Venison Recipes For The Hunter’s Family

Venison Recipes For The Hunter’s Family

Deer season is coming to an end so some of us have venison meat in our freezers. Once you get the meat back, depending on how you had it divided up at the butcher, here are some delicious recipes for the whole family! 

Venison Chili

Chili is an easy recipe for ground venison. Most butchers will mix the venison with some ground beef or sausage in the packaging making this recipe extra delicious. Some people would say just use your beef chili recipe and swap the meat; however, the wild game taste may not work out so well. Here is a recipe that makes a savory chili without the wild game taste.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced 
• 2 green bell peppers, diced
• 1 lb. ground venison
• 4–5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 and ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste 
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 orange, juiced 
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 and 1/2 cups of beef stock
• 28 oz diced tomatoes, drained 
• 15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed 
• 15 oz kidney beans, drained and rinsed 

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion and peppers and cook until the onions start to become translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Next, add the venison and brown it. 
3. Next add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper to the venison mixture. Sauté for 1-2 minutes and then add the tomato paste. Cook for an additional minute, add the tomato paste. 
4. Add to the pot the Worcestershire sauce, orange juice, and lime juice. Scrape the bottom of the pot and add the stock, tomatoes, and beans. 
5. Stir well and bring the chili to a boil. 
6. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, partially cover with a lid and let the pot simmer for at least 30 minutes. 
7. Top with your favorite chili toppings like shredded cheddar cheese or sour cream, and serve.

Venison Tacos

This is one of my go-to crockpot recipes with either ground beef or venison. This recipe does require some prep before putting everything in the crockpot.

Ingredients:

• One lb of Ground Venison
• One 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
• One small yellow onion (diced)
• Two tablespoons of Taco Seasoning (My favorite is Trader Joe’s Taco Season Packages)
• One Tablespoon of Vegetable oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• One lime, juiced

1. Add the vegetable oil to a large pan and brown the meat. 
2. Drain the excess fat/oil. 
3. Add the onion and diced tomatoes to the crockpot. Mix it up. 
4. Add the taco seasoning to the crockpot next and mix everything. 
5. Lastly, add the browned meat and juiced limed. Mix everything up one last time. 
6. Set the crockpot on low for 5 hours or high for 3 hours.
7. Chop up some tomatoes, avocado, and onions. Set aside hard-shell tacos or soft-shell tacos, shredded cheese, sour cream and make a taco bar. 

Venison Wellington

This is my “fancy” venison recipe. Hahaha. My hubby likes to call it the fanciest hot pocket he’s ever had. Great for a fancy meal or date night!

Ingredients

For the duxelles (fancy for sauce/garnish):

• 1 pound of mushrooms 
• 2 shallots, small
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 TBSP of salted butter
• 1 tsp of salt
• ½ tsp of black pepper
• 2 tsp of fresh thyme

For the Wellington:

• 1 ½ pound venison tenderloin cut in half or backstrap
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoon Grapeseed oil (or Olive Oil if you don’t have Grapeseed)
• 12 slices prosciutto
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• 2 sheets of puff pastry thawed according to package directions.
• 1 egg beaten

1. Wrap the tenderloin/backstrap pieces with butcher’s twine in 1-inch sections. Season each tenderloin with salt and pepper and set aside while you prepare the duxelles.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the mushrooms, shallots, and garlic until very fine. 
3. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
4. Add the mushroom mixture to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. 
5. Stir occasionally for ten minutes. 
6. Remove from heat and stir in fresh thyme. Set duxelles aside.
7. Next heat a cast iron pan over high heat. 
8. Add 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil/olive oil to the pan and when the oil begins shimmering, add the tenderloin. Sear on each side for 1 minute. 
9. Remove from the pan and set on a plate to rest. Once cooled, cut off the butcher twine.
10. Next make the prosciutto layer by placing the 6 pieces of prosciutto slightly overlapping over one another on a large piece of plastic wrap. 
11. Spread half of the duxelles over the prosciutto. Brush the tops with Dijon mustard.
12.  Place one of the tenderloin pieces, mustard side down, on the bottom of the prosciutto and duxelles. Brush with more Dijon mustard.
13. Using the plastic wrap to help, wrap the prosciutto tightly around the venison tenderloin. Seal each end by twisting them.
14. Repeat the process with the second tenderloin, creating another layer of prosciutto and using the second half of the duxelles. You will now have two pieces of wrapped venison tenderloin. Chill for at least 25 minutes, or overnight.
15. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
16. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the puff pastry sheets just a tad.
17. Rotate the pastry so it has a corner pointing toward you, like a diamond. Place a wrapped tenderloin in the center of the puff pastry. Fold the corner facing you up and over the tenderloin and brush with egg wash. Fold in each end corner and brush with more egg wash. Fold over the top and press down the seams with the back of a spoon or fork before brushing with egg wash. Repeat the process with the second wrapped tenderloin and the second sheet of puff pastry. Slice slits into the top of the pastry with a sharp knife.
18. Bake Venison Wellington in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the venison registers 130 degrees.
19.  Remove from the oven and allow Wellington to rest for 10 – 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Enjoy!!!