The Best Venison Seasonings

What is the best venison seasoning to use for your venison meat? That depends on some factors: how well the meat was processed, what cut of meat you're preparing, and how you're planning on cooking it.

Many citizen think they need to heavily season venison to hide the gamey flavor. I'll tell you right now, that doesn't work. If you have gamey meat, you're best off milling it for burgers, chili, or stew rather than trying to make a yummy steak with it. However, if the meat has been harvested (field dressed, quartered, and butchered) properly, then the meat for real doesn't wish a ton of seasoning to taste good.

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That said, the right composition of seasoning can make a good meal great. I do a lot of separate things with my venison meat, and am always trying new flavors. There are a few seasonings, though, that I seem to use often:

Steak rubs. There are many varieties on the market, and they are commonly a composition of separate types of pepper along with salt. These are great. If I'm grilling a tri-tip (which is super tender and flavorful) or just simple fillet to use on a salad, I put about a teaspoon of steak rub in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and baste the meat with it. It's light enough not to over power, but flavorful enough to add a microscopic oomph. Cumin: I use cumin in virtually every chili recipe I make, as well as other stews. It adds a microscopic heat, but isn't as spicy as cayenne pepper. It's a nice, subtle flavor. Worcestershire Sauce: We use this in our basic burgers. About one teaspoon per pound adds a nice flavor to the meat. This is especially good since we tend to use the less choice pieces of meat for grinding.

In general, I've learned to go lighter with the seasoning than heavy with it. Venison has such a nice, sweet flavor that it's easy to ruin a great steak by over seasoning it. You can always add more flavor at the table.

The Best Venison Seasonings

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