Venison Swiss Steak

OK. So you're probably thinking I should have called this blog "17 Million Ways to Cook Venison". That's really not the only thing I eat, really. I just happen to have quite a bit of it in my freezer and I don't have very much experience cooking with it, so I'm trying different things. Bear with me. We'll get through this together.

Over the Christmas holidays, my parents told me that they had tried my Grandmother's Swiss Steak recipe with venison round steak, and that it had been delicious. So I decided to try it for myself and I have to agree. It was delicious.

This recipe comes from my Family Cookbook (with my notes in parentheses).

Ingredients
2 lbs. round steak (2 venison round steaks)
flour (seasoned with salt & pepper)
1 Tbsp shortening (I used olive oil. This recipe's been around for a while)

1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 cup tomato juice (2 single serving cans)
1 cup tomato sauce (1 small can)
1/4 vinegar (rice vinegar)
1 Tbsp sugar (brown)
1/2 tsp dry mustard (I used probably about 1 tsp. I didn't really measure any of this stuff)
1/4 tsp chili powder (bump this way up to 2-3 tsp)
salt & pepper

Directions

1. Cut steaks into manageable pieces and pound flat with a meat mallet or the edge of a saucer.
   
2. Coat the meat with flour and brown it in the oil.
   
3. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer for 2.5 hours. (I set the meat aside and cooked the onions for a couple of minutes, then put the meat and everything else in the pan)
   
4. 
   

I made brown rice, baked Mediterranean vegetables with a Parmesan breadcrumb topping and fried onions and mushrooms to go along with the Swiss Steak. It all turned out great, but I'll put a bit less topping on the veg next time.

Marinated Venison Chops and Roasted Potatoes

I marinated venison chops in orange juice, lime juice, peanut butter, 2 crushed cayenne peppers, salt and pepper for 6 or 7 hours, then pan fried them. They were very good but were missing something. Probably needed more spice and/or salt, or maybe less orange and more lime.

To go along with it, I made oven roasted potatoes. I tried a hybrid of some advice I recently got from a friend and a recipe I saw on Jamie Oliver At Home. I really like oven roasted potatoes:

Cut in bite-size pieces, coat lightly in oil and spices, roast in 450°F oven for 40-45 minutes, turning once or twice.

So when a friend suggested that if I parboil the potatoes first, they'll turn out extra crispy, I wanted to give it a try. I also wanted to try Jamie Olivers roasted potatoes in balsamic vinegar. He made typical roasted potatoes with onions and garlic but he added about half a bottle of balsamic vinegar and they turned out black but not burnt.

I combined my new technique with Jamie's recipe and the potatoes turned out great. The balsamic turns black and delicious. The only thing is that because of all the vinegar, the potatoes didn't really get crispy. I'll have to try again with just oil, salt and pepper.

I also had honey and orange glazed carrots. I just followed the recipe on the back of the bag of frozen carrots. They were good but could have used some ginger and maybe more pepper. They were just a bit too sweet.

Christmas Baking - Part 2

I finished my Christmas baking tonight. I made the usual Brown Sugar Shortbread plus I also made some Rocky Road Truffles.

After the lesson I learned the other night about two pans in the oven at once, I decided to experiment a bit with the short bread. Mom's recipe says to bake them for 20-25 minutes but it usually only takes me about 15 minutes and the cookies come out quite flat, with a bit of a lacy edge and a crisp golden bottom. I always bake 2 pans at once due to the size of the recipe. This year I tried 1 pan by itself and the cookies took a full 25-30 minutes to cook and came out a bit thicker without the lacy edge, but still golden and crisp on the bottom. This is probably the preferred method, but with 6 pans of cookies to bake, the quicker method won out. I'd have to make these on a weekend during the day rather than after supper on a weeknight.

The Rocky Road Truffles were great but I think that has a lot to do with the quality dark chocolate I used.

Brown Sugar Shortbread
From Mom
275°F, 25-30 min.(18 min.)

Ingredients
1 lb butter, softened
1 1/3 c. br. sugar
3 c. flour
maraschino cherries, cut in small pieces

Mix first three ingredients until soft dough forms. Roll dough into 1" balls. Place on ungreased pans and flatten slightly--I use the bottom of a glass, lightly floured. Top with cherry piece. Bake until delicately golden. Watch carefully during last 5 min. I have 18 min written in above the time.


Rocky Road Truffles

Ingredients
1 cup plain popped popcorn
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup salted peanuts
1 pound semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Directions

1. Coat a 12 cup mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Divide popcorn, marshmallows and peanuts evenly among the cups (2-3 of each in each cup).
2. Place the chocolate into a microwave-safe container. Heat on high for 45 seconds, then continue to heat at 15 second intervals, stirring each time, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
3. Pour into the muffin cups, filling to the top. Gently tap the pan on the counter to release any bubbles. Refrigerate until chocolate is set. Unmold and enjoy!

