Braised Venison

[fifi]

We may ditch the apples. Nephew and most of the rest of the family don't like sweet with meat. But I might prevail. I don't think Granny Smiths would come out sweet in that mix. Worchestershire always gets his attention.

[Mabelline]

Yep, SO is the same. Only he calls it "bug juice', like that tobacco juice from grasshoppers. His dad taught him that (bless his heart).

[Mayhaw Man]

Yes. More details please. We have a pretty good set of backstraps to deal with.

Okra in cornbread? GET A ROPE!

Texans have such an interesting way of asking for information.

First you express interest in the fabulous dish that I described above.

Next you threaten to hang me.

I am so confused

The bacon was sauteed along with the onions for just a couple of minutes. It is important that the bacon not be completely cooked, as the pork fat is essential in keeping the meat moist, as venison tends to dry out pretty quickly (it is lean to begin with). The apples were pretty finely chopped and all of these items were mixed together and trussed into the backstrap.

Coals were lit and I didn't wait very long to spread them out and start cooking. The meat was constantly basted and turned regularly (by regularly I mean almost constantly, I was not looking for charring here. Once again, this is very lean meat and does not do well when overcooked). After roughly twenty minutes of this I judged it to be done.

The venison was allowed to rest under aluminum foil in a warm oven (app. 100 degrees F) and then sliced into medallions.

I hope this helps. I am now heading for the hideout in order to avoid the neck tie party.

p.s.- The okra in the cornbread complimented the venison nicely. Some of you who are resisting this delicious pod should perhaps leave your sheltered existances and eat up.

[Mayhaw Man]

That sounds incredible, Brooks. You seem to know a great deal about venison. Does your knowledge include the effect on the taste/quality of venison of available forage? Does rice, for instance, account for much (or any) of a deer's diet where you are?

Is there any part of the country renowned for the succulence of its wild venison?

I am sure that what the seer eat affects how they taste. The deer that I am used to dealing with have pretty much only been eating acorns and pecans in the winter months and spend their summers messing up soy bean plots (you should see what a nice size herd of deer can do to soy bean plants that have had about two weeks to come up, it is much like the above ground version of Bugs Bunny going through the carrot plot) and eating immature rice shoots. Mid summer dining includes blackberries and maturing soybeans.

After considering your question a little bit I would say that the venison that I have been eating all of my life does have a distinctive "nutty taste", but not overwhelming.

[fifi]

I am not sure we would ever know what the difference the diet makes since deer season is only fall/winter as far as I know. Like Brooks, our deer have been mostly noshing on acorns and pecans. Probably mainly acorns.

Last summer, I suggested on the garden thread, where folks were covered up with basil, that they get a lamb and feed it up. I wonder what would happen to venison if you planted your hunting lease with a bunch of herbs. Down here on the gulf coast, this is about the only time of year I have ever been able to grow any decent amount of thyme, for instance. I wonder if the buggers would eat it?