Steve Loder believes that where there's beef, there should be venison.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Dr. Saleem Ismail, keynote speaker at the second annual Coping and Caring workshop, speaks about dementia and Alzheimer's disease at the Holiday Inn Saturday morning.
Dr. Saleem Ismail, keynote speaker at the second annual Coping and Caring workshop, speaks about dementia and Alzheimer's disease at the Holiday Inn Saturday morning.
As a deer hunter and venison enthusiast for more than 40 years, Clyde native Loder has turned his love of the meat into a publishing venture that has so far spanned three books in the “Quality Venison, Homemade Recipes and Homespun Deer Tales” series.
For new venison eaters who may not know how best to prepare the meat, Loder suggests substituting it for beef in any recipe.
At the same time, beef can be swapped for venison in any of Loder's recipes.
“Not everyone gets their deer every year,” he said. “So I tell people, if you have a recipe that asks for three pounds of venison and you only have one and a half, just add beef to complement it.”
Although they are interchangeable in recipes, Loder feels venison is a preferable meat due to a richer taste and a leaner composition.
“You could fix a chili dish with venison and fix the same recipe with beef, and you'll notice the difference,” he said. “That's mainly due to the really good, natural vegetation deer eat versus what people are feeding domestic beef animals.”
Loder points out that deer often gravitate toward healthier food in their environment. He notes that deer will walk through one type of corn field in order to eat from another, healthier field.
Because it's so lean, venison also cooks faster than beef. Loder advises cooking it to medium rare in order to preserve its juices and tenderness. He believes many misconceive venison as a meat that is naturally rough and leathery after cooking.
“They think it's because of the venison or that it's a ‘tough deer,'” he said.
Herb or butter sauces are the best bets to keep the venison moist and stop it from drying out. Also, the fat should be removed in order to prevent a gamey taste. Fat left on the venison and freezer burn are the two most common causes of an unpleasant gamey taste, Loder said.
“The fat is the first thing to spoil, and the fat doesn't taste good anyways,” Loder said.
Aside from the taste, the nutritional benefits of venison make it an ideal alternative to beef. It carries a quarter less saturated fat and 40 percent less calories than beef, salmon and ham. Venison is also higher in protein.
Because it comes from deer, venison is also free of traces of the
antibiotics and growth hormones that may be used with beef animals.
Although Loder hunts his own venison, he feels it just as savory when purchased from wholesale meat distributors who properly bone, trim and wrap the meat. Wherever the venison comes from, he feels it makes for a rewarding meal.
Loder has been deer-hunting in the New York and Pennsylvania forests for 40 years and published the “Quality Venison” series as a means of spreading his taste for venison and recounting his tales of obtaining it. He compiles his recipes and tales into books with help from his wife, Gale, and together they've sold more than 65,000 copies of the “Quality Venison” series.
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
If you read
What: “Quality Venison, Homemade Recipes & Homespun Deer Tales”
Who: Gale and Steve Loder
Publisher: Loders' Game Publications, Inc.
Cost: $16.95
To order: Call (724) 824-2501 or visit www.
qualityvenisonbooks.com
Gale's chunky venison and mushroom chili
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound venison steak, cut in one-inch cubes
1 cup chopped green onions
4 teaspoons chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 pound fresh white mushrooms, quartered
2 (14-1/2-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
3 (14-1/2-ounce) cans red kidney beans, or chili beans
1 teaspoon salt
In a Dutch oven or large sauce pan heat oil until hot. Add venison, cook, stirring occasionally, until brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently. Stir in chili powder, cumin, garlic, black and cayenne pepper; cook, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms, tomatoes, beans and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered about 30-40 miunutes.
For new venison eaters who may not know how best to prepare the meat, Loder suggests substituting it for beef in any recipe.
At the same time, beef can be swapped for venison in any of Loder's recipes.
“Not everyone gets their deer every year,” he said. “So I tell people, if you have a recipe that asks for three pounds of venison and you only have one and a half, just add beef to complement it.”
Although they are interchangeable in recipes, Loder feels venison is a preferable meat due to a richer taste and a leaner composition.
“You could fix a chili dish with venison and fix the same recipe with beef, and you'll notice the difference,” he said. “That's mainly due to the really good, natural vegetation deer eat versus what people are feeding domestic beef animals.”
Loder points out that deer often gravitate toward healthier food in their environment. He notes that deer will walk through one type of corn field in order to eat from another, healthier field.
Because it's so lean, venison also cooks faster than beef. Loder advises cooking it to medium rare in order to preserve its juices and tenderness. He believes many misconceive venison as a meat that is naturally rough and leathery after cooking.
“They think it's because of the venison or that it's a ‘tough deer,'” he said.
Herb or butter sauces are the best bets to keep the venison moist and stop it from drying out. Also, the fat should be removed in order to prevent a gamey taste. Fat left on the venison and freezer burn are the two most common causes of an unpleasant gamey taste, Loder said.
“The fat is the first thing to spoil, and the fat doesn't taste good anyways,” Loder said.
Aside from the taste, the nutritional benefits of venison make it an ideal alternative to beef. It carries a quarter less saturated fat and 40 percent less calories than beef, salmon and ham. Venison is also higher in protein.
Because it comes from deer, venison is also free of traces of the
antibiotics and growth hormones that may be used with beef animals.
Although Loder hunts his own venison, he feels it just as savory when purchased from wholesale meat distributors who properly bone, trim and wrap the meat. Wherever the venison comes from, he feels it makes for a rewarding meal.
Loder has been deer-hunting in the New York and Pennsylvania forests for 40 years and published the “Quality Venison” series as a means of spreading his taste for venison and recounting his tales of obtaining it. He compiles his recipes and tales into books with help from his wife, Gale, and together they've sold more than 65,000 copies of the “Quality Venison” series.
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
If you read
What: “Quality Venison, Homemade Recipes & Homespun Deer Tales”
Who: Gale and Steve Loder
Publisher: Loders' Game Publications, Inc.
Cost: $16.95
To order: Call (724) 824-2501 or visit www.
qualityvenisonbooks.com
Gale's chunky venison and mushroom chili
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound venison steak, cut in one-inch cubes
1 cup chopped green onions
4 teaspoons chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 pound fresh white mushrooms, quartered
2 (14-1/2-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
3 (14-1/2-ounce) cans red kidney beans, or chili beans
1 teaspoon salt
In a Dutch oven or large sauce pan heat oil until hot. Add venison, cook, stirring occasionally, until brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently. Stir in chili powder, cumin, garlic, black and cayenne pepper; cook, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms, tomatoes, beans and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered about 30-40 miunutes.
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