Venison often refers to deer meat or meat from game animals such as antelope, buffalo, caribou, elk, and other game animals.
These animals are usually hunted and butchered into various cuts and made into several delicious recipes. Venison tongue, in particular, was once considered to be meat for the elite, but it has increased in popularity over the years.
Now you might be thinking, “tongue? Yuck.” Well, the truth is, although tongue can be considered unappealing to some people, with good preparation and cleaning, it can be so delicious, it could just be your best meal! (yeah, it’s that good).
Some people say that if you’ve never had venison tongue before, you haven’t really lived. Indeed, you should try it out and let your taste buds get blown away by this sumptuous meal.
How to prepare and cook venison tongue? Read this guide to the end to find out the best ways to clean, prepare, and serve this absolutely fantastic meal.
How to Prepare Venison Tongue
Usually, venison is hunted down and butchered.
Although rare, you could get already cleaned venison tongue from a local supermarket. If you prefer to butcher the animal yourself, here are some easy steps to follow:
- Incise down the middle of the lower jaw of the animal
- Skin its neck until the lower jawbone is visible
- Now, you should be able to pull it out freely – cut the tongue free at the base of the jaw and effectively pull it, bringing it out through the neck
This is all it takes to obtain the tongue from the animal.
If you got your venison tongue from a supermarket or you’ve successfully cut it out of the animal, remove the hides(top layer of skin) on the outside of the tongue. This is because hides don’t usually taste good.
What you should do is place the tongue in stock, add some carrot, onion, and thyme, then simmer for about 90 minutes to three hours.
Take it out, cool it off, and you’d be able to peel off the hide. After this, your venison tongue is ready for use in your dishes!
What does it taste like?
Well, if you’ve never had deer tongue, it would be unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before. It has a very appealing, delicate, mouthwatering delectable taste. As have been repeated in this guide, try it out already!
Tasty recipes and methods for venison tongue
There are various methods and recipes for making venison tongue. In this article, three would be discussed. They include:
The Crockpot recipe
Ingredients: Beef stock, thyme, carrot, Half cup maple syrup, 1 tablespoon each of dried oregano and juniper berries, chopped yellow onion(medium-sized), 2 tablespoons of salt, dried rosehips, dried corn, and water.
Directions: Boil the tongue in stock, thyme, and carrot for 10 hours (to remove hide).
Peel off the hide and cut the tongue into shall chops. You can then serve it with anything you want, e.g., mulberry sauce and corn porridge.
Pan-fried venison tongue
Ingredients: Beef stock, thyme, carrot, diced yellow onion, 1 Idaho potato, 1/8 cup each of diced red pepper and jalapeno pepper, salt, 2 tablespoon vegetable oil.
Directions: As with the crockpot method, simmer the tongue in stock, carrot, and thyme on low-medium heat till the tongue is tender enough for shredding. Take the tongue out, allow it to cool, then peel off the taste buds(hides).
Grate potato, rinse to remove starch. Then mix it with the tongue, peppers, onion, and salt. Heat the oil in a pan(medium heat), place the mixed ingredients in it, and flip when the edges turn brown. Serve hot with ketchup or sour cream.
Corned tongue hash
Ingredients: Brine, diced potatoes(5 large ones), water, diced red pepper, two tablespoonfuls of butter, venison tongue.
Directions: soak cut tongue in brine for about two days. Drain the brine and put the tongue in a pot, then cover with water and simmer for about 8 hours. After 8 hours, let it cool and peel off the hides. Melt butter in a skillet, add potatoes, peppers, and corned tongue. Stir this for about 15 minutes, and your corned tongue hash is ready.
Bottom Line
Venison tongue is a delicacy you should definitely try. It is tasty and has huge nutritional benefits as it is higher in protein than calories and fat. It can serve as healthier alternatives to beef and can even help you lose weight and reduce the likelihood of developing heart diseases.
Now, there’s absolutely no reason or excuse for you not to try making the recipes stated in this guide during your free time.
The crockpot, pan-fried venison tongue, and corned tongue hash recipes are beautiful ways to cook venison tongue.
The rich blend of flavors and unique taste of venison tongue is worth a tryout. So when next you’re thinking of something unique to make for your family or significant other on a holiday or special occasion, you’ll never go wrong with venison tongue! Best of all is that it is versatile and can be eaten at any time of the day.
Visit the OutdoorWorld Reviews homepage for more delicious recipes including how to make deer jerky.
