Venison: It's What's for Dinner and Paleo Friendly

Before reading this post, please know it is about venison.  Specifically, this meat was taken from deer that my husband did indeed hunt, kill and have butchered.  While I understand vegetarian's turning away from this topic, I do not share the feelings of meat eaters who simply do not like the idea of harvesting deer for food.  Cows, pigs, sheep and BABY anything are all cute, yet people eat burgers, ribs, chops and VEAL cutlets without a second thought.  It is not the intention of this post to be preachy or defensive, just stating up front where I stand on the venison argument.

The most enjoyable, tender, and flavorful cut is the backstrap and rather than save it for a special occasion, we decide to indulge.  The meat is simply seasoned with just kosher salt and pepper than rests on the counter while the grill heats up, onions and mushrooms are sauteed and quinoa is prepared.  The venison is then placed on a fairly hot grill for about 7 minutes per side then allowed to rest before slicing.  It is a true thing of culinary beauty.

The meat is slightly sweet which may be attributed to a hormone/injection free diet of simple corn from the cob and beans. It is soft, delicate and simply fabulous.

We offer a serving to a guest who has never sampled venison and she is quite surprised to learn she likes it.

My older son avoids the quinoa arguing it is simply not part of his Paleo diet.  He tries to very strictly limit ALL carbohydrates while living more simply on meats, vegetables and fruits.  While his preferences cannot always be accommodated, this particular meal is more than acceptable and quite satisfying.

Future plans for the rest of the venison include mixing the ground meat with beef for meatballs, meatloaf, chili, and tacos.  The steaks will be grilled and the roasts prepared low and slow in the crock pot.  The ground sausage is likely going to be found in soup or tomato sauce for pasta.  Venison may seem like a non-traditional protein source but leaves us feeling Fed Well.  

And by the way, I prefer to avoid eating any veal because I cannot get past the image of slaughtering baby cows - calves that are staked to the ground so they may be killed fat and tender for human consumption.  Not all points of view may make sense, but these are my feelings on the subject.