Oh, Deer!

So, my neighbor gifted me with 5 lbs of ground venison this Christmas. SCORE! I love game meats. Elk and caribou are my favorites followed by bison, moose, venison and antelope. I have tried alligator, bear, and kangaroo - wasn't too keen on those. Anyway, with the onset of colder weather, I decided to make some venison chopped steak for dinner. It was divine! Hubs is not big on game meat so I am happy to say the remaining 4 pounds are all MINE!

A couple of special steps were necessary for this recipe due to the natural leanness of venison. The first was to make a pomade to add fat to the meat. The second was using a good red wine to mellow out any gaminess in the meat. To accomplish this I mixed bread, wine, and a good amount of bacon fat into a paste and mixed that into the meat and let it sit overnight. I didn't originally intend to let it sit but life got in the way and I had to wait a day to cook this meal.

Chopped Venison Steak

1 lb ground venison
1-2 slices stale white bread (I used and old hot dog bun)
2-3 T good red wine (I used a cabernet)
3 T rendered bacon fat, softened to room temp
1 Tbs Penzey's Chicago Steak Seasoning
2-3 shakes worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp gravy master or kitchen bouquet
1 tsp dried shallots

1 - Mix bread, wine, and bacon fat into a paste (e.g. pomade)
2 - add pomade and remaining seasonings to meat mixture and incorporate into the ground venison thoroughly.
3 - Set aside or refrigerate overnight

4 - Oil and heat a cast iron skillet until hot
5 - Shape meat mixture into at least 4 hamburger steaks
6 - Add steaks to hot skillet and brown on each side
7 - Remove steaks from pan and set aside.
8 - Add 2-3 cloves of chopped garlic to pan and quickly saute
9 - Deglaze pan with a splash of red wine
10 - Return steaks to skillet and add 1-2 cups beef broth (or water + bouillon cube)
11 - add the following seasoning to the skillet:

1 bay leaf
2 juniper berries
1 pinch of thyme

12 - reduce heat, cover and simmer until cooked through.
Thicken sauce with a slurry of cornstarch and water to make a gravy. Enjoy