Do You Dutch Oven?? - Venison Roast

When I think of comfort foods.....one favorite immediately comes to mind!  Roast.....and not just any old variety will do but venison roast...it is truly one of my favorite foods! 

I can just see some of you nodding along with me while others are skeptical or perhaps in absolute denial....Fear not!  I've served venison to many people from all walks of life in my home and never had one person give anything but high praise for the meal.

There are no doubt people who have had a venison meal that was not to their liking.  I often hear people talk of a "strong, gamey taste" that tends to give them a biased opinion of all future meals and that is really too bad.... 

The most important part of a delicious venison meal...like any other...is preparation.  Ensuring the deer was cleaned, hung, cooled, quartered, and processed properly is vital to good taste....no different than all meats from your favorite grocer or restaurant.  I will have a post regarding venison preparation (from field to freezer) hopefully in the near future.

This particular roast comes from the shoulder of the aforementioned deer....as it is not suitable for steaks  or other fine cuts.  I cut my shoulders approximately in half  using a crosscut.  This not only allows the roast to fit in my dutch oven but gives you the wonderful flavor from the marrow during the cooking process.

Lets get to the recipe!

Ingredients:

12" Dutch Oven

1 - venison shoulder cut in half (cross-cut)

5 - medium potatoes of your choice (peeled and cubed)

2 - 3 medium to large carrots, peeled (I only had baby carrots)

1 large jalapeno pepper

Salt and Pepper to taste

1.5 tsp Italian Seasoning

1 onion of choice (chopped)

Directions:

Much like any other roast this one is very simple.  When preparing venison I will ALWAYS soak overnight, or at least for 4-6 hours, in a salt water solution of about 1 TBS+ per quart of water.  The important thing is to make sure the meat is immersed and then after soaking, thoroughly rinsed.  I have done this since I was old enough to help my dad with the preparation and I'm convinced it removes much of the "gamey" taste people speak of.  In fact I'm sure of it as I have eaten venison that was not soaked.

Trim off excess fat from the shoulder, leaving enough to enhance flavoring.  Place the shoulder in your dutch oven with water just covering the top.  Salt and pepper liberally at this time.   Place approximately 15+ coals under the oven to start the cooking. 

You want to ensure that the water is bubbling slowly (just above simmering) to keep your timeline about right....about 4 - 5 hours.

After 2 hours cooking time (you'll need to check your coals every 40 minutes and add as necessary to maintain temps)  you will add your italian seasoning, carrots, potatoes, jalapeno and onion.  Cover and resume cooking, checking the consistentcy of the roast around the 4th hour.

Venison roast, like any other, should pull apart easily when finished.  A little brown gravy over the top and you have the feast of the month!  Some of the sharp eyed readers will note that green colored ceramic dish in the picture.  While venison roast has been cooked many times in the dutch oven....I don't have any pictures handy and cooked this one at a friends house in a crockpot.  Enjoy!!

This post is part of the following blog carnivals......Go check out these great sites!!

Real Food Wednesday
Pennywise Platter Thursday
Recipe Swap Thursday
Fight Back Friday
Friday Potluck

Tasty Tuesdays! GF Venison Steak

What a fun packed and HOT weekend it was this last Father's Day.  I hope all the dads had a great one! I know I did.  I am currently camping with my boys on the river in my old hometown and let me tell you it is hotter than I can ever remember for the first official days of summer.  It could have quite a bit to do with the fact that I'm camping in the 3rd week of June and perhaps the fact that I am accustomed to quite a bit more AC than I am getting out here in God's country.  Or it could be the refreshing daytime highs of 98 degrees with humidity of about 99%!!  This relaxing sure is a lot of work...............But I wouldn't miss it....

This week for Tasty Tuesdays! I wanted to make an easy recipe that I grew up on as a kid and eat every chance I get as an adult.  It is one of the leanest and healthiest meats out there and to my knowledge it is rarely mentioned (if ever) in the blogging world and certainly under-appreciated.  I am talking about venison.  When prepared correctly, it is incredibly delicious, unlike any meat you have ever eaten. I get hungry just thinking about it.... 

Enough talking for the moment, lets get to the recipe!  The ingredients are as follows:

2 lbs venison steaks

GF All purpose flour

Olive oil

Mixed vegetables

Whole Advocado

GF Bread of Choice (Try our GF Sourdough Biscuits)

Medium to large skillet


I prepare my own venison steaks from start to finish, so I like to take a little extra time to do it my own way.   When the meat is thawed in preparation for cooking, I will place it in a large bowl of salt water overnight before the meal.  This removes any strong tastes or flavors that can be present in wild game.  I know many people that didn't like a particular meat because it had a "wild" taste.  This eliminates that issue.  

With a cutting board and very sharp knife, carefully trim any small bits of fat or gristle from the meat.  Your steaks will generally be around 4 - 6 oz pieces and many that will be very small but still very much useable.  Even the tiny pieces are delicious and often the most tender.

After your steaks are trimmed, tenderize the meat with a large profile meat tenderizer as pictured.  Tenderize on both sides before moving on to the next step.  Venison is extremely lean and because of this, it must be tenderized before cooking.  This will break the fibers of the steaks and make a wonderful meat that much better.

After this is done, take the steaks and coat them completely in the GF flour.  This will make a crispy exterior and you can also use your favorite seasoning for an added kick. 

Place the steaks in the skillet using liberal amount of olive oil making sure that your skillet is over medium-high heat and the oil is hot.  There should be a nice sizzle when you put them in........

Turn them one or more times as needed to achieve the crispy texture as seen here.  Make sure that your fire is hot enough to keep them crispy (and not soggy) but not so hot as to pop and burn the oil or cook the venison unevenly.
 

Place on paper towels to absorb any excess oil.

Add your fresh advocado, mixed vegetables, and bread of choice.  You can even end this with a GF blueberry cake for dessert.

Again this is one of our favorite meals and it is difficult to imagine my life without it.  I know many people that conjure up visions of Bambi and the like when they hear me talk of venison and they ask "How could you eat such an innocent and beautiful animal!?!?" I often ask them how could they eat pork, beef, or chicken and there is a moment of silence as they search for a reasonable answer. 

To me it is no different than any other meat, fruit or vegetable for that matter, it is to be eaten and enjoyed.  If you haven't tried venison, I urge you to at the earliest opportunity.  You will be most definitely pleased.  You can check out my other GF recipes in the archives to the right.  I will also be posting more Dutch Oven recipes as time allows. 

Enjoy!!

This post is part of the following blog carnivals.............Go check out these great sites!!!

Mouthwatering Mondays
Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday 
Gluten Free Wednesday 
Real Food Wednesday
Pennywise Platter Thursday
Fight Back Friday

The following two blog carnivals are unique.  Thumbnail pictures instead of just links.  Check them out too!

Tuesday Twister  

Two For Tuesdays