Success with Bertha!

In my last post I shared the story of my husband's hunting victory this November, a doe I call Bertha, and my inexperience with cooking venison.

With Bertha staring me down every time I went for the ice cream and my husband begging for something delicious to eat, I nervously began my search for a great venison roast recipe. And it didn't take long to find one that seemed credible enough with the non-lifer venison eater, such as myself. 

I was a little skeptical when I read that this recipe removes the gamey taste of venison but as I sampled my finished product this evening, I am a true believer. I stand corrected...venison CAN taste like beef...if cooked the right way. 

This is the first recipe (if you can even call it that) I have shared on here and probably the last as I am not an avid cook or baker.  But I am so impressed with this marinade!

 

Deer Roast Marinade 

I took out a roast from the freezer and allowed it to thaw in the fridge. Then I placed it in a shallow pan and soaked it in milk overnight. This is the secret!! The milk pulls out the blood from the meat leaving the roast with a less gamey taste. the recipe called for whole milk but I just used 2% and it worked perfectly. 

The next morning I drained the milk, which looked much like the strawberry milk I used to drink when I was little, from the pan, washed and dried the pan. I rinsed the roast well and placed it back in the clean pan. Then I poured a bottle of Italian dressing over the roast. I let it marinade over night, or at least 8 hours. 

When it was done marinading I put the roast in a slow cooker on low for 5 hours. I threw in some potatoes, celery, carrots, thyme, onion powder and celery salt. The recipe I discovered said to put it in the oven for 3 hours, but I prefer the slow cooker so I extended the time and Jason, the venison expert, checked the meat for me when it was done. 

It takes a bit of planning, with a couple nights of soaking and marinading, but the finished roast is AMAZING. My husband loved it and was amazed with how beef-like it tasted. The veggies were great and soaked up the Italian dressing favor perfectly, sweet and tangy.

I cannot wait to see what else I come up with. And I am now ready to look forward to many winters of enjoying the rewards of the hunt.