How to Soak Venison in Water to Remove Some of the Gamey Flavor | Livestrong.com (2024)

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How to Soak Venison in Water to Remove Some of the Gamey Flavor | Livestrong.com? ›

Soak the venison in white vinegar for one hour after you've finished soaking it in the salt water (you don't have to dilute the vinegar with water). This will help tenderize the deer meat and remove any leftover "gamey" flavor.

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. 2. Vinegar solution - 1 cup per quart of cold water. Use enough solution to cover the game completely.

Soaking: The most common soaking liquids are buttermilk, saltwater, white milk, vinegar, lemon juice and lime juice. While some hunters swear by certain soaking methods to take the “gamey” flavor away or bleed the meat after processing, others don't find it all that helpful.

Add meat immediately to ice water and soak for 12-24 hours. This will quickly cool the meat to the proper temperature.

A wet brine is perfect for cooking skinless birds or hefty cuts of meat before smoking. A common solution is 3 to 6% salt. My go-to ratio is a quarter of a cup of kosher salt for every four cups of water.

Putting the meat in water allows bacteria (primarily E. coli) to grow and spread over the entire carcass. It also removes all of the flavor from the meat. Imagine eating a good ribeye after soaking it in water for a week.

Venison is a lean cut of meat that's high in protein and low in fat. Venison can be off-putting to some because of the "gamey" taste of the meat. But, soaking venison in water before cooking it can help remove some of that flavor. Plus, venison makes for a nutritious meal.

A 15-minute (or slightly longer) stint in a combination of water and baking soda keeps meat tender and moist when it's cooked.

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.

#3 – Rinse the meat in cool running water, pat it dry, and discard the milk. #4 – Pro tip: Because marinades only impart mild flavoring, re-season the surface of the steak with herbs and spices prior to cooking.

How to reduce gaminess in venison? ›

Soaking it

Many hunters suggest soaking your game meat in vinegar. However, vinegar's acidity can often dry the meat, making it especially tough. Instead, try soaking the meat in milk or even buttermilk, which will produce better results with most wild animals, especially when dealing with backstraps.

Preparation of the Meat for Long-Term Storage

Soak the meat in salt-water brine made using 1 tablespoon of salt per quart of cold water. Soak the meat in a vinegar solution made using 1 cup of white vinegar per quart of cold water.

Venison thawed under refrigeration can be stored for 2-3 days prior to cooking and consuming. Keep raw venison separate in the refrigerator to avoid cross-contamination with other ready to eat foods or ingredients. Store raw meat on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator so juices don't drip onto other foods.

People have been soaking venison and other proteins in milk or buttermilk for years. The claim is that the acidic or low ph level helps to break down the tissue to tenderize the meat while also ridding the meat of a powerfully “gamey” or wild/iron-like flavor.

Brine Times

As a general rule of thumb, brine meat for about one hour per pound. You can go longer, but keep in mind that it's definitely possible to over-brine your meat. Most over-brining simply makes everything a little too salty, and you can soak the meat in cold water to draw out the excess salt.

Directions: Soak the venison backstrap in 40 percent fat content buttermilk and fresh rosemary for 48 hours in the refrigerator. After the meat is done marinating, rinse off all buttermilk and rosemary and leave the meat out at room temperature for about 45 minutes. (Never cook any red meat that's cold.

Before you cook your venison, place it in a resealable bag or container and submerse it in whole milk. 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.

Soak the meat in buttermilk overnight.

Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. The lactic acid in the buttermilk will tenderize the meat and draw out some of its gamey flavor.

What Causes Gaminess in Deer Meat? The animal's diet is the greatest cause of gaminess in meat. If you've ever tried grass-fed and grain-fed beef side by side, you've noticed a difference in taste. A deer's diet has the same influence.

Incorporating fat into venison is key to mimicking beef. This can be achieved by wrapping the venison in bacon or barding it with beef fat before cooking. Alternatively, cooking venison in beef stock or adding a bit of beef fat during the cooking process can also impart a richness closer to that of beef.