Culinary image of venison is associated with hunting, massive spacious rooms, conversations by the fireplace with a glass of aged alcohol. Classical writers, who loved to describe in detail the dishes of any feast and feast, spoke with special tenderness about deer meat. This meat was loved and revered not only for the taste, but also for the method of extraction of the delicacy. Today everything is much more prosaic: men courageously stretch a gold card in order to pay a few kilograms of vacuum-cooked reindeer meat.
Venison is suitable for all types of heat treatment. The ingredient is cooked several times faster than beef. Therefore, schnitzels or chops can be cooked exclusively on the grill or pan, without subjecting the meat to additional baking. The delicate structure of venison does not tolerate inept cooks. The overexposed cut on the fire becomes dry and rubber.
Useful properties of the ingredient
Deer meat has a minimal fat and cholesterol content. Therefore, even if you eat a piece of venison for breakfast / lunch / dinner during the year, your heart and blood vessels will be fine. Meat has an excellent vitamin and mineral composition, without which human functionality would be limited. The only drawback of the product is the difficulty of cooking. To cook venison really tasty happens to spoil more than one piece of delicious meat. Even an extra 2 minutes in a pan or grill turn a culinary masterpiece into a real failure.
Let’s return to useful properties. Vitamin composition improves brain performance, promotes the growth and development of muscle tissue, stimulates the processing of energy potential. After a portion of meat, the brain works faster, the learning process does not seem so boring and completely uninteresting, and the memory captures even the smallest details. In addition, venison stimulates the gastrointestinal tract and increases appetite several times.
The value of meat is determined by the way of life of the deer. Animals consume large amounts of moss. This lichen is the basis for feeding the northern animal. It is moss that gives meat antibiotic and medicinal potential. The same lichen is responsible for the nutritional value of the finished product.
Venison can safely be consumed raw. The northern peoples are preparing a special dish – sliced meat. This is frozen deer meat, cut into thin strips. Stroganin is eaten by locals, and tourists are especially pleased with the extraordinary delicacy.
Deer meat is much faster, easier and more efficiently absorbed by the body compared to beef, pork, lamb and even chicken. Regular residence of the protein ingredient in the diet reduces the risk of diabetes, atherosclerosis and hypertension. Venison lowers cholesterol, removes excess fat from the cells, unloads the gastrointestinal tract and restarts metabolism with a new force.
Due to the high content of selenium (Se), venison releases free radicals and protects organs from the penetration of heavy metals. Nutrient has a preventive effect and prevents diseases of the heart, blood vessels.
Benefit brings not only deer meat, but also offal. On the basis of deer antler extracts, a whole range of medical preparations are prepared. This extract strengthens the protective function of immunity, restores the work of the organs of sight and hearing.
Nutritsiologi advised to necessarily introduce venison in the diet of pregnant and lactating women. The ingredient will support the health of the mother and provide the baby with the necessary nutrients for normal development. But meat is useful not only for women. Men will be grateful for the product for improved erection, increased blood circulation and improved sexual function. In general, after eating venison, the mind becomes clearer, the skin is cleaner, and the person himself is more energetic and healthier.
Deer meat for weight loss
Venison is absorbed much easier and faster by the human body. Even the notorious chicken breast is “harder” for the digestive system. Introduce the most tender cuts with the least amount of fat (parts of the carcass with minimal muscle activity) into the diet.
Do not forget that easily digestible meat is not equal to vegetables or whole grains. Calculate the right amount of protein based on your weight, height, age, and goals. Eat a protein product for lunch or breakfast. If you plan to lose weight, then do not overload the evening meal with meat. In the evening, metabolic processes slow down, and animal products that did not have time to digest decompose during your sweet sleep. Do not forget to dilute the protein with fiber – vegetables and a small amount of fruit. Eat a minimum of 400 grams of vegetables per day, and after a few weeks, evaluate the first obvious results.
Chemical composition
Nutritional value (based on 100 grams of raw meat)
Caloric content 154,5 kCal Proteins 19,5 g Fats 8,5 g Carbohydrates 0 g Dietary fiber 0 g Water 71 g
Vitamin content (in milligrams based on 100 grams of raw meat)
Thiamine (V1) 0,3 Riboflavin (V2) 0,7 Niacin (V3) 5,5 Nicotinic acid (RR) 8,737
Nutrient balance (in milligrams based on 100 grams of raw meat)
Macronutrients
Potassium (K) 325 Calcium (Ca) 15 Magnesium (Mg) 22 Sodium (Na) 77 Selenium (Se) 189 Sulfur (S) 195 Phosphorus (P) 220
Trace Elements
Iron (Fe) 3
A Brief Historical Reference
Today there are about 40 species of deer. Only half of them are used in the food industry. The first deer existed in Eurasia and America. Humanity has spread populations overseas to use the fur, meat, and physical strength of the animal in every corner of the world.
