Gaminess??

[Slugslinger]

The only way I can get my family to eat any venison is either chilli, spegetti or my home made jerky. Steaks or roast, forget it! Is there any way or some method to taking the "gaminess" taste out of the meat? I don't mid it, but they will have no part of it. I think we would save alot of $$ if I could get them to eat it. Any thoughts other than trying to cover it with merinade, Tried that, they still didn't eat it.

[Hunting Man]

I love this subject. Deer tastes like deer so trying to make it taste like beef is tough to do. I cook most of my deer roast/neck meat in a pressure cooker with garlic, onions, salt, pepper, and some soy sauce. I cook it for 30 minutes de-pressurize and add veggies and bring the cooker up to steam and shut off. When done you would have a hard time knowing it was deer and tender enough to use only a fork. I do like to grille steaks and will use tenderizer for 24 hrs in the fridge prior to cooking. Again soy, garlic, bacon rapped, any comercial tenderizer. You can do the tenderizing then put into a pan on the stove brown and add gravy and slow cook. Put this over rice and the family should love it. Any deer on the grille should not be over cooked or it will be tough. Hope this helps

[joel the signman]

i eat so much i really dont notice it.it gets "gamey" from bad gutting/storage/handling most times.an old buck in the rut will be a little tougher i have noticed.try newbies out with the tender loins and back straps .also trim as much fat and silver skin as possible this is another source of gamey taste

[timberghost]

A crock pot works well. Hunting Mans post should do the trick.

soak it in water and baking soda or just milk for a few hrs depending on the bulk of the cut. works good on a rutting old moose.

[Slickhead Stalker RN]

Here is what I do to get the gaminess out. I soon as I shoot and remove the hams and backstraps(it does work with dethawed frozen meat as well), I put them in a cooler and salt em down(a lot of salt). Next I cover the meat with ice until there is about 3 inches of ice over the meat. Once the ice melts to water(usually about 12-24 hrs), I repeat the process again. This draws a WHOLE lot of the blood out of the meat and the meat doesn't taste salty at all. You can pretty much cook it however you like at this point and it will taste great. I have only had one person turn there nose up at my venison and he said that it taste good, but he didn't like it because of the idea of eating deer. Go figure.

My buddy soaks his meat in vinegar and ice over night and he swears it not only takes the gamey taste out but also makes the meat more tender. However I have never tried this method. One because salt is so cheap, and also because my method has worked so good in the past.

If you try either of these methods, let me know what you think.

[joel the signman]

just make sure ya drain off the water while your storing it as it is a breeding ground for bacteria.The salt will help to preserve it too.I often quater up my deer and store in coolers on away hunts

good point joel, be sure to store it in the fridge or keep it iced. don't let it get to warm. refrig temp.

the baking soda also tenderizes

[tnrebelguitarist]

a lot of my friends are the same way with deer or any wild game. They call it "gamey" but to me thats the flavor of the meat. That taste is why I like venison. I do cook it in chili and spaghetti for those that doesn't like the taste. Also, mixing it in with Hamburger helper is pretty good. I think you need to sneak in some venison mixed in with some beef. Don't tell em what it is...most ppl that I have done that too fell in love with the "flavor of the meat" but before when I told em it was deer they said it was gamey....kinda had a preconceived idea about it I think

[J.J.]

I soak mine in plain water for about 48 hours. Make sure you keep ice on it! I'll drain the water after 24 hours and put fresh water on it. This works great for me. Poeple that have tried deer before and didnt like it because of the gamey taste have tried mine and love it. I just use plain old water.