Venison creations

You might be a better shot than chef, but don't let that stop you from trying some creative and tasty ways to cook your venison.

Check out these venison recipes submitted from some of our readers:

Spice-Rubbed Pork or Venison Tenderloin

From JoAnn Looten

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon mustard powder

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

2 (1-pound) pork or venison tenderloins

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, chili powder, salt, mustard powder, and thyme. Rub the mixture on the tenderloins, coating all sides. Shake off any loose spices. Place the meat in a baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. ( I recommend at least 12 hours for the venison).

I bake mine in the oven at 325 until the meat thermometer reads 160 degrees (about 20 to 30 minutes). You can also prepare this on the grill. I wrap my tenderloins in aluminum foil before I prepare them.

Venison Sausage Frittata

(from "Cooking Wild in Missouri" by Bernadette Dryden and published by the Missouri Department of Conservation)

serves 2-4

3 fresh asparagus spears

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 eggs

salt and freshly ground pepper

2/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 cup venison sausage, cut into bit-sized pieces

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs (basil, parsley, chives, thyme)

2 tablespoons chopped green garlic (optional)

1 cup chopped fresh spinach, kale or chard

2 tablespoons butter

Steam asparagus until tender but firm to the bite. Plunge into ice water for a few seconds to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside to cool, then cut into 1/2-inch lengths.

Saute onion in oil until soft. Remove from pan and set aside.

Beat the eggs in a bowl until well-blended and add the grindings of pepper. Add the rest of the ingredients (except butter) and mix well.

Turn on your broiler. A frittata is cooked on both sides, and running it under a broiler works well.

Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. As soon as it begins to foam, pour in the egg mixture and stir with a fork while pouring out of the bowl. Turn the heat to medium-low. When the eggs on bottom have set, and thickened, but the eggs on top are still runny, put the skillet under the broiler for a few seconds. Don't take your eyes off the skillet, because the contents will cook quickly (in a minute or less). Take the frittata out at the first hint of browning.

Loosen it with a spatula, slide onto a plate, and cut into wedges. Serve with lightly dressed fresh lettuce and a wedge of fresh bread. A glass of Sauvignon Blanc complements nicely.

Evelyn Dudenhoeffer's Li'l Cheddar Meatloaf

This recipe was adapted from a recipe from Taste of Home magazine. The original recipe said to shape the meatloaf mixture into 16 loaves; then place in the greased pan and cover with ketchup/brown sugar/mustard sauce. But Dudenhoeffer says the taste is improved by spreading it out in a pan.

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup milk

2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1 cup chopped onion

2 tsp. salt

1 pound deer burger

1 pound hamburger

1 1/3 cup ketchup

1 cup packed brown sugar

3 tsps. prepared mustard

In a bowl, beat the egg and milk. Stir in cheese, oats, onion and salt. Add both burgers and mix well.Spread in greased cookie sheet (with sides 1/4-inch higher than the meatloaf). Combine ketchup, brown sugar and mustard; spoon over meatloaf. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink and a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. Yields 16 servings.

Do you have venison recipes that you'd like to share? Send them to Gary Castor at [email protected]. We'll be adding more reader-submitted recipes to this file.