Deer season is fully underway and hunters are reporting better results than last year, though the jury is still out on the final harvest numbers.
Venison, of course, is especially healthy meat, leaner by far than commercial beef. It is delicious when cooked properly, but not so much when overcooked or under seasoned.
Sherman T. Shiffllett, a CvilleBuzz contributor, offers this recipe as a sure fire winner when it comes to preparing venison. Deer nuggets. Try it. It’s delicious
Deer Nuggets
By Sherman T. Shifflett
Any part of the deer can be used, but I always use the backstrap (loin) to make “deer nuggets”. This recipe is for one loin.
Marinate the loin in tomato juice for 8 hours. I always do it over night in the refrigerator. Make sure the loin is completely covered by tomato juice. Sprinkle in a little salt and add a little vinegar.
Remove the loin and cut all the white membrane off, or as much as you can. Slice the loin into one- and two-inch strips; then cut crossways into 2-inch long nuggets. Or, any size will do.
Have a bowl of milk ready. Add an egg and some Worcestershire sauce (2-3 tablespoons) to the milk and stir. Soak the nuggets in milk for 8-10 minutes.
Dump 7-8 oz. of Bisquick into a gallon zip-lock bag, sprinkle in some black pepper and add a liberal amount of Creole Seasoning, I think Zatarain’s is best, Tony Chachere’s is too salty. Zatarain’s is sometimes hard to find, but Kroger’s has it. Shake the bag. When you can see the red pepper in the Bisquick, you have enough.
Dump the nuggets into the zip-lock bag and shake to coat them. Next, place the breaded nuggets in hot cast iron skillets and fry over medium heat. Sometimes I use olive oil to fry, but it costs a little more. Veggie oil is okay.
Sauté some green peppers (I add red peppers also) and onions. Add to nuggets when they are done. I place fried nuggets on paper towels to remove some of the grease.
If you want to fry two backstraps, just add another zip-lock bag.
Enjoy.
1 Deer loin (backstrap)
16 oz. tomato juice
1 Tbs. vinegar
1 quart milk
1 egg
2-3 Tbs. Worcestershire
8 oz. Bisquick
Salt & pepper to taste
1/3 cup Zatarain’s Creole seasoning
½ cup olive oil
1 green pepper
1 onion