Best marinade for venison ?

[longwinters]

I was reading Guys post on "Lunch" and was wondering what marinades are good for venison? I usually just soak the steaks in cold salted water to draw the blood out and then fry to medium with a bit of garlic salt and pepper. But would like to try something else.

Long

 

[DrMike]

Long,

I use a lot of dry rub that I make for game meat. However, when I do marinade, I like a blend of sweet and savory, tending more toward the savory with a hint of sweetness. It will almost always have a bit of extra virgin olive oil, perhaps some soy sauce, some red wine vinegar and either honey or brown sugar for the sweetness. It will have kosher salt and likely something piquant such an a ground ancho pepper or a coarse ground black pepper. I sometimes put in a dash of dry mustard, and almost always include some finely chopped onion and garlic powder. Amounts vary depending upon requirements for the meal (whether I'm having guests or just enjoying it myself).

 

[truck driver]

Stop!!!! I just finished eating Maryland steamed crabs and your making me Hungry.

 

[Thebear_78]

I have a go to marinade/glaze. A little goes a long way but really sets off the flavor.

In a squirt bottle like a standard ketchup bottle.
1 part liquid smoke
10 parts soy
Table spoon of minced garlic
Table spoon dehydrated red onion flakes

To marinade place meat in gallon zip lock, sprinkle enough marinade to coat and shake bag. Give it a couple minutes and shake again. No more than 30 minutes before cooking.

I also use like a glaze by drizzling some on both sides while grilling. Really helps add some smoky flavor when cooking on gas grill

 

[wayno945]

Honey, spicy dry rub, small amount of brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, and some chopped garlic. Leave it in the fridge in a ziplock for about a day. It's making my mouth water as I type!

 

[tddeangelo]

Milk.

Seriously.

I put the venison in a gallon ziplock bag with enough milk to cover it. Let it sit as long as possible. An hour or two is ok, but overnight is better. Then discard the milk and put the meat in the flavored marinade of choice, usually for an hour at min, but more is better.

When the meat comes out of the milk, it will be very, very mushy, and very mild in color. That venison smell is gone, too. The meat almost can't be cooked tough after this treatment, either. Any gamey taste is gone, it's tender, and delicious. My family always liked venison, but since I started doing this, they LOVE it. Just had some last night, actually.

 

[DrMike]

Fascinating idea, Tom. I do believe that may have to be tried just to verify that you aren't joshing us.

 

[Big Norm]

I have used this brand of marinade for years.. No where near as salty as Dales or Moores... they have a variety of flavors, Hickory and spicy are my favorite.. you can let it sit for a few hours or a day or two and it will not make your meat salty.. works great on deer, pork and poultry.

http://mobile.walmart.com/m/phoenix;jse ... z/10322133

Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk now Free

 

[tddeangelo]

Fascinating idea, Tom. I do believe that may have to be tried just to verify that you aren't joshing us.

I forget where I heard it, but eventually I decided to try it. It works quite well. The meat will lose that deep purplish color (at least, what our whitetails have...not sure if mule deer, elk, moose are similar?) and get a more light, beige color. You'll see the grain more, and it'll feel VERY soft.

I do this with roasts and steaks alike, but I notice the most improvement for steaks. I also use it on chipsteak that I use for steak sandwiches or for stir fry. In the case of those dishes, I just use milk and don't bother with other marinades unless called for in a recipe I'm making.

I believe it helps draw out blood, and with it the gamey scent/flavor. The meat seems like perfectly aged beef, to be honest. My wife literally won't let me cook venison now if it hasn't had at least a few hours to soak in milk.

 

[Guest]

I've used milk soaks all my life for game meat. Works just as Tom describes it.

I like to make my own rubs and marinades, but in today's busy world with three kids, a wife, and all the activities in which we are involved, I tend to err to the side of easy. So I buy Ken's and Lawry's "30-min marinades" frequently. I've had great success using mesquite-lime marinades on venison steaks, then grill them to medium. I've also used honey teriyaki or sesame ginger, to good effect.

For a homemade marinade, I'm in line with what Mike and TheBear use, in that I generally put in olive oil, honey or brown sugar, some pepper (black or sparingly white, but not red) and red wine or red wine vinegar or soy or even flavored beers. I've variously added garlic, cumin, onion, basil, oregano, sesame seeds, celery seed, italian seasoning, rosemary, citrus juice (lemon, lime, orange, or tangerine) and other things I'm likely forgetting. I've grilled steaks and backstrap with bacon, on cedar planks, with apple, hickory, pear, cherry, alder, or pecan wood chips in a foil pouch or chip box, just sitting it on the grate over direct heat, while the meat is adjacent over indirect heat. I'll occasionally add a seasoned salt, seasoned pepper, or my personal favorite, something I grew up calling Monkeydust, but is now sold under the trade name "Everglades Seasoning."

The trick is, make small batches at first, keeping track of what and how much is in them, and try several at a meal, on small cuts. Find what your family likes and go from there.

I recently found a pork mojo recipe that is delicious, and I'm thinking of modifying it for venison. It's basically a cilantro-lime base with a few things added. I hope to get a fat doe and try it out on venison soon, but I'll likely add a little something to it to make it suitable for heavier meats like venison, as opposed to pork/chicken, which are on the lighter side.

 

[tim629]

http://www.spiedies.com/

the "origional" is a great marinade: venison, beef, chicken, pork

 

[Vince]

I tend to favor dry rubs but will use milk or beer as a marinade if warranted.

 

[truck driver]

Long,

I use a lot of dry rub that I make for game meat. However, when I do marinade, I like a blend of sweet and savory, tending more toward the savory with a hint of sweetness. It will almost always have a bit of extra virgin olive oil, perhaps some soy sauce, some red wine vinegar and either honey or brown sugar for the sweetness. It will have kosher salt and likely something piquant such an a ground ancho pepper or a coarse ground black pepper. I sometimes put in a dash of dry mustard, and almost always include some finely chopped onion and garlic powder. Amounts vary depending upon requirements for the meal (whether I'm having guests or just enjoying it myself).

Mike, will this work on Llama? :roll: :lol: :mrgreen:

 

[DrMike]

That will work especially well on llama. (Don't ask me how I know.)

 

[sask boy]

Interesting post :wink: we had Elk steak last night and it was beautiful I was drooling almost as much as my 2 black labs were as we could smell the great aroma during my wife's preparation.
I am really going to try the milk soak on Whitetail and Mulie this year as it will be hard to get anyone to eat it at our house as they know we have a whole Elk and 1/2 a Moose in the freezer. I really have been blessed this year!
Deer is always eaten but is the least favourite in our house.

Blessings,
Dan

 

[tim629]

i wish i could have the option of different game meats.

right now it's halibut and beef in my freezer...not complaining about the first just trying to ration that one actually

 

[DrMike]

Nothing wrong with halibut in the freezer. When we lived on the coast, it was a staple in our freezer (along with salmon and trout).