A Most Delicious Game

Talking on #gunblogger_conspiracy the other day, we got on the topic of venison recipes. I mentioned that I had some great success with chicken fried venison. I figured this to be a relatively simple recipe and not really outstanding. Judging from the remarks in the channel, apparently no one was familiar with the preparation process I use.

I actually learned the basics of my hand breading techniques during my short stint in the fast food industry, and have refined my process through my years of bachelor cooking. This particular recipe was an instant hit with my girlfriend, who is quite the picky eater, and was put off by the thought of eating game meat before she knew me.

I use whatever pieces of meat I have on-hand. The prep for this post was done with shoulder and front leg meat. The reason this recipe is a good for these pieces of meat is because you can work with small parts. These parts of the deer tend to have a lot of tendon and connective tissues that need to be stripped out of the meat for cooking. Keep in mind that the finished product will be around 3 times the length and width of the original piece of meat (and much thicker). My fryer is relatively small, so I can't make the Texas-sized pieces I'd like to.

This recipe should work for pan-frying as well, though you may have to adjust cooking time a bit.

Chicken Fried Venison

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of venison, divided into pieces.
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 generous pinch of rubbed sage


Preparation:

Heat your fryer to 350 degrees Farenheit.

Before starting, it is important to wash your hands and clean your fingernails well. This breading method is improved by getting the coating on your hands and then rubbing off the stuck batter back into the flour mix as you work. This will create more "crispies".

Venison pieces should be around 3-4 inches in diameter, though this can be adjusted more or less, depending on how big you want to make your steaks. Tenderize the venison pieces thin and flat with a tenderizing mallet.


In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the milk and egg using a fork or whisk.

In another medium-large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, and sage - mixed loosely to make sure spices are spread throughout the flour.

Take a tenderized steak and coat it thoroughly in eggwash. Transfer it to the flour coating bowl and place it in the center. Pile flour from around it on top, and push the flour downward into the steak with your fist or heel of your hand. Flip and press flour in again. Repeat the eggwash/flour process.


Place the steak in the fryer for around 5 minutes, turning over after 3 minutes. The steaks should be lightly browned when ready. Remove steak and drain oil off, then place on a napkin-covered plate to remove excess oil.



Serve with cream gravy and your choice of vegetables.
Recipe serves 3-4.