Recipe: Dry Garlic Venison Steak Starters

A good venison steak is always tender if you do not overcook it. Top or sirloin tip, inside or center round, and of course any piece of loin, is outstanding for flavor and texture. Starters or hors d’oeuvres are tasty, appetite-building morsels that pop with flavor. Dry garlic ribs are a good starter that leaves you wanting more.

Combining tender pieces of venison with ingredients to make dry garlic ribs produces salty, savory, crisp steak bites. Coating tender pieces of steak with spices and frying them golden brown and crispy on the outside, yet medium on the inside, makes for the mouth-watering starter for any meal—or even tailgate party.

The recipe is simple and easy to make without waiting for the reward. Hot oil is great, but consider using lard for the perfect finish. Lard has a smoke point of 375-defrees Fahrenheit, which is above the perfect frying temperature. The heat and consistency of the rendered pork fat create a war with the venison where the fat won’t let the moisture out, and the moisture will not let the fat into the meat. The result is perfectly fried starters.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of venison cubed into one-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of lard or cooking oil

Directions

1. Mix the cornstarch, garlic powder, black pepper and salt in a sealable container.
2. In a large cast-iron frying pan, add the lard or oil and heat to medium-high. A quarter inch of oil in the pan is ideal for the meat to fry and not swim.
3. Place six pieces of steak into the seasoning mix and shake until the pieces are coated. Repeat until all the pieces are seasoned.
4. Place single pieces of steak into the hot oil one at a time—not crowding the pan—and brown, turning once. The steak bites will cook in about two minutes.
5. Remove the venison bites from the pan and place them on a paper towel for 30 seconds before serving hot with a favorite dipping sauce.