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Savory Vension Sliders

This is a twist on your favorite burger recipe. The smaller size of sliders means they cook faster and kids love that they aren’t as daunting to tackle.

Main ingredients:

• Ground venison - 2 lbs
• Pork fat, bacon fat, or lard - 1 cup
• Onion - 1 red onion, minced
• Egg - 1 large brown egg
• Package of dry onion soup mix ( 2 - 1 oz pouches)
• Handful of dried cranberries

1 tsp of the following:

• Dried parsley
• Dried basil
• Dried oregano
• Cumin
• White pepper
• Salt
• Pepper

And, a squirt of lemon juice

When the sliders are done, have the following ready:

• Sliced medium cheddar
• Small, sliced tomatoes
• Your favorite mustard
• Dill pickles
• Small buns or rolls

Instructions: Mix all ingredients into ground venison. Using grill or cast-iron skillet, make patties about the size of your palm and make patties bigger than an inch, but not more than 2 inches. Cook to desired doneness. Put patties on buns and top sliders with cheddar, mustard, and sliced tomatoes. Serve with pickles, chips and a light salad.

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Apple juice marinade for venison backstrap

This marinade will enhance the natural flavors of a backstrap while also helping to tenderize it. Kansas State University has also found marinade can greatly reduce cancer-causing compounds that form when meat is grilled. To get these benefits, meat should be marinated in an acidic sauce for 60 minutes or more.

Ingredients:

• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 cup apple juice or cider
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions: Remove all silverskin and connective tissue, slice meat to approximately 1 or 2 inch portions. Add all ingredients into a glass or plastic container and marinate the meat for 24 hours before cooking.

Prepare a pan (preferably cast iron skillet), and add 2 tbsps of butter. Sear the venison medium-rare. Depending on how thick the venison is, this will take a few minutes. Use the finger test (external link) to get get your venison done just right, depending on your preference. Serve with wild rice pilaf (external link), mushrooms, or your favorite side.

Mouth-watering venison chili

You might think of this as the “easy way out” when it comes to venison. But not so fast. Chili is a staple for a reason, and you can do a few things to mix it up.

You can scale the recipe listed below to whatever will work best for you and you can use just about any cut of meat. If you feel like making a double or triple batch, and then storing the rest in the freezer, this chili recipe tastes just as good fresh as it does when rewarmed.

Main ingredients:

• Venison - 2 lbs of ground venison
• Whole, peeled tomatoes - 28 oz, crush before adding
• Black beans - 1 (15 oz) can
• Kidney beans - 1 (15 ounce) can, drained
• Garbanzo beans - 1 (15 ounce) can, drained
• Corn - 1 (15 oz) whole kernel
• Green chile peppers - 2 (4 oz) cans, drain before adding
• Celery - 2 stalks, chopped
• Orange bell peppers - 2 peppers, chopped

Recommended additions:

• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• ¼ cup Chili powder
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional)

Instructions: Cook venison. In a crockpot, add all ingredients - cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Serve with cornbread.