How to tone down the gamey taste in deer meat?

[castie2504]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get rid of the gamey taste in deer? I personally like deer meat how it is but I am gonna have some people over to try some deer for the first time.  Does anyone have a good recipe for some roasts or backstraps?

[coachcw]

Soak it in butter milk overnight, remove all tendon and fat, crock pot cooking helps serve the best cuts to them. Pork roast in the burger and bacon init.

[Smokepole]

x2 on trimming off the tendons and fat.  That keeps it tasting good.  It's important to remember that venison has a taste of its own.  I shouldn't be compared to beef or pork.  It is sweeter and lean.  I don't call it gamey... it just tastes like good deer meat.

My favorite way to cook it is dredged in cornmeal and fried in bacon grease.  Then I make taters & gravy.  I also had some steaks on the bbq that were darned good marinated in Italian salad dressing.  But I like it fried best.  Good luck.  I hope your guests enjoy it!

[Katmai Guy]

Chops trimmed, salt and peppered, saute'd in butter and garlic to medium.  Mmmmm!

[Karl Blanchard]

Take your steaks and brush them with olive oil, then season to taste.  I am simple, I like black pepper, a little onion and garlic powder, and Salt.  I mix all those and rub the meat liberally.  Put steaks in a zip lock and toss them in the fridge for at least 24hrs, I prefer 48hrs.  BBQ on med heat for about 3 min a side depending on thickness.  The key to venison is to not overcook it.  IT HAS TO BE PINK!!!!!!!  The olive oil will dissolve the seasonings and draw them into the meat.  You will have to fight the urge to eat these raw when you open the bag!  The smell is amazing!  Anyone who doesn't like deer steaks this way shouldn't be welcome in your house

[RadSav]

With silver skin removed cook rare to medium rare (internal temp of 120-125F)!  Only gamey tasting meat I have ever had was done medium well to well.  And unfortunately I have had a lot of that...mother thought pink juices were the devil's elixir. So she cooked it either well burnt or medium burnt.  I didn't even know I liked meat until I moved out on my own

Secret for those guests that are red/pink squeamish;  Cook as mentioned to rare or medium rare.  Slice thin a la London Broil style.  Lay out on a plate in a single layer.  Lightly salt with sea salt or good kosher salt (never ever allow iodized salt to touch game meat!)  Let sit for a few minutes.  Put in the microwave and hit it for about 30 seconds (some microwaves a little more others a little less).  This will take the pink away without really changing the level of doneness.  Even my mother and sister-in-law will eat it this way...so we call it the "miracle meat method". 

[PA BEN]

Gut, skin and cool the meat asap.

[csaaphill]

+3 or 4 on making sure as much of the fat and silverskin is removed.
I wld usually dredge in flour and fry in hot oil until meat runs clear then taters and gravy too or fried taters and mac and cheese.
salt and pepper to taste as cooking though.

[RadSav]

Another way is to make fluffy meat stroganoff.  Secret is to cook the meat separate using and Asian stir fry method.

Per one pound of venison cut cross grain into 2" by 1/8" strips;
1 T. EVOO
1.5 t. Corn Starch
1 t. kosher salt
1 t. white sugar
1 t. soy sauce ( I usually sneak in an extra splash)
1/8 t. white pepper

Mix together well making sure the ingredients are rubbed into the meat very well.  Place in a ziplock bag and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.  I prefer an hour.  I then stir fry the meat in an extremely hot wok using peanut oil to reduce the chance of crystalizing the oil.  A deep pot works well if you want to keep the mess to a minimum.  Works best if you stirfry small batches at a time, but you can get away with a large batch if the pot is large enough and hot enough you don't lose the shock needed when the cornstarch hits the hot oil.

This is a very messy process so wear a long sleeve shirt you don't care much about...seriously!!  And eye protection isn't a bad idea either

Be sure pieces do not stick together.  It often takes a few trial and error meals to get the process down well.  When done properly your meat should come out fluffy as whipped butter.  Then just make whatever method of stroganoff you normally like.  Just substituting the fluffy meat for the normal meat!  It is a lot of work but worth it! 

[PolarBear]

Gut, skin and cool the meat asap.

That is the #1 reason for gamey tasting meat.  A lot of folks ride around with is cooking in the back of their rig.  Silver skin and fat also needs to be completely removed.

[jtw]

I would argue fat doesn't always need to be removed. I always test the fat when I get a deer. The only time I've removed it completely was when the fat tasted bad (which has only happened once) or if I'm freezing it (wild game fat spoils in a few months in the freezer).
Other than that I agree with all the comments about not cooking it well done.

[RadSav]

I don't thing elk and deer fat tastes bad.  It's the residue left on your teeth that I do not like.  After a meal I feel like I ate a candle.  If you boil elk ribs first before grilling it seems to eliminate that issue.  But that is too done for my taste in steaks and roasts.

