# Fat in general, venison fat in particular



## 357Maximum

Early bow season does and bucks both have a bunch of good hard fat on them here in the S. MichiBraska farm belt. By Nov 1 or so it is mostly gone in the bucks. I like the kidney/gut pile fat, the fat along the spine/neck, and the hard coating over the hind quarters near the "exit" area. I trade my hides for a pair of nice thin leather gloves, not much fat on the hide when I do it anyway. Just a layer/rind stuck to the meat.


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## wdf73

357Maximum said:


> Early bow season does and bucks both have a bunch of good hard fat on them here in the S. MichiBraska farm belt. By Nov 1 or so it is mostly gone in the bucks. I like the kidney/gut pile fat, the fat along the spine/neck, and the hard coating over the hind quarters near the "exit" area. I trade my hides for a pair of nice thin leather gloves, not much fat on the hide when I do it anyway. Just a layer/rind stuck to the meat.


Yes, I get mine from that area. I use both the layer on the hindquarters and the stuff along the spine, over the backstraps


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## kroppe

More success. For the past couple of days, I have been frying eggs in a half teaspoon of venison fat, rendered from the kidney area. It is excellent. Only good things to say. No hesitation or equivocation about it. 

Tonight, to celebrate the end of my Michigan deer season, I had dinner of pan seared venison strip steak (aka backstrap) with caramelized onions. Recipe:

1. Preheat sauté pan over medium high heat. Cast iron is best, but any good sauté pan will work.

2. Slice 3/4" thick medallions of venison strip steak, as many as you want. I am not a big eater so I used 2 slices. I like the posterior end of this piece. The muscle is the longissimus dorsi and in beef is part of the short loin.

3. Salt both sides of the medallions

4. Melt 1/2 - 3/4 tsp of rendered venison fat in the pan. More fat if you are using more meat.

5. When the fat is smoking hot, pan sear the venison for 1 1/2 -2 minutes per side. It depends on how hot the pan is, and how thick the meat is. I like my meat with a warm red center. This takes some experimentation. The meat should have a nice brown crust on each side. I add a little fresh cracked pepper to the meat after it is on the plate.

Tonight I had the venison with caramelized onions and a salad. For a more complete meal, a starch can be added such as couscous, rice, or potatoes either baked or mashed. Also a green vegetable is nice, such as steamed or sautéed broccoli, asparagus, green beans or spinach. 

A sauce can easily be made with the pan juices in the normal ways, using beef stock, red wine, butter and cream. I didn't make a sauce because I wanted to experience the flavors of the venison and the fat.

This recipe is no different than the way most people pan fry venison, using butter or olive oil. I wrote the recipe step by step, so that no one would get confused by the use of venison fat. There is nothing complex about it. 

When using venison fat for the first time, start with small amounts until you find something you like. Any kind of fat, when overused, leads to greasy and unappealing results.


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## kroppe

To the top. Reminder to collect your venison fat from the inner lower spine area, around the organs and on top of the lumbar area/under the hide. Use it as you would pork or beef suet. It can also be used for frying meat, eggs and veggies.


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## cedartool-fishinfool

I collect mine, trim any meat left and stuff it in mesh onion bags and hang it for the birds in winter, best use I have found since there are many better fats available for other uses.


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## kroppe

Two batches of venison fat are being rendered on the stove now. One batch is from between the inner loins and spine, inside the body cavity. This also includes fat that surrounded the kidneys. The other batch is subcutaneous fat, between the hide and the saddle/rump area. 

The doe I shot yesterday was very fat, fatter than any deer I have killed. All of my previous deer have had near zero fat on them. This one is the healthiest deer I have taken. 

Will report on the yield of the batches later this afternoon/evening.


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## Waif

Wondering about trying a candle from deer tallow.


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## kroppe

Waif it would work, give it a try. 

Just finished the rendering session, it went faster than expected. Yield of of leaf lard from the inner loin and kidney area was a half coffee cup of liquid fat. Yield of fatback, from the subcutaneous area over the saddle and rump, was almost two coffee cups of liquid fat. 

Will let them cool, then freeze. Then scoop them into baggies for transport home. 

