Help! Cooking Venison Shoulder...

[Kim Shook]

So, we've got two of these suckers.  One is 4 lb. 6 oz., the other is 4 lb. 9 oz.  I need some guidance.  Actually, if someone could come over here and SHOW me how to cook them, I'd appreciate it.  😁  Seriously, I'm in need.  How much meat will I actually get off this thing?  Mr. Kim is looking on his smoking sites and they aren't encouraging about smoking this cut.  Someone suggested jerky!  Of course, I'm thinking @Shelby, but anyone who knows about this, please chime in!  Thanks!!!

[Martin Fisher]

Folks prepare them in many different ways.

I grew up on deer!

I don't mess with whole shoulder.

It's a big challenge as there's a lot of connective tissue, toughness, and such there.

I grind it.

I really love Swedish meatballs made with venison—rådjur  köttbullen (or something like that...LOL!)

It's one of my favorite foods!

 

[Martin Fisher]

Well, I have used 'seam butchery' to remove the best parts for 'steak*' and such.

But that's a lot of work.

I almost always grind it.

The older I get, the lazier I get!

 

*sort of like chicken-fried steak.

Edited January 5, 2019 by DiggingDogFarm (log)

[Shelby]

Hi Kim!  That meat looks lovely.  Just by looking at the color of the meat, it looks tender to me.

 

Like Martin, we make burger out of a lot of the shoulders.....but since you have that whole wonderful bone-in piece, I think you should do it low and slow.  Like all day slow.  It looks too big for the slow cooker, is it?

 

If it's too big for the slow cooker, I'd rub it generously with salt and pepper and put it in a big, deep roasting pan on top of a bunch of sliced onions, carrots, potatoes and chunks of garlic (salt and pepper the veggies, too, a bit).  Then pour a nice beef broth (if it's store bought broth, cut back on the salt in other places if the broth is super salty) in so that it mostly covers all the meat.  Cover tightly with foil and put it in the oven at 200F for at least 5 hours (Check at 5 hours--it might need way more so start early in the day--you can always keep it warm and you want it falling off the bone tender).  If it fits in the slow cooker, do the same steps only on low for like 10 hours.  I used to do that with venison roasts when I was still working.  I'd start one at 6 in the morning and by 7:30 at night it was so tender and good.  You can add some cornstarch to the broth after removing the roast and veggies and make a nice gravy, too.

 

 

This website is one that I trust and have made several recipes off of--this should give you a direction to start in. 

 

And another link from the same site that might be helpful

 

Just remember you can't go wrong with low and slow and covered in tasty broth  

[kayb]

I'd second @Shelby's recommendation, but i'd cook it in red wine. Love venison in red wine. Just get a box of the relatively cheap plonk, and cover it 3/4 of the way, atop the onions, etc. And let me know when dinner is.

 

[kayb]

@Kim Shook

 

Hank Shaw's blog, Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, has a post today about venison marinades. While this post doesn't discuss actually cooking the venison, a search within his blog for "venison roast" turns up several dozen. Might be worth a look.

 

 

Edited January 7, 2019 by kayb (log)

[Martin Fisher]

On 1/5/2019 at 12:59 AM, DiggingDogFarm said:

rådjur  köttbullen

 

"Rådjursköttbullar" is what I was attempting to recall. 

[Baron d'Apcher]

Consider cutting the shank and simmering with beans until both are tender, like cassoulet.

 

For Swedish Christmas I deboned 2 shoulders, wrapped them in caul fat* nice & snug with herbs and braised until tender with root veg and chicken (or lamb) stock fortified with roasted bones.

*Wrap the shoulder tightly in heavy-duty tin foil like a Tootsie pop and chill in the freezer until firm, easier to wrap.

 

Pic is everything raw.  The shoulders and veg were browned in bacon fat and braised uncovered @250F, flipped every 1/2 hour until tender and the strained sauce was finished with a splash of Sherry vinegar, dried cranberries and chestnuts.

 

[LivingMCM]

I would stew it in beer. Everything is better when stewed in beer.