I’m a Meatetarian

Grandma told me, "Meat makes the meal". I’m not big on snails, snakes or gator meat. I like real meat. I’m talking about foul, fish and red meat here. Is there anything better than fried potatoes, onions, and venison steak? I don’t think so.

I’ve had some wonderful meals of wild game and I’ve had some that were not so wonderful.

I've eaten venison that was so good it made your taste buds want to slap your brains out and I’ve had some the dogs wouldn’t eat.

There is a difference in taste of venison from the corn and acorn fed deer of the Midwest and the twig, moss and leaf fed deer of the north country. But the biggest difference in flavor is determined by how the animal was killed.

Deer which are unaware of the hunter and are killed instantly will be tender and delicious. Those scared and full of adrenalin will be tough and strong flavored. You can even taste the difference in the meat from a deer which has seen you and one whch has not. It’s not the meat that tastes bad, it’s the adrenalin in the meat that tastes bad. A poorly killed animal will leave a bad taste in your mouth for a long time.

I know, I’ve eaten my way through a lot of them.

Good venison requires nothing more than a little salt, a little pepper, and a frying pan. (I like mine rare)

Just in case you ever find yourself with a less than delicious supply of meat here are a couple of ways to prepare venison which will remove the nasty adrenalin flavor.

Even people who won’t eat venison love this one. My friend, Raelene, soaks her venison in milk for a few minutes and then breads the steaks in a mixture of flour, salt, and pepper before frying. It is a wonderful way to take the gamey flavor out of the meat and is one of the best methods to prepare venison ever. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Another trick is cinnamon. A very light dusting of cinnamon (similar to making French Toast , don’t use too much or you’ll taste the cinnamon.) prior to frying will remove any adrenalin taste. Simply season as you normally would and the flavor will be wonderful.

Tough meat is common with big bucks. Since venison lacks the fat enzymes necessary to break down the meat naturally, you’ll need to use a mechanical meat tenderizer. Both Jaccard and Deni companies make great multi-blade meat tenderizers. Warning: Don’t test the sharpness of the blades against your hand. It hurts like hell and you’ll be bleeding profusely. Not that I would know, of course. :)

Good Luck and Good Hunting,

Jim
http://jimcollyer.com/
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