Maggie, author of the Pony Mama blog, is here with us today and brings us a more unusual meat. Venison is very common here in Ohio as our deer population is very prolific. Whether you agree or not with hunting, you cannot disagree with the flavor the meat brings to the table. Here’s Maggie with more…
So, the day before Father’s Day I walk in the door after being gone all day. The first thing that catches my eye is a white paper-wrapped package of meat that has found its way from the freezer to the counter. This defrosting experience was a clear sign from my husband that he had an idea of what he wanted for his Manly Father’s Day dinner. Venison. Lucky me.
I was truly appreciative of this gift from a friend last December, but I had never prepared venison, so it has remained safely ensconced in the freezer. Until yesterday.
So, after a little research, and the fact that my husband wanted it grilled ( I would have gone with medallions, perhaps dredged in a bit of flour, salt and pepper, and sautéed with butter and onions…) so I was off to come up with a marinade that would tenderize the meat and complement the gamey flavor. I found this one from Chef Luigi that was for Venison Steak. I had all the ingredients, so it was the winner!
We were all really pleased with our Father’s Day entrée, and even picky daughter ate it, and deemed it “pretty good”. So, I probably won’t prepare this often as we are at the mercy of kind and generous hunting friends, but now I can say I have successfully prepared venison. I agree with my daughter- it was “pretty good”.
Grilled Venison Tenderloin
What you need:
1 venison tenderloin
Marinade:
½ cup soy sauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbs minced fresh chives
1 ½ tsp freshly ground black
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
What you do:
Mix all marinade ingredients together. Reserve ¼ cup and pour the rest into a zip bag. Slice the tenderloin into pieces about 1” thick.
Pound each slice with a meat mallet to about ½”. Place slices in bag and marinate for 12-24 hours.
Fire up the grill to High. Oil the grate, then place the tenderloin pieces on the grill. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from grill to platter, and pour reserved marinade over the meat. Serve and enjoy!
Rantings of an Amateur Chef 
I’m going to try this, if only to find out that 1/4cup of Worcestershire sauce doesn’t overpower everything. Think I’ll try it on our camping trek in August (Cornwall), if the rain stops for long enough
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I am from Texas where venison seems more common than beef. However I never see many recipes. Thanks so much for sharing…can’t wait to try!
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Looks good but I can’t do it. My b-i-l shot one a few years ago and it was too warm on Thanksgiving to “process” it outdoors so it took six hours in my in-laws’ kitchen. Yes, we got a packet to take home and no, it was not a loin. Two years in the freezer, when we moved it was tossed. Sorry, Bambi, for everything.
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Mmmm! I haven’t had venison in ages! This looks yum!
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Oh deer! This sounds interesting. (Sorry…couldn’t resist.)
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If only we could get venison here where I am in Ireland! It is without doubt the best of all meats, and the farmed stuff we get in the supermarkets does is NOT the wild venison I used to get in Scotland.
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