From the deer stand to the dinner table, a chef’s guide to better venison

MINNEAPOLIS — Good deer meat starts with good marksmanship, says Hank Shaw. “Don’t shoot a running deer,” the award-winning wild game chef and author advises, explaining that adrenaline pumping through a deer’s muscles can give the meat an unpleasant flavor. The same happens if a shot doesn’t kill the deer quickly, and it runs for a good distance before dying. “The ideal kill of a deer is where the deer never saw it coming.” kAmr9@@D:?8 E96:C D9@E H:D6=J :D ;FDE @?6 724E@C 9F?E6CD ?665 E@ C6>6>36C 5FC:?8 |:??6D@E2’D C68F=2C 7:C62C>D 566C D62D@?]k^Am kAm|@DE 566C J:6=5 2E =62DE dd A@F?5D @7 =62?[ 9:89\AC@E6:? C65 >62E E92E 42? 364@>6 E96 >@DE 56=:4:@FD >62=D J@F’== 6G6C 62E — 2D =@?8 2D J@F 6C C6A@CE6C H:E9 E96 $E] !2F= !:@?66C !C6DD H9@ E@@< FA 9F?E:?8 2D 2? 25F=E[ :D 2>:5 2 3@@< E@FC 7@C E96 `_\J62C 2??:G6CD2CJ 65:E:@? @7 9:D 4@@<3@@<[ “qF4<[ qF4<[ |@@D6i #64:A6D 2?5 %649?:BF6D 7@C r@@<:?8 '6?:D@?[” H9:49 D@=5 `__[___ 4@A:6D 2?5 :D 4@?D:56C65 3J >2?J E@ 92G6 D6E 2 ?6H DE2?52C5 7@C G6?:D@? 3FE496C:?8[ AC6A2C2E:@? 2?5 4@@<:?8]k^Am kAm(9J E96 ?6H 65:E:@?nk^Am kAm“%9:?< 23@FE 2?JE9:?8 J@F’C6 8@@5 2E] }@H E9:?< 23@FE 9@H >F49 36EE6C J@F 2C6 ?@H E92? J@F H6C6 `_ J62CD 28@[” 96 D2:5 :? 2 C646?E :?E6CG:6H 7C@> 9:D 9@>6 :? $E] !2F=]k^Am kAm%96 ?6H 65:E:@? 92D b_ ?6H C64:A6D[ 23@FE `__ ?6H A9@E@8C2A9D 2?5[ $92H D2:5[ 2? 6J6 E@H2C5 >@C6 2446DD:3=6 C64:A6D] “%9:?8D =:<6 42DD6C@=6D E92E J@F 42? >2<6 @? 2 H666 @7 $92H’D 25G:46 7@C 9F?E6CD E9:D H66<6?5]k^Am k9bmr@@= E96 >62E BF:4<=Jk^9bm kAm%6>A6C2EFC6D 2C6 7@C642DE E@ 36 :? E96 d_D 24C@DD >F49 @7 E96 DE2E6 E9:D H66<6?5] %92E’D 2 AC@3=6>[ $92H D2:5[ 2=E9@F89 9F?E6CD >:89E ?@E C62=:K6 :E]k^Am kAm“x? |:??6D@E2[ E96C6 :D 2 86?6C2E:@?2= =2E6?4J E9:?8 H96C6 6G6CJ@?6 E9:?A6C2EFC6 86ED 36=@H 7C66K:?8[ E96 4=@4< DE2CED E:4<:?8]”k^Am kAm$92H 42==65 >62E DA@:=286 7C@> E6>A6C2EFC6 E96 “D:?8=6 3:886DE D@FC46 @7 82>6J 7=2G@CD” :? 566C]k^Am kAmw6 25G:D6D D<:??:?8 E96 566C 2?5 86EE:?8 :E :?E@ D9256 BF:4<=J] "F2CE6C:?8 E96 566C 42? 2==@H 962E E@ 5:DD:A2E6 BF:4<6C] x46 42? 36 FD65[ 3FE 36 H2CJ E96 4@?56?D2E:@? 