What's for Dinner? Our Favorite Holiday Venison Recipes

While some of your meat probably goes into the freezer for tasty dishes throughout the year, if you've set some aside for a holiday meal, we've got some delicious recipes for you to try.

Keep reading for some HuntWise picks for delicious holiday venison recipes.

Photo from Allrecipes.com

Venison Wellington

I'm a big fan of Gordon Ramsey. If you've watched any episode of Hell's Kitchen, you know that his Beef Wellington is always on the menu, and it's a very popular item.

Enjoy a spin on that dish with venison backstrap instead of beef! Here's what you need.

Ingredients

• 1 venison backstrap (cut in half)
• 1 pound of bacon (or more, if needed)
• 2 tablespoons of butter or more if needed (divided)
• 1 10-oz package of sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 cloves of garlic (diced)
• 1 medium onion (diced)
• 1/2 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon ground thyme (to taste)
• 1 17.5 oz package of frozen puff pastry (thawed)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water (or more if needed)
• Ground pepper and salt (to taste)

What to Do With the Ingredients

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (or 230 degrees C).
2. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a hot pan over medium-high heat. Brown the venison backstrap in the hot butter (about 2 minutes per side). Then, set the meat aside.
3. Next, melt the remaining butter in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce. Sauté them until the mushrooms are soft (about 5 to 7 minutes). Set the mixture aside and allow it to cool.
4. Spread the salt, pepper, and thyme onto a large cutting board, then roll the backstrap halves in the mixture to form a coating of herbs.
5. Then, wrap each piece of backstrap in enough bacon to cover it.
6. Unfold one puff pastry and place the first piece of backstrap into the center. Bring the sides of the pastry together and pinch it to seal. Repeat this step with the second backstrap and the remaining pastry. Place each wrapped piece into an ungreased baking dish.
7. Next, mix the egg yolk and water together in a small bowl. Brush the tops of the dough with this egg-wash mixture.
8. Bake both wrapped pieces in the preheated oven for ten minutes.
9. Reduce the heat to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and continue baking until the dough is golden brown (about 10 to 15 minutes more in the oven).

Then, serve and enjoy! If you've tried Gordon Ramsey's Beef Wellington, we hope this version is as delicious (or better) for your taste buds.

Photo from Bowhunter.com

Venison With Elderberry Pan Sauce

This dish may feel a little more "holiday-ish" than the Wellington, and it's sure to be as delicious! If you've never tried elderberry sauce when cooking wild venison, we think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the delicious combo.

Ingredients

• 4 venison steaks
• Freshly cracked pepper (to taste)
• Kosher salt (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons of minced shallot
• 1/4 cup of dry red wine
• Olive oil
• 1/4 cup of low-sodium beef broth
• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 3 tablespoons of elderberry syrup (your favorite homemade recipe or bottled version)

What to Do With the Ingredients

Note: Take your venison steaks out of the refrigerator one hour before cooking.

1. Remove all silver skin from the venison steaks and pat dry with paper towels. Then, season the steaks with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Coat a pan in olive oil over medium-high heat. When it begins to smoke slightly, place the steaks into the pa. Pat the steaks dry again if necessary. Cook them for 2-3 minutes on each side for medium rare. Then, remove the steaks from the pan and keep them warm (tented in foil works well).
3. Next, lower the heat to medium and add more oil (if necessary) to the same pan. Add the minced shallot and sauté for a few minutes until softened — but not browned.
4. Then, deglaze the pan with red wine. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Allow the wine to bubble for 2-4 minutes to reduce slightly, then add the balsamic vinegar, beef broth, and elderberry syrup.
5. Simmer the sauce so it thickens. You'll know it's ready when you can quickly run a spoon across the sauce and the opening holds for just a moment.
6. Finally, take the sauce off the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes before whisking butter into it.

Serve with the sauce poured over venison steaks, and enjoy!

Cajun Smoked Venison Neck Recipe

As I did with our Thanksgiving Wild Turkey recipes, I would be remiss if I didn't include a Cajun venison recipe for the holidays in homage to my roots.

A good Cajun version of almost anything is a great addition to holiday feasts, and this one makes good use of the neck meat.

Ingredients

• 1 deer neck (bone-in)
• 1 ring of smoked kielbasa sausage
• Fresh basil chiffonade
• 3 bell peppers (roughly chopped)
• 2 Vidalia onions (roughly chopped)
• 4 portobello mushrooms (roughly chopped)
• 6-8 stalks of celery (roughly chopped)
• 1 fresh whole garlic (or six bulbs)
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 3 cups beef stock (or demi-glaze)
• 1 cup of red wine

Dry Rub Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper
• 4 tablespoons of blackened steak seasoning
• 1 tablespoon of Zataran's Pro Boil (or something similar)

What To Do With These Ingredients

1. Combine the dry rub ingredients, then thoroughly coat the venison with dry rub. Place it in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic for at least four hours. Overnight is even better.
2. Once the venison is ready, get your smoker up to 225 degrees and smoke the venison neck for four hours.
3. Before removing the venison, preheat your oven to 275 degrees. Then, remove the venison neck from your smoker and place it in a cast iron pot with three cups of beef stock and one cup of red wine.
4. Cook the venison in the oven for another 4–5 hours. Once it's done, remove it from the oven.
5. Next, add the celery, onion, mushrooms, bell peppers, and sausage to the pot. Cook on your stovetop for another 30 minutes on medium-high.
6. Add 1/2 cup flour slurry (white flour and water mixed to a thick gravy consistency) and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Cook another ten minutes and add venison neck back in.

Pull apart with a fork to serve. Top with green onions and basil chiffonade, then enjoy!

HuntWise Helps You Hunt the Deer You Need for Cooking With Wild Venison

Cooking with wild venison for the holidays (or any time of year) is only possible if you have venison for these or other recipes!

Whether you had a successful season this year or have meat left from last year's harvest, we hope you enjoy these tasty holiday venison recipes to share with friends or family.

How can you improve your chances of successful deer hunts every year? With HuntWise! Our app helps you pinpoint the best days and times to hunt — whether you hunt early, mid-season, or enjoy the cold of a late-season deer hunt. Use WindCast, HuntCast, and RutCast to scout and plan, improving your chances of bringing home a big buck.

There's never a bad time to check out the app and explore its features. Download it for free and try it — free — for your first week!