GREENCASTLE, Ind. – Just like you plan your strategy to bag your deer during a day in the woods, you need to have a plan to safely handle the venison after the harvest, according to Abbi Sampson, MA, RD, LD, health and human sciences educator with Purdue University extension in Putnam County. She has developed a series of four webinars on safely handling and cooking wild game.

Sampson said that some people don’t like venison because of the gamey taste. Sampson said venison flavor is related to what the animal eats in the wild.

“Deer foraging on sage and acorns in the wild tend to have a more gamey taste than deer that forage on corn and hay,” Sampson said. “Corn-fed deer have a milder taste.”

Sampson said the gamey favor is more noticeable in the fat component of the animal. Removing the fat, silver skin, bone, hair and connective tissue during processing can help lessen the gamey flavor, and that is what a lot of people want to avoid when they are cooking venison.

“Undesirable flavors can be strong because of inadequate bleeding, improper cooling or a delay in field dressing,” she said.

Food safety and food quality start in the field, according to Sampson. First, hunters should consider using non-lead bullets or slugs. Otherwise, they should be careful to remove the meat around the wound channel because lead can get left in the meat and a large amount of lead can be harmful to children and pregnant women. Second, hunters should be diligent about properly field dressing the deer and cooling the inner cavity to 40 degrees as soon as possible.

“You want to have a sharp knife and water or hand wipes with you in the field to keep your hands and knife clean,” she said.

“Have a plan before you bring the meat home,” she said. “One cubic foot of freezer space will hold about 30 to 35 pounds of meat. So if you harvest a 100-pound deer, you will get about 50 to 60 pounds of meat, so you are going to need about two cubic feet of freezer space. But when you put the meat in the freezer, don’t stack the meat in the freezer, especially if it isn’t frozen. You want the meat to freeze properly to prevent the possibility of foodborne pathogens.”

Cooks need to be cautious of foodborne pathogens with any type of meat, but it is extremely critical with wild game, according to Sampson. “With any meat, we need to consider foodborne bacteria such as salmonella and e.coli,” she said. “Those bacteria grow between 40 and 135 degrees and they grow more rapidly between 70 and 125 degrees.”

Sampson said there are four keys to preventing foodborne bacteria. Wash your hands, clean and sanitize work surfaces frequently. She said it is important to keep your hands and work surfaces clean, especially when you are working with wild game, because you don’t want to leave bacteria on other surfaces. Separate raw meat from other perishable foods. Don’t use meat in torn or leaking packages because it may not be sealed properly. Cook the meat to the right temperature and invest in and use a good meat thermometer. Cooks should have a plan for storing their venison, such as freezing, canning, and jerky.

Sampson said cooks should refrigerate food properly. They should figure 1 cubic feet of freezer space for about 35 pounds of meat. She said a 100-pound venison carcass yields about 50 to 60 pounds of meat, so they should figure about two cubic feet of storage space.

“When it comes to controlling bacteria growth, a good thermometer is essential,” she said. “Keep the deer below 40 degrees during the aging process. It is ok to age your deer for a couple of days as long as you keep it below 40 degrees. But there are other things you can do besides aging your meat.”

Sampson said cooks have two options. Sampson said the way venison is prepared can improve the taste. She suggested that meat can be tenderized by pounding the meat or making several small cuts around the edge of the meat.

“Soaking the meat helps break up the tendons and removes the gamey flavors,” she said. “You can add spices and create a unique flavor. Another option is to wrap the venison in fat or something like bacon to give the meat a more desirable flavor and keep it from getting too dry.”

Cooks can marinate the venison by soaking the meat in a salt or vinegar solution. She added that marinades can also help tenderize and improve the flavor of the venison.

“When you use a marinade, make sure you are using a high acid liquid like vinegar, lemon juice, tomato juice or wine,” Sampson said. “The simplest way to create a marinade is to use one tablespoon of salt per quart of water or one cup of vinegar per quart of water and refrigerate the meat for about an hour.”

Sampson cautioned against marinating the meat for more than 24 hours because it can break down the muscle fiber and the meat will become mushy. She recommends marinating the meat for 8 to 24 hours before broiling or grilling the meat. Discard the marinade after removing the meat.

“Big game tends to exercise more than domestic animals, so their meat tends to be dryer, leaner and possibly tougher,” Sampson said. “So you want to use slower cooking methods, and moist heat to help break down the muscle fibers and make the meat more tender.”

She said cooks should choose their cooking methods based on the cuts of meat, but marinated broiling, grilling and roasting work well on marinated meats. Sampson said the rump, round and shoulder regions tend to be tougher cuts, while ribs and loins are more tender, so they are great for roasting, grilling or pan-frying. If you are cutting up ribs or loins for steaks, don’t cut them more than ¾ of an inch, otherwise, they will take longer to cook and the meat will dry out. The loin can also be used for jerky.

Sampson said 145 degrees is the minimum cooking temperature for venison, which will result in a medium-rare piece of meat. “A venison roast can be taken to 145 degrees before you take it out of the oven and let it rest,” Sampson said. “Resting allows the heat and juices to break down the tendons, this gives the meat flavor and texture.”

If you grill or pan-fry venison, you want to cook it hot and fast, so no moisture escapes, because venison is leaner than beef, making it a healthy choice.

“Don’t overcook your venison and don’t cook it over 375 degrees,” she said. “The make-up of venison differs from beef, so fibers from venison can get tough if you cook it too long or too hot. But you don’t want to serve your venison at lukewarm because it can have an undesirable taste.”

Sampson said cooks can also baste their leaner cuts with additional fat while they are cooking it. If they are using a slow cooker, they should make sure the meat is completely thawed and cut in small pieces so the meat cooks evenly.

“When you serve venison, present it nicely,” she said. “Use color and make it look good on the plate.”