[boneaddict]

Serve it with Whiskey.  Gentlemans Jack is good

[PA BEN]

What kind of deer are you shooting? WT's are good eating, never had a bad one. Even in the rut. Now the big mule deer I shot when I was 18 in the rut would run you out of the house when you cooked it. I cut the scent glands off the hind legs and balls off before I gut any deer and get them away from the meat. Use two knives or clean your knife before you gut after cutting the glands and balls off. It's one more little trick not to have gamey meat.

[deerslyr]

Soak in butter milk with minced garlic over night, marinade in Italian dressing over night, and believe it or not I've found cilantro really does the trick when I'm making fajitas or something else I can throw it in with.

[lokidog]

What kind of deer are you shooting? WT's are good eating, never had a bad one. Even in the rut. Now the big mule deer I shot when I was 18 in the rut would run you out of the house when you cooked it. I cut the scent glands off the hind legs and balls off before I gut any deer and get them away from the meat. Use two knives or clean your knife before you gut after cutting the glands and balls off. It's one more little trick not to have gamey meat.

My answer is shoot the deer in September, early October, or December, or shoot a doe.      

PA, I shot a WT in Saskatchewan first week of November a few years ago, he dropped in his tracks, was cleanly gutted, hung overnight in less than 35 degree temps, and was butchered the next day --- still tasted a bit rutty.  I've shot Blacktails from September through December, almost all of the bucks shot in the last week of October or the late rifle season have had at least a bit of that rutty flavor.  I don't mind it, but my wife is quite a bit more sensitive to it.

To the OP, any good Salsbury Steak recipe will also spice it up and help cover that "flavor".

[PA BEN]

What kind of deer are you shooting? WT's are good eating, never had a bad one. Even in the rut. Now the big mule deer I shot when I was 18 in the rut would run you out of the house when you cooked it. I cut the scent glands off the hind legs and balls off before I gut any deer and get them away from the meat. Use two knives or clean your knife before you gut after cutting the glands and balls off. It's one more little trick not to have gamey meat.

My answer is shoot the deer in September, early October, or December, or shoot a doe.      

PA, I shot a WT in Saskatchewan first week of November a few years ago, he dropped in his tracks, was cleanly gutted, hung overnight in less than 35 degree temps, and was butchered the next day --- still tasted a bit rutty.  I've shot Blacktails from September through December, almost all of the bucks shot in the last week of October or the late rifle season have had at least a bit of that rutty flavor.  I don't mind it, but my wife is quite a bit more sensitive to it.

To the OP, any good Salsbury Steak recipe will also spice it up and help cover that "flavor".

I hunt with a buddy who is a butcher. He told me not to cut up a deer until 36 hrs has passed. They need to go through rigger and out of rigger. Also, if it was eating brush they will taste like brush. I shot a rutted up wt on Thanksgiving day, he was following my tracks that had doe in heat scent in them. It was -22 he was froze solid by the time I skinned him. I cut him up in January when we had a thaw. Couldn't believe how good he was. Also, I bone out all my meat, the bone seems to give the meat some taste. I started canning my deer this year and man is it good. I started a meat canning thread I well have to ask if it helps gamey meat.   

[lokidog]

Not sure if they go out of rigor when frozen solid...     ... and that's just a tough/tender issue, not a flavor one.  I bone out all my animals and don't leave a spec of silverskin or fat on the meat or in the burger.  I think it does depend a lot on what they are eating as well as what stage of the rut they are in when the meat has been taken care of properly after the shot.

[blackymaster20]

its alot of work but butcher it urself butchers leave all the membrain and they hack threw the bone and get bone marrow in the meat...i butcher my own deer and it taste very good ive never had any gamey taste at all

[vandeman17]

I use sprite or 7 up in my marinades and that seems to do the trick 

[Stein]

Step 1 - shoot a forky whitetail that lives near a grain field.
Step 2 - immediately gut and cool the meat

The rest is just details.

[wt]

Tag keep them coming I love it.

[buckfvr]

After gutting, get the hide off and get it cooled down asap..................bone it out, and trim it up fat and tendon free.  The more time you take to trim it up nicely, the better it will taste.  Game animals flavor is predictable to its food source.  Many sensitive palates consider the flavor of any game animal gamie, when in actuality it just tastes like deer/elk/etc. 

We also can venison and enjoy it that way.  I will add, yes, whitetail is usually better on the table, and even an 8 1/2yr old  I took a couple years ago was tender and mouth watering......that being said , Ive also killed wheat field mulies that nearly made me drown on my slobber as I was cooking it.......very tender and delicious.

You cant say enough about the importance of handling the carcass after the kill.......it does make a difference.

[Stein]

I had an interesting conversation with my wife who often uses the word "gamey" or "fishy".  I think there are two uses for both:

1.  An off taste, usually due to poor processing and handling or a flat out bad animal to eat (6 year old rutty mule deer for example).
2.  A taste other than beef, pork or chicken.

