How To Cook A Venison Roast So It Doesn’t Taste Gamey
We often run into people who aren’t a fan of deer meat. And, while everyone is entitled to their own preferences, we often find that these people have had an unfortunate run-in with some poorly cooked venison.
This one experience often sits firmly in their mind as something that needs not be repeated.
The thing is, venison is a different kind of meat that needs a little extra care in the kitchen.
Venison is lean. Deer don’t have the marbling that cattle do, so cooking it like beef isn’t going to work too well.
Choosing A Cooking Method For Venison
The cooking method for venison really depends on the cut you are using.
- Tenderloins and loins – Quickly sear or grill to 130F and let rest 10 minutes before serving.
- Shoulders and roasts – Braise low and slow (around 130F) for several hours.
How To Tenderize Venison
In addition to choosing the right cooking method, it’s a good idea to add ingredients to your rub or marinade that will tenderize your venison.
Salt in rubs helps to break down proteins and improve the texture of the venison.
When marinating, you can use any number of acidic ingredients to help tenderize the meat while infusing it with flavor.
Vinegar or alcohol are two of our favorites. (Like this recipe for Red Wine Braised Venison.)
Our Beer Braised Venison Roast Recipe
In this beer braised venison roast recipe we’re combining low and slow braising with the acidity of beer to achieve some stellar results.
We slow simmer this venison roast recipe for 3 hours, and the result is tender, fall-apart meat.
The beer and other seasonings infuse the meat with the caramely flavors, a slight tartness from the mustard, and just the perfect hint of sweet from the tomato paste and brown sugar.
We love the way that the mustard and beer in this recipe give the finished venison roast a distinctly German aroma and flavor.
It would be a perfect, hearty recipe to serve along side of your favorite Oktoberfest beer!
This is the perfect, hearty meal for spending hours at the table, catching up with family and enjoying the company.
And, did I mention, it makes the house smell AMAZING!
If you don’t have access to venison, don’t worry. This dish is just as tasty if you use a beef chuck roast!
Other Venison Recipes
If you have some venison in your freezer that you’re looking to use up, here are some other delicious recipes using venison:
- Chicken fried venison steak
- Red wine braised venison roast
- Venison steak Marsala
- Juniper crusted venison tenderloin
- Cranberry glazed meatballs using ground venison
- Venison jerky using ground venison
And we have lots more venison recipes too!
Beer Braised Venison Roast
Braising is the perfect technique for cooking venison roast, and this Beer Braised Venison Roast recipe brings a German flair and intense flavor that are destine to be a family favorite.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 lb venison roast, (or beef shoulder roast)
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 onions,, cut in half and quartered
- 6 large potatoes, cut into 1” cubes
- 10 carrots, cut into 1” chunks
- 1/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour, (plus an additional 1/4 c if necessary, added at the end)
- 2 (12 oz) bottles beer, (dark lager style is best)
- 2 c vegetable or beef stock, (we prefer low sodium)
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp thyme
Instructions
- Season roast with salt and pepper. In a 2 gallon or larger Dutch oven or soup pot melt 1 Tbsp butter. Add the roast and sear on all sides over medium-high heat, 1-2 minutes per side. Remove the roast from pot.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 2 Tbsp butter. Melt butter and add onions. Saute until golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Add potatoes and carrots, saute 1-2 minutes. Add flour and stir until moistened.
- Stir in beer, stock, tomato paste, brown sugar, mustard powder, and thyme. Mix well. Add the roast back to pot, nestling it among the vegetables. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cover the pot. Simmer for 3 hours.
- Thirty minutes before serving, remove the lid from the pot. If the stew looks too brothy, place ¼ c of flour in a small bowl. Ladle ½ – ¾ c of broth from the pot into the flour and whisk until no lumps remain. Pour mixture into the stew and stir to incorporate.
- Continue to simmer, uncovered, until sauce thickens slightly.
Notes
This recipe from 2013 was updated in December 2015. We made the roast even better. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1/8 of recipe (including sauce)Amount Per Serving: Calories: 762
This is one of the recipes from the early days of Curious Cuisiniere. We make it often and we have updated our pictures a couple times since we first shared it, but we’ve left some originals here, in case you’ve found us in the past and are looking for that old, familiar image.
If you liked this recipe, here are some similar dishes you may enjoy!
Sarah is one of Curious Cuisiniere’s founding duo. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
Suzana
Saturday 24th of September 2022
I have this on the stove right now and it smells divine! I can't wait to try it when it's done.
Sarah
Monday 26th of September 2022
Hope you enjoy it!
Richard Warren
Sunday 7th of November 2021
A delightful recipe that takes the dry, gamey flavor out of the venison and produces a hearty and (dare I say) stout flavored pot roast. My only problem with it was that the recipe I downloaded called for 0.08 cup unbleached all-purpose flour. I winged it around that and it turns out I was pretty close in guessing the correct amount. I am glad to see that you have updated the recipe again, since 2015, and now call for 1/4 cup of the flour (plus another 1/4 cup at the end, if necessary. I have made this dish twice: once with an American pilsner beer and once with Guiness stout. That may be an Irish beer, but it does give the dish a more robust, "German" flavor. I definitely agree with your preference for a dark beer. The only variation to the recipe I indulged in was the addition of a medium turnip, halved and quartered.
Sarah Ozimek
Saturday 13th of November 2021
Thanks for your note Richard. We're glad you like the roast! Yes, likely the .08 cup of flour was a glitch in the recipe card display. Thanks for coming back to check for an update.
Andrew Dressler
Monday 21st of December 2020
This recipe is one of the best recipes I have ever made. It transforms the venison roast into something magical. It seems to take me back to my German roots with mustardy and beer flavored gravy. I brine it in beer if I can and then add one in as its cooking. I also throw in vinegar, salt, and sugar into the brine and whatever other spices sound good at the time. Thanks for this recipe. Its a favorite for sure.
Sarah Ozimek
Monday 21st of December 2020
So glad you enjoy it! Thanks for sharing your tips!
Frank C Witbrod
Sunday 22nd of November 2020
Brine your roast. 1-2days. About 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup kosher salt. I added juniper, rosemary with garlic. I used 1 quart of beef broth with remaining water. Couple of dashes of Worcester sauce. Experiment. Brine for 1-2 days rinse well. Note I did this with a tenderloin and smoked it to rare.
Sarah Ozimek
Tuesday 24th of November 2020
Thanks for sharing Frank. We'll give it a try!
Marla
Sunday 25th of October 2020
This is currently on my stove. Followed the recipe with one exception, I dehydrate and powder the skins, seeds, and cores from canning tomatoes, so I used that in place of the tomato paste. If it tastes half as good as it smells we are in for a treat and this will become a mainstay in our recipes.
Sarah Ozimek
Wednesday 28th of October 2020
Hope you enjoyed it!