Need some VENISON tips (Roast & Leg steaks)

KiterTodd

A friend gave me some venison.  I don't have a lot of experience cooking it and have only had tenderloin and burger in the past.

This time I have ROAST and LEG STEAKS.
How do you recommend cooking it so it is as tender and less gamey as possible?  (I know some of you have an acquired tasted for the gaminess, but I'm feeding a family and likely won't tell them it's deer until after they've eaten it...)

As the meat is frozen, I'm not sure of the size of the actual cuts.
However, the combined weight of the two roast bags is 5 lbs. 3 oz.
The combined weight of the leg steaks is 3 lbs. 5 oz.

While I would of course prefer to Egg it, I'm also fine if the best suggestion requires a <gulp> crock pot.  <shudder>

Appreciate any tips.  Thanks!! 


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Mr. & Mrs Potatohead

Gaminess is going to come from the tallow...Be sure to remove as much of that as you can!!! BTW, if there is some on the cut, it will be easier to remove while the meat is still partially frozen.
Venison can be hard because of being lean (no marbling) but over all the only other caution I have is to NOT over cook it.
Not sure what a "leg steak" is, but my rule of thumb for most anything that isn't a chop/loin/tenderloin is to pound it out with some seasoned flour and get into a hot pan. Again keep in mind to NOT over cook.
I don't do roasts any more usually cutting that for sausage, but it will benefit from a good sear and a braising...Thinking along the lines of a chuck.

saluki2007

I typically marinade vension. Italian dressing works, but with a family you might be better going with a soy sauce based marinade. As mentioned above do not over cook. The steaks will be a medium rare at 140. I've only done roast in crock pot, sorry. You could try the pulled beef guniess route. 

gmac

Venison is great. Very lean as already mentioned. 

For the roast you could just egg to med-rare. Steaks can be done the same, they may be tougher, they may not. It depends on the size and age of the deer, assuming it is wild. 
What I would do is thaw the steaks the day before you use them and then toss a small slice into a hot frying pan and see how tough. If tough, braise, if not go for med-rare at most. When we are cutting deer we usually fry up a couple round steaks to see if they are tough. If not, steaks, if so then either ground or sausage. 

You may want a sauce of some sort since they are so lean and yes, you need to remove the fat as that can be very tallow like. Unless you like that. I just fry some mushrooms, shallots and garlic, add a bit of flour and butter, make a pan roux and then add some milk or cream. Nothing fancy. Juniper berries also go well with venison. 

Worst case, grind it and mix it 50:50 with beef for burgers or meatloaf. That's how we use almost all of our ground venison. 

If if you had loins I would say do a carpaccio but rounds may be too tough. For that I do a super fast, super hot sear and then let them cool, slice really thin and drizzle with olive oil, shallots, yellow mustard, balsamic glaze, maple syrup and course salt and pepper. Awesome on crispy bread. Just a bit of each above, not a mixture. I will post a picture next time I make it. 

Focker

Do you have a grinder?
The only cuts we leave intact are the backstraps and loins.  The rest gets cleaned up and run through the grinder.  Chile, ragus for pasta, lasagna, tacos, enchiladas with some chorizo, all will help cover some of the gaminess for the fam.  Grinding a little bacon with it to add some fat, doesn't suck.   

Sammi

If if you had loins I would say do a carpaccio but rounds may be too tough. For that I do a super fast, super hot sear and then let them cool, slice really thin and drizzle with olive oil, shallots, yellow mustard, balsamic glaze, maple syrup and course salt and pepper. Awesome on crispy bread. Just a bit of each above, not a mixture. I will post a picture next time I make it. 

I'd be interested in this one. ^^^^^^^^^^  @gmac

KiterTodd

Thanks for the tips.   No, I do not have a grinder.
I had a roommate one time who'd just take all these leg cuts (that he didn't grind) and throw them in a crock pot.   They'd come out fine.   I was hoping to add some egg flavor to them but I'm not sure.   I haven't cooked a roast to MR! 140, eh? 

Braise...  so, should I brown them a bit to get some char and them throw them in a dutch oven with stock or wine?  Maybe some sauteed garlic and veggies.