My husband has become a deer hunter and I’m not completely sure how I feel about it. Call me a hypocrite as although I don’t like the thought of a target over poor Bambi’s head, I love to eat its meat. Having a reputation as being strong and gamey, fresh venison can in actual fact be quite mellow in flavour. It’s also super-lean and when cooked medium-rare and rested well, tender and succulent. Rather than increasing our meat consumption I think Luke’s new hobby has actually caused the reverse as we now eat venison every-other-night in smaller portions than if it were beef or chicken.
Although I try to act interested in all the stories after a hunt, the real stories I enjoy are those about the ‘one that got away’ – not shooting a deer because it was pregnant, too old (and potentially a breeding stag) or too young. I wouldn’t let on but I’m secretly happy that these deer get to re-join their herd and roam free for at least another day.
We’ve had a bag of off cuts in the freezer which I’ve been meaning to make use of as I’m a firm believer in using everything from nose to tail. My friend Lizzi helped me with my flavour combination which give these dogs a serious punch in flavour. You don’t need a sausage-maker to make the hot dogs – I just make a shish-kebab and remove the skewer before serving.