elk flank and ground venison

Venison

Enjoy the rewards of the hunt without spending all day in the woods! Venison is one of the most popular exotic meats, particularly in the USA. What we carry is entirely USA farm-raised, USDA inspected. Although, while the term is commonly used for deer meat, many use the term to cover a broader group of game hunting, including elk, caribou, or antelope.

One aspect that makes it appealing is how it is cut and divided into portions. In general, it is cut nearly identically to beef, producing steaks, roasts, ground meat and stew meat.

Despite being cut similarly to beef, the texture and flavor is not so similar. We personally love venison, but take a look to see if it sounds as good to you too. Flavor-wise, it is a “gamey” meat, packing a uniquely rich, earthy flavor. This is in part due to the animal’s diet consisting largely of grass, fruit, berries, leaves and twigs. It may even hold a slightly nutty flavor depending on the quantity of nuts the animal has consumed.

Texture-wise, it is firmer and smoother than beef, although it isn’t quite as juicy due to being far leaner. In particular though, the bottom round cut tends to be the juiciest option from the animal. If you find it to be tough, try marinating it to add more flavor and increase tenderness.

What Can I Use It For?

Venison is far more versatile than you may think. For the ground meat, it is wonderful made into burgers or used in a chili. For chili, you can make it nearly identically to a beef chili, but simply switch out the meat. Add in all the classic accompaniments, such as bell peppers, white onion, kidney beans, seasonings, and whatever else you enjoy in your homemade chili. Keep an eye out for our Chefs’ Venison Chili, made on occasion and available in our prepared meals fridge.

Other main cuts include venison rack or tenderloin, which can be roasted in the oven and served as an exotic roast. Follow along with Chef Miller’s “Roasting a Venison Rack” YouTube video linked here.

Products We Carry

While our options are always growing, these are the products we carry in our store: