With 5 hunters in the family, we have usually had venison to cook. To fry venison steaks, I believe it takes a wood stove, a cast iron frying pan, and a lot of practice. Aunt Katy could fry the steak to perfection.

I remember sitting around the big table in her kitchen at “The Ranch” up McClellan Creek, eating venison steak with baking powder biscuits that were as light as a feather. She was a very special person. She was the only person I knew who could cook deer ribs that didn’t taste “wild.” I think it was because she cooked them in the oven of her wood stove

Not having a wood stove handy, I like the steaks cut thin, then rolled in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, or some Lowry’s, Timberline, or Alpine Touch Seasoning. Cook over medium heat, in a cast iron pan, just until brown. I used to save bacon grease specifically for this purpose but now use olive oil, even if it isn’t as flavorful.

Since venison, deer or elk, doesn’t have a lot of fat in it, it can be dry when roasted. To make it more moist, I would place the roast, which had been salted and peppered and coated with flour, and browned on all sides in a frying pan, on a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil.

Slice an onion over it and drape with several slices of bacon. Add a half cup of water and seal the package tightly. Place the foil package in another baking pan and place in a 350 oven for 2½ to 3 hours depending on the size of the roast.

Be careful when you open the foil package because it will be hot and steam can burn. For a little variety, add a can of mushroom soup to the foil package instead of the water. If you add mushroom soup, you will have some good gravy. Just remember to seal the foil package tightly before placing in the oven.

Venison can also be cooked as swiss steak (brown the meat, season, and cover with a can of cream soup), or cut in chunks and covered with barbecue sauce. Either way, bake in the oven, covered with a lid or foil, at 350º for about an hour. Serve over rice. When you have a lot of venison to use, it’s easy to become creative in a hurry!

Antelope is my favorite wild meat and it can be cooked in any of the ways outlined above.
Since Jim and Ted have become so proficient at making sausage, much of our venison is now used for that purpose.