Guest Author - Phyllis Doyle Burns
This article was written by our previous editor, Phyllis Doyle Burns, and all rights are reserved. For inquiries and comments, please contact the current editor, Jane Winkler.
Venison can be prepared in several ways to add variety to your meals. During cold winter months, it can be frustrating to keep coming up with new ideas for meals. A big pot of stew or a platter with a pot roast sitting on the table with a basket full of homemade bread are just about the best family meals ever. The meat, vegetables and gravy are all right there in one place, so there are not a lot of serving dishes to worry about.
Venison, like beef, is very versatile. The flavor is similar but a little richer. It is leaner than beef so can be tougher if not cooked correctly - over cooking will leave you with a tougher meat that is hard to chew. Venison is lower in calories, cholesterol and fat than most cuts of beef, pork, or lamb. The original mince meat recipes were made with venison meat.
In early days, venison was an important meat staple for Native Americans and was always available due to the abundance of deer. Drying the venison in summer months gave the people plenty of meat to supplement their diet over the winter.
There are so many good recipes using venison: steaks, stews, roasts, sausage and jerky. If you would like to try venison burgers, make sure you add some rendered fat to the ground meat so it will not be too tough.
Here is a great recipe for one of my all time favorites - pot roast!
Venison Pot Roast With Red Potatoes
One venison pot roast, 3 to 4 pounds
2 Tbsp fat
2 cans tomato sauce, 8 oz each
6 to 8 red potatoes, washed and cut in quarters
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 Tbsp minced parsley
2 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1 - 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed (or garlic powder to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Flour
Water
Melt fat and brown roast on all sides in a large dutch oven, . If the roast is very lean, add a little more fat (sprinkling on some powered meat tenderizer may help, too). Salt and pepper the meat. Mix all other ingredients, except flour and water, in a mixing bowl and pour over roast. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for three to four hours. Remove liquid with a baster and place in a saucepan. Make a smooth paste of flour and water and add to liquid, stirring constantly till smooth and of desired thickness. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Pour thickened liquid back over pot roast and heat through. Remove roast, slice and place in the center of a deep platter. Surround meat with the vegetables. Drizzle liquid over meat.
When served with a basket of fresh homemade bread or fry bread, this makes a filling and wonderful meal. Variations: button or slice mushrooms, baby carrots, peas. If you want peas in this dish, drain one can of peas and add to pot roast during last ten minutes of heating.
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