The first written evidence on the use of deer meat dates back to 170 year BC. The animal made life easier for the then local population. Medicinal preparations were prepared from the hood horns, the pulp was ground into cosmetics, clothes and a variety of household items were made from the skins.
If during the Middle Ages venison was the prerogative of extremely wealthy segments of the population, then during the development of the Far North meat was the only available nutritious product. Indigenous northern peoples still perceive venison like we are chicken and eat it daily.
The use of an ingredient in cosmetology
Venison is not limited only to culinary delights; the ingredient has been successfully used in cosmetology for several centuries. Reindeer meat in the cream is expensive and effective. The practice of adding venison to grooming products dates back to ancient China. The whole pieces were ground into a fine powder and added to a plant-based face cream. Healers of that time believed that the ingredient delays the aging process, smoothes the first wrinkles, refreshes a woman and adds a velvety shine to her face. Creams and masks really returned the skin to its former youthful tone, made it more elastic and pleasant to the touch. There were no side effects from such cosmetic procedures. Given the modern advances in medicine, the need to apply fresh pieces of deer to the face has long disappeared. Better use proven and laboratory tested emulsions / serums / gels.
Use in cooking
Most often, venison is served as a main dish. For meat, pick up a special marinade, side dish, think through a method of heat treatment and served as the main dish of the evening.
Classical berry is considered the best marinade for deer meat. Marinade is prepared on the basis of cranberry juice, sea buckthorn and lingonberries.
All venison cuts go into the business: from the leg to the bone marrow. On the basis of meat, amazing stews are cooked, tender pieces are baked whole or boiled for traditional soup / stew. Venison is combined with almost all food products, therefore it is universal from the culinary point of view.
Baratheon Family Baked Venison Recipe
The dish is created based on the incredibly popular “Game of Thrones.” Venison here is not in vain, since it is the proud deer that is depicted on the arms of the Baratheon family. Be careful and as consistent as possible when cooking. If you slightly overdo the deer in the pan or in the oven, you will get a piece of rubber and absolutely dry mass.
We need:
- venison on the bone – 6 pieces;
- white dry wine – 200 ml;
- mustard to taste – 50 g;
- cooking oil for frying as needed;
- Garlic – 3 cloves;
- paprika – 7 g;
- oregano – 5 g;
- ground cayenne and white pepper – 10 g;
- basil – 7 g;
- salt, pepper, favorite spices to taste.
Preparation
Prepare a convenient deep container, mix all the spices in it, and roll the pieces of reindeer meat into the spicy mixture. In a separate container, mix the chopped garlic, wine, vinegar, oil and mustard. Mix until you get a homogeneous watery mass. Send boneless butter to the cooked marinade, mix well, cover with cling film and transfer to the refrigerator. Leave the venison to marinate for at least 1 an hour. Make sure that the food film covers well the container, does not let in odors and air.
Remove the marinated meat and fry in a heated frying pan (use a few drops of cooking oil for frying). As soon as a golden crust appears on the venison – remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the pieces to a parchment-lined baking tray and send to bake for 12-15 minutes at 180 ° C.
How to choose venison
Before you go to the supermarket or to a trusted supplier, decide which part of the carcass you need to buy. Each cut has a unique taste and structure. You can’t make a tasty steak from your leg, and from the by-products you can choose a rich meat soup, so decide on the menu, and then go shopping. The most valuable cuts: scapula, fillet, chest part. The least valuable cuts: hips, groin area.
Age
The taste of the final product depends on the age of the animal. The most tender dairy cuts are obtained from 6-month-old animals. The greater the age, the fatter and coarse the meat becomes. “Old” venison is easy to recognize visually, it will be much darker in color and denser in consistency.
Implementation method
There are several options for the implementation of meat:
- fresh;
- chilled;
- frozen;
- processed (smoked, dried and so on).
The list is leading fresh and chilled cuts. It is in them that the maximum amount of benefit and taste is concentrated.
Color and structure
Venison is colored bright red, has a delicate, but elastic structure. Loose pieces of meat of the color turned purple do not exactly indicate the quality and freshness. Choose cuts only with a uniform texture. The surface should be slightly damp (swipe over the cut with your hand or a napkin to check the degree of moisture). Wet sticky traces indicate that venison was “lying down” and requires disposal.
Meat must be clean, without blood, fatty layers, putrefactive formations, mold or dark spots. There should be no ice in the evacuated or packaged part. Ice is a direct evidence of repeated freezing, which is fraught with the development of microbes and complete unsuitability of the product.
Classical quality test
Before buying fresh or chilled meat, be sure to perform a traditional freshness test. Lightly press down on the surface of the cut and observe the reaction. If the elastic surface quickly returns its former shape, then calmly buy the cut that you like. If the loose part of deer meat has undergone deformation, then try to find a more responsible seller.
Contraindications to the use of the product
There are no direct contraindications to the use of venison. The meat is absolutely safe for children, pregnant women and patients with various pathologies. Observe the measure and organically introduce venison into the diet, based on the total daily calorie content and the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
