Venison is on the menu: Tasty preparations of local deer meat 

High on the list of attributes that make Shelter Island special is the availability of venison from a refrigerated unit at the Town Recycling Center. 

Thanks to the hunting programs welcomed by the Town government to reduce the deer population as well as the risk of diseases carried by deer ticks, the deer meat is butchered and offered free to residents.

Numbers provided in November by Beau Payne, a Police Department liaison to the Town’s Deer & Tick Committee, show an increase in hunters and deer taken by them. The hunters were able to supply 183.6 pounds of venison available to residents without charge.

Deer & Tick Committee member Julia Weisenberg is an experienced hunter who has been mentoring youth hunters and some adults on the Island in a group called Kinfolk Collective. The Reporter asked Ms. Weisenberg for recommendations on how the venison might be prepared.

Her recipe for Venison Loin is simple and straightforward:

Do a garlic, onion, thyme and tarragon rub. Salt and pepper, then cook in a cast-iron pan, 2 to 3 minutes on each side, using butter.

Never more than medium rare: “A good venison loin is treated like filet mignon. Never overcook,” she warns.

For less tender cuts of meat, a venison stew is perfect. I have a vivid memory of the Passionist Fathers who had a Monastery on the Island years ago, sharing with my family a portion of venison that a hunter had given them.

My father found a venison stew recipe in a cookbook at the library, and its main ingredient other than the deer meat, juniper berries, is absolutely essential to its flavor. The recipe below, adapted from Craig Claiborne’s Cooking with Herbs and Spices, captures that perfect blend of savory aromas and tastes that is well worth the wait to slow cook it to perfection:

Venison Stew

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vinegar

3 sprigs parsley

2 carrots

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 leeks, trimmed, split down the 
   center, washed and chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 crushed cloves garlic

12 juniper berries

1 teaspoon each leaf sage, coriander,    
   rosemary and marjoram

5 pounds venison, cut in 2-inch cubes

1 bottle dry red wine

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 cup flour

Water or stock to cover

1/2 pound small white onions, peeled

3/4 cup diced salt pork

1 pound mushrooms, quartered

Directions:

1. Combine vinegar, parsley, carrots, onion, leeks, celery and garlic in a saucepan. Tie the juniper berries and spices in a small cheesecloth bag and add them. Bring to a boil.

2. Place the venison in an enamel or stainless steel container and pour the hot spice mixture over it. Add enough dry red wine to cover. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let stand in the refrigerator overnight or longer. 

3. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

4. Drain the meat, discard the cheesecloth bag but reserve the chopped vegetables and the marinating liquid.

5. Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the meat well, a few pieces at a time. As the meat browns, transfer it to a large pot or Dutch oven.

6. Sprinkle the meat with thyme and salt and pepper. Place the pot over moderate heat. Sprinkle the meat with flour and stir until the meat is evenly coated. Add the marinating liquid and vegetables and, if necessary, water or stock to cover. Bring to a boil, then transfer the pot to the oven. Cook two to four hours depending on the age and tenderness of the meat. When done, the meat should be tender.

7. Meanwhile, peel the onions and cook them in water to cover until they are nearly tender. Drain.

8. Place the salt pork in a small saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook two minutes. Drain. Cook the salt pork in a small skillet until golden brown.

9. Add the mushrooms to the salt pork. Add the onions and cook briefly, stirring. Add the salt pork, mushrooms and onions to the stew and stir. Cook briefly and serve hot.
Yield: 8 to 12 servings