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OK...Bambie enthusiasts turn your head...nothing to see here.

I swear that the deer looked much bigger at 180 yards thru a 12 power scope but as I approached my downed trophy the phenomenon of "ground shrinkage" had occurred in a big way and there lay Bambie... not Momma, not Daddy, but Bambie. She was about the size of a German Shepherd. Deer camp that evening was not pleasant as I took my turn in the barrel.

That is both the bad news and the good news.

I now have some very good, young, tender venison that I hope to prepare for Thanksgiving.

I was thinking of a nice hindquarter roast. Any suggestions?

My fave for this cut has always been a tomato-based stew with the meat cubed and the usual ingredients. This meat is so lean that it is very easy to toughen it by over-cooking.

I assume your hunting buds have yet to let you live this down....

P.S. I did similarly with a moose; however, a yearling moose is still a helluva lot of meat.

Nope...I'm up a creek until someone else screws up worse...moose is very good eatin!

Oh Bambi...

I love Venison with fruit, particularly figs and apples. A chutney would be nice. First thought...

Amy

Well, since Bambie has already made the ultimate sacrifice, it would be just that much worse for it to have been for nothing.

I suspect that braising would be your best bet for a hindquarter roast. Although seems to me that CI does similar cuts with beef by salting 24 hours in advance and roasting in a very low oven (the recipe is called something like Slow Roast Beef). Maybe with a nice port sauce finished with some fruit?

We have rutting season going on in the forest behind our backyard at the moment. It's a spectacular show with herds of doe and posturing bucks with full antlers. If it makes you feel any better, the babies are almost indistinguishable from the adult females now except they may be just a tad smaller - not so much that you would notice unless they were standing next to each other. I'm sure it's not that much different where you are.

Fine cooking has a port cranberry sauce in their latest issue. They suggest it as a sauce for beef, but I'd bet it would be tasty with game as well:

Port and Cranberry Sauce
Serves 8

Yields about 2 cups

by Martha Holmberg from Fine Cooking

Heat and sweet come together in this deep burgundy sauce that’s simply stunning on the holiday table.

1-1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/3 cup minced shallot
Kosher salt
1-1/2 cups tawny port
1 small hot dried red chile, such as chile de árbol
2 cups unsalted or lower-salt beef stock or broth; more as needed
1/3 cup dried cranberries or cherries, chopped
2 Tbs. cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbs. cool water
1-1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. unsalted butter

Heat the oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium- low heat. Add the shallot and 1/4 tsp. salt and cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the port and dried chile, turn the heat up to medium, and boil gently until the mixture is reduced to about 1/3 cup, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the stock and the cranberries, bring to a gentle boil, and cook until reduced to about 2 cups, 5 to 8 minutes.

Remove the chile and discard it. Whisk in half of the cornstarch slurry and simmer, whisking, for a minute. For a thicker sauce, whisk in a bit more of the slurry; if it’s too thick, add a little stock. Add the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. (If making the sauce ahead, take it off the heat, let cool, and refrigerate for up to 1 day; reheat gently.) Whisk in the butter until incorporated and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Make Ahead Tips
The sauce may be made 1 day ahead up to the point indicated in the recipe. Be sure to let the sauce cool before covering and refrigerating. Reheat gently and finish as directed in the recipe.

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 140; Fat (g): 4; Fat Calories (kcal): 35; Saturated Fat (g): 2; Protein (g): 2; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 1.5; Carbohydrates (g): 13; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 0; Sodium (mg): 10; Fiber (g): 65;

Would you braise it in this sauce or serve it on the side?

The rut starts here in a week or two. The fawns are still pretty small, this deer was alone so I had no perspective. I guess someone already whacked momma.

I'd serve it along side. I would be inclined to sear it, then roast it covered in a low oven with some liquid in the bottom (water, chicken broth, or beef broth, maybe some onions) until tender, and add some of the drippings to the sauce to serve on the side.

We are getting snow already, so I suspect our season is ahead. Although I don't think hunting season starts for another week or two. Deer are almost as common as squirrels in many areas of the city (they tend to be viewed as unofficial pets or vermin, depending on whether or not they've munched your shrubs). My FIL often gets one/season but I think his heart may not be in it anymore as he's come back empty the last couple of years, despite being an excellent shot. Might have something to do with his butcher friend getting too old to go and field dress the meat anymore. Then again, only he and I will eat it (SIL doesn't eat meat, and DH and his mom won't eat game of any kind, even duck, rabbit, or lamb), so he may not feel that it's worth it. Too bad, I love venison stew!

Sorry, but duck, rabbit and lamb(!) don't count as game.
The Wiley Welshman stalks his prey in the hills above Cardiff. Baaaa it cries as it leaps over a shallow stream. He lifts his gun, only to find that he can't shoot, the lamb has run into a group of sheep and he can't find his target....

The deer are out in our neighbourhood full force this evening. When I pulled out of the garage, there was a buck with a beautiful rack at the end of the drive - so beautiful. There is a little copse at the end of the street and there were 7 deer feeding on the grass. All the years I've lived here, I still get a thrill out of seeing them, especially when they are in my yard. Such beautiful creatures.

fitzie