Nov 29, 2017 By Joe Carei for The 4 min read

It is that time of the year again.

Venison is on the mind of many hunters and cooks in western Pennsylvania. And usually it’s on their mind when they encounter me.

Although, I am not a hunter, I have two kills on my resume. I got a nice 8-point with my Bronco on the top of Brownsville Hill, and a smaller one with a Ford Tempo on the back roads of God’s Country in central Pennsylvania.

Neither one was field dressed and eaten. But, I have cooked plenty of venison.

Obviously, like any meats, you need cook the proper cuts to the proper cooking method. You would not cook beef brisket on your grill and expect a succulent steak.

Backstrap and tenderloin are the most tender and can be used for grilling filets/steaks, rib chops or cooked whole like a roast. Roasts are best from the lower legs, hams and if patient the shoulder. Steaks are best from the top of the legs and rumps. Stew and ground meats should come from the lower part of belly (flank, brisket) and can be used from shanks, although they make a good venison osso bucco.

The impetus for this article was the cooking of a venison steak. The best way to cook a steak is on a hot grill or very hot skillet. My good friend, Drywall Joe, likes to bring out the beauty of a good venison steak. D.J. swears by a good iron skillet and butter. But, make sure that your steak is at room temperature. Take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking, and it will be evenly cooked to perfection. Medium rare is the best temperature to get the best flavor and texture out of your venison steak.

Roasts are usually a sticking point for some. And conversations usually leads to larding or barding. Larding is inserting fat or bacon into a lean roast, usually by a larding needle. Barding is covering the outside of roast with fat or bacon. I tend to do a version of larding; I freeze the fat or bacon and then cut on angles so it has a point. I cut long tiny, slits in the roast and push the still frozen bacon or fat into the roast. My bacon arrowheads are about an inch to two inches long, depending on the size of the roast.

Two of the unsung heroes of the deer are the ribs and osso bucco (shank). Cooked correctly, they will add another option for your venison repast. They both require a longer cooking time at a lower temperature than its beef and pork counterparts.

Although, the big 16-point buck is the prize on the trophy mount, it doesn’t translate to a trophy dinner. Some may argue the point, but like any other food, the older the animal the tougher and stronger tasting it is. Also, the earlier in the hunting season you get your deer, the better tasting it is.

Here are a few ways to reduce some of the gamey taste: Make sure the fat is trimmed off, unlike beef and pork, fat does not add to the flavor. Make sure your butcher ages the meat, that helps balance the flavor and make the meat more tender. If you age yourself, do your research; there is a fine line between aging your meat and having rotten meat. Marinades are a good way to tenderize and flavor certain thinner cuts of venison. But even the best marinade will only penetrate 1/8 of an inch of the steak. Soaking the meat in buttermilk or milk helps as it pulls blood out of the meat and reduces some gaminess. Drywall Joe swears by a good can of mushroom soup for a great tasting venison dish.

Bottom line, however, is that venison is wild game. If you want a tender piece of meat with no wild taste, buy beef.

Venison Osso Bucco

4 shanks about 3 inches thick

3 tablespoons olive oil

Flour

Salt and pepper

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 cup red wine

1 cup stock (beef or venison)

3 cups crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon oregano

Zest and juice of one lemon

Bay leaves

Season shank with salt and pepper, dredge with flour. Heat olive oil in ovensafe pot or sauce pan and brown shanks all over. Pull shanks and sweat onions, celery and carrots until a little caramelized. Add wine and scrape pot and bring to boil. Add rest of ingredients and then the shanks. Cover and put in preheated 275 degree oven. Cook until tender about 2½ hours (may take longer or shorter so check after 2 hours.)