For some reason, people don't expect pork to taste like beef but they expect elk to taste like beef.  It is a different animal and has a different taste.  After solo eating a whole one this last year, I actually now think beef tastes a bit off.

So, maybe if you mention the obvious and they don't expect to taste beef they won't be disappointed.

[teanawayslayer]

Get the guts out and hide off soon as possible. Get that meat cooled down. The only gamie animal I have evere eaten was a rutted up old mulie. The burger didn't even taste good. pepperonied the whole thing

[Griiz]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get rid of the gamey taste in deer? I personally like deer meat how it is but I am gonna have some people over to try some deer for the first time.  Does anyone have a good recipe for some roasts or backstraps?

Butcher it yourself and remove all fat, bone and white tissue and it won't have any gamey taste. I WON'T EAT DEER FROM A BUTCHER. I can't stand that nasty taste, so I take care of all my own wild game and it tastes like it should. Delicious

[CoryTDF]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get rid of the gamey taste in deer? I personally like deer meat how it is but I am gonna have some people over to try some deer for the first time.  Does anyone have a good recipe for some roasts or backstraps?

Butcher it yourself and remove all fat, bone and white tissue and it won't have any gamey taste. I WON'T EAT DEER FROM A BUTCHER. I can't stand that nasty taste, so I take care of all my own wild game and it tastes like it should. Delicious

 

taste it as you cut it. I always have a frying pan ready and cook small chunks as i go. If it is gamey it goes into the sausage pile. this way i know what type of meat i have before i even thaw it out.

[NOCK NOCK]

With silver skin removed cook rare to medium rare (internal temp of 120-125F)!  Only gamey tasting meat I have ever had was done medium well to well.  And unfortunately I have had a lot of that...mother thought pink juices were the devil's elixir. So she cooked it either well burnt or medium burnt.  I didn't even know I liked meat until I moved out on my own

Secret for those guests that are red/pink squeamish;  Cook as mentioned to rare or medium rare.  Slice thin a la London Broil style.  Lay out on a plate in a single layer.  Lightly salt with sea salt or good kosher salt (never ever allow iodized salt to touch game meat!)  Let sit for a few minutes.  Put in the microwave and hit it for about 30 seconds (some microwaves a little more others a little less).  This will take the pink away without really changing the level of doneness.  Even my mother and sister-in-law will eat it this way...so we call it the "miracle meat method". 

Hey Rad, "never allow iodized salt to touch game meat"   Have never heard this before, How come?

[Doublelunger]

Do a good job gutting and processing. 

[pianoman9701]

Rapid and proper field care of game is the most effective way to limit the gamey flavor - dry, clean, and cool. After it's already processed, the best thing you can do for gamey meat is marinate it well beforehand with plenty of garlic, wine, and rosemary, which will help settle the flavors down. Slow smoking and drying is also good to combat gamey flavor.

[BigE]

Make sure its nicely trimmed fat tendons all that. Then just to lower the gamey taste you have to get alot of that blood out. The way i do it cheap and effective is just soak the meat in water move it arround drain the water and keep repeating that process till the meat looks kinda grey. That just tells you the blood is coming out. After you think its good enough no blood left you can use any seasoning or recepi you want. Ive served deer meat and elk to people that have said they hate and would never eat it again without telling them what it is. After they finish they say that was some good stuff. Then i tell them what it was and they dont believe me. So just drain that blood out and from there you can do what ever you want.

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

That sounds horrible.  Soak the meat?!?!  No way!  Cool clean and DRY.  Let it air out at a cool temp and cut and wrap.

[pianoman9701]

That sounds horrible.  Soak the meat?!?!  No way!  Cool clean and DRY.  Let it air out at a cool temp and cut and wrap.

  Soak it until it's bland? Is that the plan? Yuk!

[WSU]

I soak liver for a bit to draw some blood out.  Don't others do that also?

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

Yes liver and heart can be soaked.  I only wipe the meat down to remove any hair or debris.  The meat needs to stay cool clean and DRY.  If it's October I hang it in the shade for a few days large game bags can keeps the flys off.  Vinegar also keeps the bugs off.  Just spray it down then cover with game bags or sheets.  Let cure for a few days to ten days depending on temp.  The cooler the temp the longer it can hang for.  I'd say 50 and below it can hang for ten days.  55 and up I'd only hang it for three to four days.  The point of hanging it up is to let the meat cure like they do with beef.  Trim all the fat while it's hung.  Then remove the sinue as you break the muscle groups down.  Then once the roasts are free offat and sinue.  Cut and wrap and freeze ASAP. 

Getting the meat wet will ruin the meat.  It will speed up the decomp process. 

Cool, clean and dry.

[pianoman9701]

I soak liver for a bit to draw some blood out.  Don't others do that also?

Yes, salt water for a little bit.