Deer hunting is in full swing now. Have you ever wanted to try dry aging venison meat? You can do it. I took a back-strap cut I was given last year and laid it on butcher paper uncovered in the refrigerator, allowing it to dry age in the controlled, chilled environment. I turned it every few days to allow it to dry age evenly. Dry aging meat works best if there’s nothing else in the refrigerator giving off an odor that could adversely affect the taste of the meat. At 30 days, I had the finished product. Its scent could best be described as being akin to butter. A quick sear in a hot iron skillet with butter, garlic, a splash of red wine, and kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste made for a wonderful main course. Try dry aging.
Deer hunting is popular on farms in the United States. Farmers in the U.S. provide 140 million acres of wildlife habitat through farm bill conservation programs. Additionally, 290 million acres (the combined size of Texas and California) of family-owned forests provide wildlife habitat on family farms.
Text and photography by Gregg Patterson