Note
Although the recipe says to use a 12 cup mini muffin tray, I find it makes more than enough for a 20 cup mini muffin tray.

Christmas Baking

I started my Christmas baking tonight. I made one of my usuals (Chocolate Fridge Cake) and one of my new usuals (Peanut Butter Macaroons).

The Fridge Cake turned out really well I think, but I only had enough meringue nests to make a single batch. I usually make a double. I might check the bigger Loblaws for more nests if I get around to it.

I burned the bottom of the Macaroons for the 2nd year in a row. They're not too burnt to eat but still... At least the third pan came out ok and now I know why they burnt. Apparently, when you put 2 pans in the oven, side-by-side, the heat can't circulate so the bottoms of the cookies burn. My lesson for the day I guess.

Chocolate Fridge Cake
Courtesy of: Jamie Oliver (Oliver's Twist)
Yield:4

Ingredients
150 g Digestive biscuits (~2 cups)
100 g pecan nuts (~1 cup +)
100 g pistachio nuts (~1 cup +)
10 glace cherries (15-20)
2 meringue nests, crumbled, into small pieces
150 g butter (1 stick, 113.5g)
1 tbsp golden syrup (corn syrup)
200 g good quality chocolate (250g, half a big bar)
cocoa powder, for dusting (omitted)

Directions

1. Break the biscuits into small pieces directly into a large bowl. Add the pecans, pistachio nuts, cherries and bits of meringue.
   
2. Put the rest of the ingredients, except the cocoa powder, into a bowl and put over a pan of simmering water on low heat to melt.
   
3. Mix the ingredients together and place in the container which acts as your mold. To help with turning out, line a 12 by 8-inch (30 by 20 centimeter) container with cling film, first leaving plenty of extra film at the edges to fold over the top. (I used 8"x8")
   
4. Leave in the refrigerator to firm up then turn out and cut into chunky slices. This cake can be kept in an airtight container and actually improves after a couple of days.
   

Chewy Peanut Butter Macaroons

Ingredients
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups flaked coconut

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients.
   
2. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets.
   
3. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 12 to 15 minutes.
   

Yield: about 5 dozen.

Comments
- 2006 -

• I used 1.5 300mL (10oz) cans and the cookies flattened right out. Try with 1 can next time.
  
• Watch the time and/or check oven temperature. I almost burnt them.
  

- 2007 -

• One 10oz can seems perfect
  
• I kinda burnt them again. I know now that I can't put 2 pans in the oven at once. Even with only one pan in the oven, check the cookies after 10 minutes.
  
• I don't remember how many cookies I made last year but I got 3 dozen this year.
  

Venison Swiss Steak ?

I've never been to Switzerland and I didn't consult any other recipes or resources for this but I'm going to call it Swiss Steak anyway.

Ingredients
2 round steaks, deboned (venison)
1 onion, sliced
1 container tomato sauce (I used some PC marinara sauce or something, about 1 - 1.5 cups)
1 same container of water (to cover everything)
1.5 cups frozen peas

noodles with olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper (I used whole grain spaghettini)

Directions

1. Place steaks, onion, sauce and water in slow cooker and cook for 6 hours on high.
   
2. Break up the meat with a couple of forks, run the frozen peas under hot water to thaw them a bit and stir them into the slow cooker. Let simmer while you cook the pasta.
   
3. Cook pasta, dress with olive oil and/or butter, finely chopped garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.
   
4. Serve meat over pasta.
   

Macaroni

Growing up, we ate this dish quite often (although not with venison), and I've always loved it. We just called it Macaroni. We knew that if Mom said she was making Macaroni for supper, it was going to be elbow macaroni with ground beef, canned tomatoes and usually cheese. It's nothing fancy but it's always delicious.

Substituting ground venison for the ground beef is also delicious.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp oil
1 1/2 lbs ground venison
salt and pepper
1 onion diced
1 can sliced mushrooms
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 dried cayenne, minced
1 can diced tomatoes (I used tomatoes with herbs)
1 tsp dried thyme (I would omit next time)
1 box elbow macaroni (I used whole wheat)
1 1/2 cups grated old cheddar

Directions

1. Brown the ground venison in the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and set aside.
   
2. Add onions and salt (and a bit more oil if necessary, depending how fatty the meat is) to the same pan and sauté until tender.
   
3. Add the garlic, mushrooms and cayenne and sauté for a couple more minutes.
   
4. Add the tomatoes, meat and any herbs you choose to use. Cover and let simmer gently.
   
5. Cook the pasta
   
6. Mix the pasta, meat mixture and cheese. Add a bit of pasta water if the cheese makes it too thick.

Mmm, Mmm, Bambi

Not much of a recipe tonight, but I ate the first of the venison from my first deer, a young doe. I pan-fried some chops, seasoned with salt and pepper, medium-rare. They were tender, delicious and very mild. The potato salad and bean salad from the deli counter at Loblaws didn't do it justice.