Cooking your game: Venison carne asada bliss

Much like mail carriers, deer hunters live by an unspoken creed – neither rain nor snow nor heat nor the gloom of the early morning will keep us from the field.

It should be no surprise weather cannot deter us from firing up the grill in the middle of winter.

Hunters enjoy being outside this time of year, tongs in one hand and maybe a beer in the other, watching the waltz of snow and fire.

This particular venison recipe tastes best when grilled over an open flame. It is perhaps my favorite featured recipe.

Keep in mind when grilling in winter to allow your grill grate time to heat up prior to attempting to sear your dinner. Just because your coals are gray, doesn’t mean you’re ready to cook once you place that grate overtop. A cold grate and hot fire means your meat won’t sear adequately, and you may struggle to achieve that desired cook (for example, medium rare).

I butterflied my venison steaks (which actually appeared to be a shoulder cut), tenderized them until they were about a half-inch thick, then soaked them for 2 hours.

During that time, I sautéed an onion (cut julienne) in piping-hot oil. I wanted to both brown the onions and maintain a nice texture.

Once my grill – both coals and grate – had heated up, I placed my marinated steaks atop, let the grate apply its grill marks, turned 60 degrees and waited for my second set of marks prior to flipping, then repeated on the other side. Achieving that perfect cook takes practice – being able to recognize the internal color simply by touch. Remember, you can always place a steak in the oven to continue cooking if it’s undercooked. You can’t go back once it’s overcooked.

I sliced my steaks into thin strips and served with warm flour tortillas, charro black beans and dirty rice, then ladled out some grilled onions overtop. This particular marinade pairs incredibly well with deer and helped make this the best tasting venison I have had to date.

Submit your own recipes

Calling all woods-men and -women cooks – The Spokesman-Review Outdoors section would love to read your recipes and possibly publish them in our Thursday edition. Send your recipes and photos with a brief introduction or history behind the recipe to JohnH@Spokesman.com.