The Best Venison Marinade

Do I ever love venison. I grew up on it, coming from a hunting family. I have fond memories of helping my Dad strip the hide of deer hanging in our garage. However, my memories of venison aren't that great. The best way I had it as a child was probably in stews or dishes such as venison stroganoff where the mean is cooked to death so that you can chew it. Try to grill a steak as though you are cooking a beef sirloin is going to get you a really tough piece of meat.

Don't get me wrong - I love venison that is cooked to death, especially in chili!

I like to encourage people to eat wild game. In my opinion, hunting is a far more humane way to acquire and eat another animal. It is respectful to the animal, and better for the person consuming it. I must know where my meat comes from, always. It is so important.

Venison is very lean, so it needs tenderizing to break it down and make it melt in your mouth. That is what this marinade does. It not only makes the meat nice and tender, but it give it such a great flavor. It has a very authentic German taste and goes amazing with red cabbage and spaetzle. It is my absolute favorite and I rarely stray from it. In fact, it has been a secret until now. My husband doesn't even know what I put in it. However, I want you all to get out there and not be afraid to try venison steaks. Especially leg steaks and chops. If you can get a tenderloin cut, you are in for a real treat, but to use the rest of the deer, this is for you.

My ingredients

All mixed up

On the grill after 24 hours

Resting

Absolutely perfect

I served my steaks with parmesan-baked zucchini and lemon orzo. Not a speck was left on anybodies plate.

The Perfect Venison Marinade

1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup peanut oil (or other oil)
1 Tbsp. oregano
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp pepper (smoked pepper if you have it)
Water to cover
4 venison leg steaks

* You can adjust this recipe to fit however much venison you are making.

Place venison in a container with a lid. Add all your ingredients and then fill the rest of the way with water. Close the lid and shake, shake, shake!! Let sit in the refrigerator overnight, or even better a whole day. Even better, 2 nights. Take venison right out of marinade and place on your grill and cook for about 8-10 minutes on each side depending on how thick your steaks are. Mine were really thick. You do NOT want to over cook these. You want a little pink in the middle.