Fall is great for many reasons: changing leaves, cooler weather, Halloween, and hunting season. My husband enjoys deer hunting, and I enjoy eating venison and spending time in the country. Hunting, I believe, gives you a greater awareness of where our meat comes from and sense of respect for the meat. With all that said, venison is delicious, lean, high in iron and easy to cook. Many people, however, are intimidated by the thought of cooking with wild game, or think wild game tastes too "gamey". I hope I can show you that working with game can be very simple and the end product very delicious!
The first thing to know about game, venison in particular, is just how lean it is. Any wild animal will have significantly less fat than an animal bred for human consumption. Knowing this, when using ground venison it's a good idea to mix it with a fattier meat, such as pork. If working with venison tenderloin or backstrap, its eaten best rare or medium rare.
One of the easiest venision recipes is meatballs. I made this recipe last Christmas for family, and it was a huge hit.
Venison Meatballs
2 pounds ground venison
1/2 pound ground pork
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
1 Tablespoon dried rubbed sage
2 Tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoon freshly ground pepper
Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. When everything is combined, form evenly sized and shaped meatballs. When all the meatballs are formed, heat a large skillet on high heat. Add grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, or another high heat oil to coat bottom of the pan. When pan and oil are hot, add meatballs, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Turn as needed, until meatballs are cooked through. Serve with your favorite gravy or marinara sauce and toothpicks, with spaghetti and marinara, or in soup!
If you would like to know more about working with game, don't miss The Chopping Block's upcoming Game Night: Cooking with Wild Game cooking classes at Lincoln Square on Thursday, October 27 at 6:30pm or Wednesday, November 16 at 6pm at the Merchandise Mart.
