Venison Goulash Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you mix ground beef and ground deer meat together? ›

Sometimes I combine ground venison and ground beef 50-50 to make a better mix for any recipe that calls for ground meat. If you do this, you can buy the cheaper ground beef that is a 75-25 mix of lean to fat, and when you add the leaner ground venison, you still get a pretty lean mix.

Use ingredients like red wine, garlic, onion, and herbs such as rosemary and thyme to infuse the meat with flavors that are reminiscent of beef. Acidic components in the marinade also help tenderize the meat, making it more similar to the texture of beef.

I couldn't keep them from crumbling apart so someone suggested adding cheese crumbles, maybe add some moisture like an egg too. They do have lard crumbles for this exact reason bc game meats are usually so lean. Mix some fat (cheese, lard & an egg, squish it all together or back it up & you should be good!)

Beef fat works well with ground venison, and makes the flavor closer to ground beef. Pork fat is lower in saturated fat, has less flavor and will allow the venison flavor to shine.

Pork fat trimmings is one of the cheapest and purest ways to add fat to venison, if you can find it. Most pork at the grocery store is usually well-trimmed, but if you find an extra fatty shoulder, trim off that fat, freeze it and save it for your venison.

The distinct game flavor of either birds or animals will be milder after soaking the meat overnight in the refrigerator in either a salt or vinegar solution.

Bromelain is the most common form of meat tenderizer used in America. Tiger Sauce is my favorite dipping sauce for deer meat, as the tanginess compliments the deer flavor to perfection. I've been doing the Tiger Sauce/pineapple juice combination for years, and it's remained my favorite.

Marinades tenderize (soften muscle fibers) and enhance the flavor of venison. Marinades can add fat and calories to this lean cut of meat. Always be marinate meats in the refrigerator. Always include a high-acid liquid like lemon or tomato juice, vinegar or wine to soften the muscle fibers.

Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least four hours, and no more than 12, before proceeding to cook it as you normally would. The calcium in milk contains enzymes that will tenderize the meat, and the main protein in milk will neutralize the gamey flavor.

How do you make deer meat super tender? ›

Aging the Deer Meat. Many people forget what may be the most important step in creating succulent, tender deer meat: aging. Aging the deer helps develop the final tender texture of venison. If you are using a processor, this step will be done for you.

The classic “kettle goulash” is prepared by frying cubes of beef or mutton with onions in lard. Garlic, caraway seeds, tomatoes, green peppers, and potatoes complete the stew. Székely gulyás, another Hungarian specialty, is a stew of pork and sauerkraut flavoured with tomatoes, onions, caraway seeds, and sour cream.

American goulash is more of a pasta and ground beef dish

A comfort classic in the U.S., American goulash bears little relation to its Hungarian predecessor. Chunks of beef or pork are replaced by ground meat, drowned in a tomato sauce over macaroni.

Hungarian Goulash is a thick meat and vegetable stew with a broth that's heavily seasoned with paprika, while American Goulash is a quick dish made from ground beef, tomato sauce, herbs, and elbow macaroni noodles. It also goes by the name of American Chop Suey.

The Type Of Fat Affects The Texture

It creates a super tender, gelatinous structure. This means you can combine types of ground meats in order to influence the final texture. For example, add ground pork to your meatballs to give them a smoother, softer texture than just using ground beef alone.

In terms of taste and texture, venison is quite similar to beef, but with some subtle differences: while beef is generally fattier and more succulent, venison has a richer, earthier taste because of the deer's wilder diet of acorns, sage and herbs.

The best ground beef to buy for burgers is 80/20 ground chuck – 80% lean meat and 20% fat. Ground chuck is ground from the shoulder and has that ideal lean-to-fat ratio of 80/20 (i.e. not too lean) for a super flavorful, juicy burger.

The combination of these two meats creates a unique and savory profile that is both robust and juicy. The pork adds fattiness to the blend, enhancing the overall taste and texture experience.