2?5 >6=EH2E6Cj E96 H2C>6C :E :D[ E96 >@C6 =:<6=J H2E6C H:== 6?4@FC286 324E6C:2]k^Am kAm(:E9 @G6C?:89E =@HD 7@C642DE E@ 36 :? E96 b_D[ $92H D2:5[ D<:??65 566C 42? D276=J 92?8 :? >@DE D965D @C 82C286D 7@C ac E@ cg 9@FCD — =@?8 6?@F89 E@ 2==@H C:8@C >@CE:D E@ A2DD[ H9:49 96 D2:5 :D 4CF4:2= E@ 2G@:5 E@F89 >62E] “u@C E96 =@G6 @7 2== E92E’D 9@=J[ =6E E96 566C 86E E9C@F89 C:8@C]”k^Am k9bmw@H E@ 4@@ E96 7C6D9 E6?56C=@:?D 9@FCD 27E6C E96 9F?E — “5@?’E 7@C86E E96 E6?56C=@:?DP” — E@ C@2DED E92E H:== 4@>6 >:5\H:?E6C[ $92H =2:5 @FE “EH@ ECF:D>D H:E9 4@@<:?8 G6?:D@?”ik^Am kAm`] “x7 J@F 2C6 H@CC:65[ F?56C4@@< D@>6E9:?8 3642FD6 J@F 42? 2=H2JD 4@@< :E >@C6[ 3FE J@F 42?’E F?4@@< D@>6E9:?8]k^Am kAma] “%96 3:886DE E9:?8 A6@A=6 5@ :D 4@@< E96 E@F89 A2CED E@@ =:EE=6 2?5 E96 E6?56C A2CED E@@ >F49]”k^Am kAm$@ 5@?’E =6E E9@D6 E6?56C=@:?D[ =@42E65 :?D:56 E96 42G:EJ @7 E96 566C 2?5 C64@G6C65 H96? :E’D 36:?8 8FEE65[ 4@@< =@?8] qFE E96 D92?6 E6?56C]k^Am kAm$A62<:?8 @7 D92?2?J 9F?E6CD 3C:?8 E96:C H9@=6 2?:>2= 5:C64E=J E@ 2 >62E AC@46DD@C[ H9@[ 7@C 2 766[ 42? DE@C6 E96 566C :? C67C:86C2E65 4@?5:E:@?D 2?5 3C62< E96 >62E 5@H? 2?5 A24<286 :E] !C@46DD@CD 92G6 E96:C @H? 46=63C2E65 C64:A6D 7@C D2FD286D 2?5 ;6C@DE @776C 7=6I:3:=:EJ :? =2C86 4FED 2?5 @AE:@?D 7@C 8C:?5:?8 A2CED @7 E96 566C]k^Am kAm$92H D2:5 |:??6D@E2?D >:89E ?@E C62=:K6 9@H 8@@5 H6 92G6 :E H96? :E 4@>6D E@ AC@46DD@CD]k^Am kAm“(6’C6 :? 2 C68:@? @7 E96 4@F?ECJ E92E 42C6D 2 8C62E 562= 23@FE D2FD286D[” 96 D2:5[ ?@E:?8 E96 23F?52?46 @7 v6C>2? 2?5 rK649 96C:E286 24C@DD E96 &AA6C |:5H6DE] “s67:?:E6=J E2<6 25G2?E286 @7 J@FC AC@46DD@C’D D2FD286 D<:==D]”k^Am kAmw:D @E96C 25G:46 7@C 9F?E6CD FD:?8 >62E AC@46DD@CDi “xE ?6G6C 9FCED E@ 2D<]”k^Am kAm|2?J AC@46DD@CD 92G6 2 5672F=E D6E @7 @776C:?8D 7@C 9F?E6CD[ 3FE E92E 5@6D?’E >62? E96J 5@?’E 92G6 @E96C @AE:@?D] “pD< 7@C E96 4FE D966E]”k^Am k9bmw@H >F49 72E :? E96 8C:?5nk^9bm kAmp 9@E E@A:4 2>@?8 566C 9F?E6CD :D 9@H E@ AC6A2C6 8C@F?5 G6?:D@?[ H9:49 92D 2=>@DE ?@ 72E >2C3=65 :?E@ :ED E:DDF6] p55 72E E@ E96 8C:?56Cn (92E <:?5 @7 72En w@H >F49 72Enk^Am kAm%9:D :D H96C6 $92H 4@>6D 5@H?i “`d A6C46?E 72E[ 3667 @C A@C<]”k^Am kAm(9:=6 ?@\72E 8C@F?5 >62E 42? 36 FD65 7@C DA2896EE: D2F46D @C 49:=:[ $92H D2:5 96 C2C6=J 3@E96CD H:E9 :E[ D:?46 E96C6’D 2 9:896C AFCA@D6 7@C >@DE 8C@F?5 G6?:D@?]k^Am kAm“}@ >2EE6C H92E 2?J@?6 D2JD[ E96C6 :D ?@ 3FC86C H:E9@FE 72E]”k^Am kAm0000k^Am