slices bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove from heat. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Reserve 3 tablespoons bacon fat. Crumble drained bacon; set aside. heat oven to 325.

COOK and stir onion, celery, and carrot in reserved bacon fat over medium heat until tender. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbled bacon, bread crumbs, parsley flakes, salt, and pepper.

SPREAD vegetable mixture evenly on roast. Pat vegetable mixture firmly into place. Roll up the roast jelly-roll style, rolling with the grain of the meat.

TIE roast with kitchen string. Place in roasting pan. Top roast with 3 halved slices bacon. Roast to desired doneness, 22 to 30 minutes per pound.

HOW TO BUTTERFLY A ROAST.

Lay the roast flat on a table.

Using a sharp knife, cut parallel to the surface of the table, leaving the meat on the bottom one inch thick. Stop before cutting all the way through leaving one inch of border.

Unfold the top piece like a book.

If the top piece is more than one inch thick, cut it just like you cut the first time, beginning at the hinge. Again, stop before cutting all the way through leaving one inch of border.

Unfold and repeat as many times as necessary to make one large slab, one inch thick.

HUNTER'S FAVORITE CHILI

Ingredients:

3 lbs. of ground venison

3 medium onions, chopped

3 medium green peppers, chopped

1/2 cup of celery, chopped

2 tbs. of bacon grease

1 can (28 oz..) of whole tomatoes (un-drained)

2 tbs. of dried parsley flakes

2 tbs. of chili powder (increase to taste with caution)

1 tsp. of salt

1 tsp. of pepper

1/2 tsp. of garlic powder (for heartier flavor, substitute 2-3 tbs. of crushed or minced garlic clove)

2 cans (15 1/2 oz..) of kidney beans

1 can (16 oz..) pinto beans

Brown venison in Dutch oven.

Cook vegetables in bacon grease until tender.

Combine all ingredients except beans in Dutch oven. Bring to boil, then simmer for one hour to blend flavors.

Add beans at the end and simmer 30 minutes longer.

VENISON STEAKS

Grilled:

Tenderize steaks with meat mallet (or any convenient heavy object; i.e., knife handle, crow bar or sock full of old lug nuts J

Baste with "Bulls Original Eye" barbecue sauce (or substitute your own favorite)

Cook over grill until medium rare. Venison steaks are best when cooked quickly, but not overcooked.

Chicken Fried:

Tenderize steaks as described above.

Drop steaks in two beaten eggs.

Roll steaks in flour with salt and pepper added to taste.

Fry in shallow pan with your favorite cooking oil until medium rare. Venison steaks are best when cooked quickly, but not overcooked.

Pan Fried:

Tenderize steaks as described above.

Coat with olive oil.

Rub salt and pepper into meat. For more flavorful taste use Lowery’s Seasoned Salt instead of table salt.

Roll in flour.

Sprinkle with basil or thyme, but not both.

Fry in shallow pan with 1/4 inch of water in pan until medium rare. Venison steaks are best when cooked quickly, but not overcooked.

To make gravy:

Before frying is complete.

Using a cup with a lid, fill half way with water or milk.

Add several tablespoons of flour.

Apply lid to seal and shake vigorously until flour is mixed.

Pour over meat in pan and simmer stirring frequently to prevent burning to the pan until gravy begins to thicken.