Before I had met Mark, I had never ate venison meat. Well let me correct myself. I did once by MISTAKE. A friend of mine would have a game party every year. For those not familiar with a game party, everyone brings a dish that includes some sort of dish with NOT your typical meat. Typical meaning normal beef. These dishes included venison, rabbit, squirrel, etc. So I filled my plate with the safe foods. Noodles, salad, brownies…nothing that included meat so I was safe.
I can’t recall who brought the beef and noodles but my friend INSISTED it was your typical beef, not venison. At this point I was starving. I need meat. I am your protein kind of gal. After drilling her and drilling her and her insisting it was not venison, I made my plate of beef and noodles. One bite and I knew what I had feared. It WAS venison. I couldn’t eat it. No matter how much everyone tried convincing me that it is good, it is good for you, it taste like chicken, don’t be a baby, its all in your head. I just couldn’t do it.
After Mark and I were married, I still couldn’t bring myself to eat it. If he would make dinner I would check the garbage can to make sure the empty package was from the meat I bought at the store and not the packaged Bambi from the freezer.
Over the years, things changed. We had a freezer full of venison that I was determined I had to eat. So one night I told Mark go ahead and make venison steaks for dinner. Ohhh the fear I had. And the sweats. I didn’t want to see it raw. I didn’t want to see him cooking it or smell it. I just wanted it on my plate so I could hurry up and get it over with, like a kid screaming and kicking forced to eat peas. That was me. Whining and all. But I coated it with A1, mixed it in my potatoes and forced it down.
To this day, I still have issues but I do eat it.
Does it taste like chicken? No, no and no.
Why am I ashamed …. I do post recipes but they are Mark’s. Mark is a great cook and eats a lot of venison.
Please don’t hold it against me! I am really trying to overcome my fear.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I think everyone has a different tolerance. If you don’t enjoy it, don’t eat it. You shouldn’t have to force yourself.
I’m guessing Mark knows how to cook venison properly, but that can make a big difference too. I’ve had some great meals featuring venison, and I’ve had some that were awful. A lot depends on the skill of the person doing the cooking.
Kristine, I actaully enjoy the steaks. Mark makes great steaks. I will eat several other dishes without forcing myself but there are some that well….carryout pizza for me.
Shhhhh!!! Promise you won’t tell anyone, but my girlfriend is a…vegetarian.
Marc, lol.
Ugh, cow hamburger and steaks are so greasy and fatty and gross! When I look at a beef casserole now, and see all the oil floating on the top, I get so grossed out. Gimme the nice low fat venison/elk/buffalo instead! (We don’t add any fat to our home processed venison burger.)
It’s OK that you don’t like venison, you don’t have to like it! I like it enough for both of us!