Deer Recipes

When I first started cooking with deer, I was very intimidated by it.  I had heard so many people talk about how deer is “gamey” and it tasted like sage brush.  If you caught a deer on the run when you shot it, your meat was going to be ruined.  On and on the stories went.  I figured the best I could get out of my deer harvest was jerky and sausage.  If I got brave and cooked a steak it would need to be enclosed in a heavy bacon wrap in order to hide the inevitable flavor of gamey deer.  The very first recipe I tried with deer was a thinly sliced steak topped with gorgonzola cheese and fresh herbs.  It was the perfect meal, gooey and flavorful, hitting every taste bud on my tongue.  It filled my kitchen with fresh herb smells.  And it was beautiful to just look at with the touches of green dancing against the white bed of melted cheese.  I quickly rejected every stereotype about preparing deer I had developed and embarked on a culinary quest of cooking deer, and the rest is history.  Here are some of my favorite deer dishes.  Enjoy!

Deer Tenderloin Eggs Benedict with a Tarragon Béarnaise Sauce – Open face sour dough topped with sliced deer tenderloin, beef steak tomato, poached egg, and tarragon béarnaise sauce.

Gorgonzola Topped Deer Tenderloin – Thinly sliced deer tenderloin steaks topped with melted gorgonzola cheese and fresh minced sage, thyme, and rosemary.

Pepper Jack Venison Steak and Onion Sandwich – A recipe by Deer Recipes author Amanda!

Seared Deer Steaks in a Cilantro, Lime, Jalapeno Sauce – Thick cut deer steaks drenched in a lime, jalapeno, and cilantro sauce with hints of ginger and garlic.  Topped with avocado and roasted tomatoes.

Venison Bourguignon – A slow cooked dish filled with carrots, celery, garlic, white pearl onions, cremini mushrooms, and of course red wine marinated venison!

Whiskey Rosemary Cream Sauce over Deer Steak and Mushrooms– A tender cooked deer steak covered in a creamy whiskey and rosemary sauce topped with mushrooms.