Sauerbraten again

[92&94]

I made sauerbraten again at work this week, using some venison that a friend gave me.

Recipe used more wine than vinegar for the marinade, and the gravy's secret ingredient..... ginger snaps!

Man it was good. Never knew you could actually get rid of the liver taste with venison

[765x53]

Liver taste?

[wm]

I grew up in a neighborhood full of 1st and 2nd generation Germans and Poles in the mid & late 70's ........sauerbraten was one of the great memoirs of my youth.

Ever have Czarnina? Better known as Duck Blood soup. That will warm you up after a long winter day of shoveling snow, delivering newspapers or ice fishing!!!

Wm

[Pete44ru]

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?????????

I've eaten a LOT of both venison and liver, but have never thought they tasted anywhere near the same - not even a hint.



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[bigbore442001]

Same here. Never had liver tasting venison unless I was actually eating the liver. Then again any animal will take on the flavor characteristics of its environment. You can eat a farmland deer here in Connecticut and it will taste differently from a deer shot in northern Maine where it ate a lot of conifers like white pine, spruce and cedar. So if deer are tasting livery it must be something they are eating.

[92&94]

Looks like I'm quite the mutant!

Taste isn't all that strong compared to actual liver, it's just my best guess at comparing it to something most have tasted. I've had turkey's we raised that had the same kind of overtone to the dark meat, though vastly milder than the few meals of game I've had over the years.

The most likely explanation I've read so far is that it has to do with the byproducts of blood in the tissue - specifically iron compounds from myoglobin. Since the liver processes blood you have lots of iron in it. The gamey taste in meat is often associated with muscle tissue that gets used often and particularly strong after a hard run or improper hanging (so I hear), this seems to make sense to me. Lots of exertion, lots of blood coursing, you get this taste. Steers stand around all day, not much exertion....

On the other hand, it could all be bunk

Bottom line is that this was some of the best tasting venison I've had (it's a small pool, I'm no hunter), and very tender. Seems like a good preparation for our desert deer that have a reputation for tough meat and gamey flavor.

[Pete44ru]

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FWIW, I've shot a LOT of deer since the mid-60's, and have eaten on many more - and will say that the "gamey" taste comes from the adrenaline released into the animal's bloodstream if it isn't dropped with the killshot (aka: DRT).



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[Mescalero]

I have done the gingersnaps thing before........ it really helps with my non- gravy making skills.
Any body out there have a wife willing to provide gravy making instructions?

[M. M. Wright]

Whatever marinade, rub, or just the seasoning you put on before cooking venison, the secret is to put some raw ginger on it. A piece of ginger root and a grater for it should be part of your tooling for preparation. Of course you could just use some powdered ginger off a seasoning rack. I can't tell the difference. You'll get rid of the "liver" or "gamey" taste either way. Learned this from Jim Zumbo.
I eat a lot of venison, some fried, some as roasts and then I grind a lot of it for burger that goes into chili, spaghetti, etc. All of it gets a sprinkling of ginger before cooking. Often guests don't even know it's not beef.

[FLINT]

Looks like I'm quite the mutant!

Taste isn't all that strong compared to actual liver, it's just my best guess at comparing it to something most have tasted.

nah man, I know what you are talking about. I've had venison that I could imagine describing as having a mild liver taste. Not sure if its not more of a matter of perception than anything else. everyone sees/smells/tastes things a little different.

I do like german food though, and the sauerbraten sounds delicious!