Transcript Document

Cervidae Odocoileus Hemionus:
A cooking odyssey
Jeff Shragge, Kyle Spikes, Zane Jobe,
and Cam Snow
School of Earth Sciences,
Stanford University
How to Cook A Deer
Overview
• Deer Biology 101
• Preparation
• Cooking
• Eating
How to Cook A Deer
“Deer”-scription
A tan or reddish-brown in the
summer and greyish-brown in
the winter, the belly, throat, nose
band, eye ring and insides of the
ears are white. There are black
spots on the sides of the chin.
The antlers have individual tines
that grow upward from each of
the main beams.
How to Cook A Deer
“Deer”-stribution
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Lives in a wide variety of habitats
such as coniferous forests,
desert shrubland, grassland with
shrubs and the mixed boreal
forests of the north.
Favors openings in these areas,
browsing on shrubs and twigs
(and grass and herbs at times).
In summer they tend to migrate
to higher elevations and move to
lower elevations with less
snowfall in the winter.
Winter range is often shared with
elk, white-tailed deer and
domestic cattle.
How to Cook A Deer
Overview
• Deer Biology 101
• Preparation
• Cooking
• Eating
How to Cook A Deer
Preparation - Step 1/7
•In this day in age with
chronic wasting disease and
lyme disease, all hunters
should wear gloves. In photo
1, the deer is laid on its back,
hind legs spread, and a small
incision is made around the
genitals moving up towards
the chest in a vertical line. Be
careful not to puncture the
body cavity at this point.
How to Cook A Deer
Preparation - Step 2/7
Slowly skin the deer back
away from your mid-incision
line 4 to 6 inches on either
side. This will decrease your
chances of getting hair
inside the body cavity and
on the meat.
How to Cook A Deer
Preparation - Step 3/7
After you have made your
incision up to the sternum, you
may now start at the genitalia
and carefully cut through the
body cavity and move upward. A
gut hook is a great way of
opening the body cavity without
cutting the intestines. If you do
not have a gut hook, you can
use one finger next to the knife
to lift up skin giving you space
between the knife blade and the
intestines.
How to Cook A Deer
Preparation - Step 4/7
You will find in older deer the
sternum is difficult to cut
through, and a larger knife will
be helpful. For the most part, a
deer can be skinned and de
boned with a 4 inch fixed blade
knife.
How to Cook A Deer
Preparation - Step 5/7
After opening the body cavity,
one can reach inside and begin
cutting away the lungs and
heart away from the body
cavity. All organs as in a human
are attached by the peritoneum.
In the picture to the right, the
heart is being cut away and
saved. The heart is very tender
and edible when cooked. As in
Native
American
tradition,
eating the heart of the deer was
to
have
high
spiritual
significance. All parts of this
deer can be used and Survive
Outdoors strongly discourages
trophy hunting only.
How to Cook A Deer
Preparation - Step 6/7
After the intestines and organs
are removed, the deer should be
taken back and thoroughly
rinsed out. A saw is beneficial in
cutting the pelvis bone to allow
better cleaning access to the
rectal and bladder area.
How to Cook A Deer
Preparation - Step 7/7
Before
processing,
if
the
temperature is 45 degrees or
less, it is beneficial to age the
deer for a day or two leaving the
skin on. This is done by hanging
the deer upside down in a cool
environment. Again, we need to
stress
the
importance
of
irrigating the body cavity. A
garden hose works well, as well
as propping the body cavity
open with a stick to allow airflow.
How to Cook A Deer
Overview
• Deer Biology 101
• Preparation
• Cooking
• Eating
How to Cook A Deer
In the Kitchen - I
How to Cook A Deer
Venison Marinade
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1 ea Lemon, juice of
1/2 c Vinegar, wine
1/4 tsp Tarragon
2 ea Onions, sliced
1 tsp Chili powder
1/2 c Water
2 tsp Salt
2 ea Bay leaves
1/4 tsp Pepper, black
1/2 c Tomato catsup
1 ea Garlic clove, crushed
Mix ingredients in a large bowl. Place meat therein and turn
several times. Cover. Marinade for from 2 hours to 48 hours,
dependent upon your assessment of tenderness and flavor. Save
marinade for soups, gravies, or later use with another meat.
How to Cook A Deer
Deer Rub
• Rub the roast down with lard or other oil and sprinkle generously with a
mixture of 1 T. salt, 2 t. each garlic and onion powder, 1 t. each ground bay,
ground thyme and fresh ground black pepper.
• Place on a rack over a shallow pan with 1/4" of water to keep the first
drippings from burning.
• Put on rotisserie and baste occasionally with juices or lard.
• Remove when the center reaches 140° and let sit for 10-15 minutes for the
juices to set.
• You can de glaze the pan juices and correct the seasonings. Slice thinly
across the grain. Venison should not be cooked past medium rare.
How to Cook A Deer
In the Kitchen - II
How to Cook A Deer