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It’s usually love or hate when venison is on the plate. Our son and grandsons had a successful deer hunting season and now they’re looking for some good recipes using venison as the whole family are venison lovers.

Good venison begins in the field, especially a cornfield, with a quick, humane kill and quick field dressing and cooling of the meat.

In the kitchen, good venison starts by trimming all the fat and “silver skin” or connective tissue, which makes any meat tough.

It is low in fat, which means it is usually over-cooked unless moisture is added, such as bacon strips, a sauce, wine or marinade. Cooking venison slow also will prevent overcooking. Marinades and sauces add flavor and moisture and soaking in milk for an hour or so before cooking will help remove blood and “wild taste.” We have not experienced a “wild taste” in the venison we’ve gotten from the boys. Perhaps it’s because the deer they hunt have been leisurely eating in the nearby cornfield where they hunt.

So, these are recipes I know their family will enjoy and if you eat venison, I hope you’ll enjoy them as well.

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Let’s start with a sandwich.

PERFECT VENISON

SANDWICH

4 venison steaks from the top round or sirloin tip, cut 1/4-inch thick

3 T. butter or margarine

4 medium onions, sliced in thin rings

2 medium green peppers, cut in strips

2 T. parmesan cheese

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 t. garlic salt

1/4 t. pepper

Put butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and green pepper; saute until tender, being careful not to overcook.

While onion is cooking, combine rest of ingredients in a small bowl.

Remove onion and green pepper from skillet and set aside.

Add steaks to skillet. Fry one minute on each side; turn heat to medium low.

Spread onion and cheese mixture evenly over steaks. Cover and cook until cheese is melted.

Serve hot on a kaiser roll or bread, plain or toasted.

Makes four sandwiches.

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When I find a sweet/sour recipe I think of pork or chicken. Today it’s with venison.

SWEET AND SOUR VENISON STRIPS

1-1/2 lb. venison steak, cut into 1/2x2 inch strips

1/2 c. flour

1 T. ground ginger

2 T. bacon grease or butter

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. cider vinegar

1/4 c. ketsup

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 T. soy sauce

2 T. cornstarch

1-20 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained (saving juice)

Combine flour and ginger in a shallow dish (a pie pan works well). Dredge meat in flour mixture.

In large saucepan, heat bacon grease (or butter) until hot but not smoking. Add strips to pan and brown, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium; add next five ingredients; cook 1-2 minutes until bubbly.

Combine cornstarch with 1/2 c. pineapple juice; stir into venison mixture. Stir in pineapple. Cook 1-2 minutes.

Serve over hot rice. Makes 4-5 servings.

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PAN BROILED VENISON CHOPS

6 venison rib chops

2 T. bacon fat or butter

3 medium onions, sliced in rings

1 large clove garlic, minced

two 4 oz. cans mushroom, drained

1/3 c. flour

1 c. beef broth

1 c. milk

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

In a large heavy skillet, over medium heat, brown chops on both sides in bacon fat.

Transfer chops to a shallow pan; save the drippings in skillet. To the drippings, saute onions, garlic and mushrooms until lightly browned.

Combine flour, broth, milk, salt and pepper in covered jar and shake until smooth.

Stir into drippings. Cook, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly, about 4 minutes.

In the meantime, broil chops about 5-inches from heating element. Turn once and broil until medium-rare.

Serve sauce over chops.

Makes 6 servings.

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The boys’ pheasant hunt went as well and yes, they brought us four pheasants. What a treat. This is a delicious recipe, given to me by a friend, that’s fit for a king!

NANCY’S PHEASANT IN WINE

2 pheasants, cleaned and quartered

2 T. olive oil

two 4 oz. cans mushrooms, drained (save the liquid)

3-1/2 T. lemon juice

1 large sliced onion

1 t. salt

1-1/2 c. dry white wine or dry sherry

In large skillet, brown pheasants in olive oil on both sides; remove birds from pan.

Saute mushrooms in drippings in skillet. Add birds to skillet; add onions, lemon juice, salt and wine. Cover, simmer for one hour, adding mushroom liquid to pan as needed. Don’t let pan get dry.

Remove birds to serving platter. Top with onion and mushroom mixture. Cover to keep warm while making gravy.

GRAVY: Combine 3 T. flour with 2 c. water; shake in jar until smooth. Add to drippings in skillet, adding salt and pepper to taste.

It is a wonderful gravy to serve over mashed potatoes with the meal.

Serves 4-6.

NOTE: You may also substitute chicken for the pheasant, de-skin and de-fat first.

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Thought for the day: The secret of happy living is not to do what you like, but to like what you do, wherever you are.

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