Best cuts for deer

[sapper]

Well, I'm being optimistic and planning for my first deer. Having tasted some shoe leather that was passing itself off as game my wife is still being convinced that game meat can taste good and be tender. In order to continue the convincing what are the best cuts for me to request from the butcher once I have said deer in hand?

[rocksteady]

CUTLETS.....

I grease mine up with a combination of garlic/oil and then abit of steak spice...About 3 minutes per side.....Just like candy...

[moosinaround]

I typically have the deer chops made, all the tender cuts off the top side of the deer, then I have everything else made into sausage. I like to leave the bone in, but some donot. Some people have roasts done, which are very tasty as well. Don't overcook wild meat of any kind!! If you like it well done then JUST cook it well done. I will cook a well done piece of game to medium well, then let it rest for 5 min to finish cooking to well done. It lets what juices that are left in the meat to settle. Marinate, or spice up with a dry rub, and cook it like any good piece of meat, sear in the flavor and then lower the heat and let it cook. I'm a medium rare kinda guy, but everyone else likes it medium well to well done in our house!! Moosin

[Steeleco]

I just finished cutting my kids deer he got last week. The back straps and the tenderloins are just waiting for a spot on the BBQ.

No cut from a well taken care of deer, is a bad one!

[Mr. Dean]

Loins and backstraps = the best of the best.
Try a oil/vinagar/herb marinade for extra 'punch'.

[tomahawk]

Best are the loins and backstraps but on a younger deer you can't go wrong with any of it, cook it like beef, medium or medium rare.

[MichelD]

Yeah, chops from the backstraps are great, cut not too thin, oiled with olive oil, rub with crushed garlic and dust with pepper cooked real fast on a smokin' frying pan or a grill so they're still bloody or at least pink inside.

It's all good tho', I wouldn't dream of turning any part of a deer into sausage.

I cut my own and have a cheap electric grinder from CT for the tougher meat. Deerburger. Yay!

I save the ribs, bake them with tomato sauce and onions, cut roasts from the hinds and the shoulders, stew from the nice trimmings, and turn the rest into burgers.

The cool thing about taking the hindquarters and cutting the big pieces into roast size chunks is you can slice steaks out of 'em later. They may be a bit tougher than the chops, but are fast to cook. Venson Sirloin steak. Yum!

I save the shanks whole and my wife pressure cooks them for soup and even cold cuts. Cold shank meat cut crossways served with Dijon mustard is a great sandwich meat.

Plus Mrs. saves every bone and freezes them for soup bones.

If I ever came home with a de-boned deer she'd send me back for the bones.

[Bow Walker]

Biggest thing to improve your venison quality is to NOT overcook it!! It's very tender, it's very lean, rare is a good thing..........