There was more fatback available on the deer I killed. Didn't take it all because it was an experiment, and I was getting tired from butchering the deer all night! There was no more leaf lard to be had. In my experience there is not alot of it on the animal. Leaf lard is considered a higher grade fat because of a more neutral flavor. 

Leaf lard and fatback have different properties. This can be guessed at during the butchering process. Leaf lard is dry and crumbly when harvested from the animal. Fatback is softer and greasier as it comes off the carcass. 

I harvested the fatback with a filet knife, very easy. The leaf lard I removed with hands and fingers, once the inner loins were removed.


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## James Dymond

kroppe said:


> Two batches of venison fat are being rendered on the stove now. One batch is from between the inner loins and spine, inside the body cavity. This also includes fat that surrounded the kidneys. The other batch is subcutaneous fat, between the hide and the saddle/rump area.
> 
> The doe I shot yesterday was very fat, fatter than any deer I have killed. All of my previous deer have had near zero fat on them. This one is the healthiest deer I have taken.
> 
> Will report on the yield of the batches later this afternoon/evening.


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## James Dymond

Why is a fat deer healthy and a fat person not so much?


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## Waif

James Dymond said:


> Why is a fat deer healthy and a fat person not so much?


Few are fat come spring. Many too are slim through summer.
There are exceptions ,but Northern ( non ag area type) deer often do not run the same fat levels ; especially in non mast years.
In a disscussion the other day fat was a topic with my feeble addition being southern deer often have a net of fat around their hearts not encountered in Northern ones. Again ,feed is a factor regardless of location.


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## kroppe

Agree with Waif's comments. Additionally, I have seen the analogy of "elite athlete" used to describe deer. Living in nature is not easy, especially if agriculture is not nearby. Survival is a hand to mouth, day to day event. Lacking a field of corn, soybeans or hay, a deer needs to find and eat what it can. 

The two previous deer I have killed in Newaygo County have had near zero fat on them. This is in the eastern part of the county with little agriculture nearby. The doe I shot this year had a nice amount of fat on it, and I rendered a small but nice quantity of lard to use in cooking and baking. 

Fat is a source of energy. When food pickings get slim for deer in late winter, fat will help them survive until leafy green stuff emerges in spring. There are probably some good research papers on this, will have to do some searching.


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## kroppe

Successful experiment using venison fat in pastry crust! 

Made venison pasties for dinner tonight. The crust was my normal recipe, pâte brisée. It calls for 3 tablespoons of lard. I substituted 2 of the tablespoons with venison fat, 1 tablespoon each of fatback and suet. The results were great. Crispy and flaky crust with good flavor and color. The family rated it a 10 out of 10. 

The fatback was fairly soft and pliable at room temperature. The suet was fairly crystalline. The suet created a small challenge in rolling the dough, because the crystals didn't want to break up easily. In the heat of the oven, however, both the fatback and suet melted and produced a great pastry. To overcome this in the future, it will be good to break up the suet into the smallest particles possible.

Another thumbs up for cooking with venison fat.


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## Waif

I never would have expected such palatability.
Well done.
I dare you to try it with fish fat next! ( Kidding, kidding.)

Happy Holidays to you.


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## kroppe

Thanks Waif, Merry Christmas to you also!


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## kroppe

Another successful use of venison fat. Quiche Lorraine: https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/quiche-lorraine.590484/


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## 357Maximum

Waif said:


> I never would have expected such palatability.
> Well done.
> I dare you to try it with fish fat next! ( Kidding, kidding.)
> 
> Happy Holidays to you.



I rendered down the fat from about 17-18 fox squirrels once after a particularly good day with a bunch of kids and old men chasing my old Mtn. Cur through the timber (R.I.P Roxy) . It came out like a super stiff Vaseline and makes a wonderful browned steel muzzleloader protectant. I did not try a taste test though. :lol:


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## Thirty pointer

From what i have read -venison very healthy meat... venison fat -worst fat if you have high colesterol .I trim all i can .Birds love it !


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## JBooth

https://honest-food.net/cooking-deer-fat/

caul fat is like gold. organ fat is good also. For venison ribs all you have to do is get the fat rendered out. cook low and slow on a rack over a pan, covered, with some liquid under. the fat renders out but the meat does not.


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