Table of Contents
Introduction 8
Part 1 Deer Basics 11
Venison in All Its Forms 12
A Deer is Not a Moose: Various Types of Venison 12
Venison: Nutritious, Lean, Sustainable 14
Venison and Food Safety 15
Buying Venison in the Store 18
Working a Deer: From Field to Freezer 20
Skinning and Gutting 20
Hanging and Aging Deer 26
Butchering Your Own Deer 28
Storing Venison 46
Interlude: The White Coyote 54
Part 2 Deer to Table 57
Marinades, Stocks, and Broths 58
Marinades: Why, How, and When 58
Stock, Broth, and Glace de Viande 62
Basic Venison Broth 65
Dark Venison Broth 66
Venison Glace de Viande 67
Primal Cuts 69
The Science of Carryover Heat 70
Braised Shoulder of Venison 71
Polish Pot Roast with a Venison Neck 73
Whole Grilled Backstrap 74
Roast Leg of Venison with Bavarian Dumplings 75
Backstraps, Loins, and Tenderloins 79
The Finger Test for Doneness 79
To Rest or Not? 80
Which One: Loins, Steaks, or Chops? 81
Venison with Cumberland Sauce 83
Steak Diane 84
Jägerschnitzel 87
Country Fried Venison Steak 88
Thai Venison Satay Skewers 90
Basic Venison Stir-Fry 93
Chinese Tangerine Venison 94
Venison with Morel Sauce 97
Venison with Spring Vegetables 99
Venison Steak with Cherry Tomatoes 101
Icelandic Venison with Blueberry Sauce 103
Venison with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms 105
Vietnamese Shaking Venison 107
Souvlaki 109
Ethiopian Tibs 112
Venison Tar tare 115
Venison Stroganoff 117
Roasts 119
Basic Roast Venison 121
Sauerbraten 123
Italian Pot Roast 125
Barbacoa 127
Variation: Dzik de Venada (Yucatan Venison) 128
Venison Conjit 129
Tri-Tip-Style Venison Roast with Chimichurri 133
Marinated Venison Kebabs 135
Kentucky Smoked Venison Barbecue 137
Venison Pierogis 139
Soups and Stews 142
Cajun Sauce Piquante 143
Pozole Rojo 145
Stifado 146
Icelandic Venison Stew 147
Minestra Maritata 149
Ukrainian Borscht 151
Carbonnade 152
Kentucky Burgoo 154
Massaman Curry 156
Vindaloo 158
Scotch Broth 159
Chilindrón 161
Vietnamese Pho 162
Hungarian Pörkölt 164
Food Plot 167
Meatballs, Burgers, and Other Ground Meat Dishes 169
A Discourse on Venison Burgers 169
A Basic Venison Burger 173
Venison Smaskburgers 175
Mushroom Burgers 177
Venison Chili 178
Venison Lasagna 180
Italian Venison Meatloaf 182
Venison Bolognese Sauce 185
Swedish Meatballs 186
Albóndigas al Chipotle 189
Japanese Teriyaki Meatballs 191
Indian Kofta Meatball Curry 192
Greek Dolmas 194
Cornish Pasties 195
Chinese Potstickers 197
Kefta Kebabs 201
South African Bobotie 203
Flanks, Shanks, and Ribs 204
Tunisian Braised Venison Shanks 207
Portuguese-Style Shanks 208
Austrian Braised Venison Shanks 209
Braised Venison Shanks with Garlic 211
Osso Buco 213
Agnolotti with Tomatoes and Arugula 215
Grilled Venison Tacos 218
Venison Bulgogi 220
Italian Short Ribs 221
Smoked Ribs with Bourbon BBQ Sauce 223
Grilled Ribs, Korean Style 224
Interlude: The Legend of Spork 225
The Wobbly Bits 229
Grilled Deer Heart with Peppers 234
Peruvian Anticuchos de Corazón 237
Sichuan Spicy Heart Stir-Fry 238
Deer Camp Liver and Onions 239
Liver Dumplings 240
Faggots (British Meatballs) 241
Cajun Boudin Balls 243
Braised Venison Tongue 245
A Lovely Tongue Sandwich 246
Tacos de Lengua 248
Grilled Venison Kidneys 249
Deviled Kidneys 251
Venison Tripe Neapolitan Style 253
German Marrow Dumplings 255
Curing Venison and Making Sausage 256
Sausages 256
Salami, Mettwurst, Saucisson 261
Corned Venison 263
Venison Pastrami 265
Jerky 264
Chipotle Jerky 267
Pemmican-Style Ground Meat Jerky 269
Venison Sausage with Sage and Juniper 270
British Bangers 272
Wisconsin Red Brats 274
Romanian Venison Sausage 277
Mexican-Style Chorizo 279
Kabanosy, The World's Greatest Meat Stick 281
Bask Venison Salami 283
Boerenmetworst 286
Spanish Chorizo 288
Icelandic Venison "Gravlax" 291
Potted Hough 293
Variation: Spicy Spanish-Style Rillettes 294
Deer Ham, Alpine Style 295
Coda: The Game and the Feast 297
Acknowledgments 298
Selected Reading 299
Resources 300
Index 301
