Run, Bambi, Run: Cooking Venison

By Spencer Bradley on June 8, 2013

As a college student, one tends to become overly reliant upon prepackaged food. That’s bad, m’kay? Not that there is anything morally wrong about buying food or going out to eat, but there is a world of cooking, enjoyment and knowledge that is being bypassed to grab a cup of ramen. So, every week I will write a review, a critique or a discussion of food and cooking techniques, from a home cook perspective.

Today’s topic is something you’ve probably never thought of: what is the difference between venison and beef? Why compare venison to beef? Hell, who even eats venison? Well, obviously hunters, but venison is an old American delicacy and a European favorite. Since college students have a propensity to travel to the old world, I decided it would be fitting, as a cook of venison, to discuss the finer points of the meat, and compare it to something we all know: beef. So, what are the differences in cooking venison?

When you look at raw venison and beef, the first thing that comes to mind is that you’re eating Bambi. Yes, I’m sorry but the little Disney cartoon told a hard truth; deer are delicious animals. Think of it this way, if we didn’t eat them, they’d be running across the road far more than they do already. That’ll just mess up your car. Really, it’s better this way. ‘Least they have a chance.

However, returning to our metaphysical slabs of meat, you’ll notice a difference in the meats. Venison is darker than beef. There is a reason for this; venison has very little fat. Four ounces of venison only has 2.96 grams of fat in it. How much protein? A whopping 33.79. Yes, venison is a healthier substitute to beef, as it has far less fat, and it is raised in the wild. Our bovine friend is a far fattier meat, for every ounce it possesses 4.26 grams of fat. That’s roughly 17 grams per four ounces, the protein conversion of far less than venison, with only roughly 28 grams of protein for four ounces. So, my readers who wish to lose weight or build muscle, go find some Bambi and eat him, and gain his muscle.

However, a question is raised, “why not eat venison?” Besides the unregulated nature of venison in the United States, the meat itself is vastly different from conventional American cuisine. As opposed to pork, which you cook through, and beef, which can be cooked in a variety of ways and retains the same flavor, venison possesses a gamey, meaty taste and is served rare to medium. Furthermore, beef has a distinct flavor, and is comforting to eat. This is because beef is a fatty meat. It’s flavorful because of the marbling in the cut. Venison, as I’ve pointed out, is lacking in the fat department. So the question now is “how to cook it and keep it delicious and edible?”

A cut of venison, cooked medium.

When cooking venison, the meat requires flavoring to compensate for the lack of marbling. Herbs and spices allow the meat to gain flavors and mellow out the gamey-ness of the meat.  As a rookie to venison preparation, using herbs and spices you use with beef will transfer well to cooking venison. Treat venison as a gamier, leaner steak and cooking it to medium rare-medium will initiate you well into wild game foods. What needs to be understood is venison is a leaver beef. If you can cook beef, you can cook venison. What is necessary is an understanding of herbs and spices. Earthy spices, such as cumin, curry, and herbs, such as rosemary, enhance the flavor of venison and can produce a flavorful cut that is healthier than its bovine rival. Further, a fruit based sauce blends with venison, as opposed to beef.

As for beloved beef? Beef and venison meld well together. Ground beef and venison create a leaner burger, but retain the juices and fattiness of the beef. Don’t run away from beef, but realize that it is a mass-produced product. If given the chance, venison can replace beef.

Next week, we’ll discuss everyone’s favorite summer cooking style: grilling.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format