Credit:
Kurt Brownell
Text: At a recent lunch, the subject of venison came up,
with one friend saying how awful he always finds it. Another friend and I
defended it, saying we’d had delicious venison many times. It got me wondering
about how best to deal with deer meat, and so I asked a couple of hunter
friends about it.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “I get about 90 percent of my
family’s red meat out of three deer,” Dave Sluberski told me. That’s part of
the draw of hunting, but when you add up the costs — equipment, licenses,
butchering — it isn’t extremely economical. What many hunters talk about is
family tradition and the draw of being out in the woods.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Those of us who don’t do it might
imagine hunting to be one big rush of blood-lust testosterone, but a hunter may
spend as much as 100 hours in the woods in order to kill a single deer, and
might not get one at all. If the time alone with nature doesn’t appeal, you
won’t stick with it.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย If you do, and you can manage to bag
a 200-pound buck (that’s big, folks), you’ll end up with about 50 pounds of
venison. When you kill a deer, the first step is to “field dress” it, which
means taking out the guts. Jim Barbero explained the process to me, stressing the
importance of opening the body cavity so that it cools down more quickly,
meaning the meat won’t start to spoil.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Lots can go wrong at this point.
Sluberski said one reason he prefers bow hunting is that an arrow does so much
less damage to the meat than a shotgun does. Barbero pointed out that a broken
bladder or too much bleeding can taint the meat, making it inedible. But let’s
say you do mange to get that carcass back home. Then what?
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย You have to either have it
butchered, or do it yourself. Sluberski used to hire a butcher, but that’s
become rather expensive (one butcher told me about $60 for a good-sized
animal). He also knows enough about how his family uses the meat to want it cut
and packaged a certain way. It takes him about eight hours to fully butcher a
deer. Both guys completely debone their venison, and Sluberski says it’s
especially important to get all the fat and “silver skin” off as soon as
possible. “A lot of what people call the ‘gamy’ taste of the venison is because
of that,” he explained, “and I defy anyone to taste that in my meat.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย This is an interesting difference
between venison and steak. In the latter, fat provides flavor and tenderizes
the meat during cooking. Venison, because it is so lean, needs to be cooked as
little as possible to keep it from drying out and becoming tough. All hunters
rave about deer tenderloin (many like it raw). Barbero likes to cook it quickly
over a very smoky fire. Sluberski likes his steaks marinated four hours in
Montreal Steak Seasoning, then cooked fast and hot.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Sluberski also raved about his wife
Lisa’s venison tips Marsala. I still remember how good his venison chili was
from 12 years ago when we worked together. (“Everybody makes chili,” he said.)
He also makes sausage, although he uses only about 10 percent venison mixed
with pork butt (all venison would be too dry).
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Both Sluberski and Barbero admit
that some venison cuts are fairly tough. Some of that will become hamburger or
sausage. Stewing for a long time is one way to make it more tender. Another
popular approach is to make jerky. Some jerky recipes call for marinating,
others just use a salt and spice rub. Either way, you’ll want strips cut with
the grain, between 1/8- and 1/4-inch thick. You can dry jerky in an oven,
smoker, or dehydrator. Whichever you use, it’s a long, slow process at very low
heat (between 120 and 160 degrees).
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Barbero started hunting when he was
16, and Sluberski also started that young, learning from his father. Both have
two sons, and intend to pass on the tradition. Sluberski’s boys are eight and
11, and he has them doing target practice with bows. When his eldest turns 12,
he’ll buy him a shotgun. He also made the investment of buying lifetime
licenses for both boys before they were five. At that age, you’re not sure
they’ll use them, but if they do, it will have been a bargain at $250. The boys
are interested now, but even had they not been, Sluberski says he would have
felt fine about supporting the state’s program and conservation efforts.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The hunting season goes through much
of the fall and some of the winter, but is complicated, with different seasons
based on area of the state, game, and weapons. The New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation has a web site with all the information (www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/worhunt.html).
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย In the Southern Zone, which includes
most of upstate except for the Adirondack region, this year’s season for deer
begins with bow hunting from October 15 to November 17, then regular (shotgun)
hunting from November 18 to December 10, and finally another five days of bow
hunting after that.
This article appears in Sep 11-17, 2002.
