Tender & Tasty - Dad's Deer Peppersteak

Go ahead and ask me what my favorite meat is. Go on, ask.

Oh dear.

Oh?

Deer.

Yes, deer, aka venison! Deer was the staple meat in my house growing up, which is probably why I still love it so deer... er dearly, today. Don't talk to me about how to make it taste more like beef; I want it to taste like the gorgeous wild animal that it is. More so than having it as grilled steaks or a nice stew, I prefer to have deer just the way my dad used to make it - pounded thin, pan-fried, and served with mashed potatoes and milk gravy. Hello comfort food.

This recipe makes perfect use of less tender pieces of deer. The key is to carefully cut the meat into slices against the grain, and remove all of the silver skin, even if it leaves you with small pieces of meat.

Cut deer into 1/4" slices, and pound on both sides with a meat tenderizer (or other heavy object). Dredge in a mixture of cornflour, onion powder, salt, and lots of pepper, then fry the pieces in lard over medium heat until browned.

If you are using a cast iron pan and making gluten-free gravy, let the pan cool significantly, otherwise the milk will curdle. Once the pan has cooled, add milk, scrape up browned bits and pieces, and season to taste with s&p, and a touch of worcestershire sauce. Meanwhile, in a cup, mix together some potato starch and cold milk. Bring the seasoned milk up to a gentle simmer, and add spoonfuls of the potato starch slurry, stirring constantly, until the gravy is the right consistency.

Serve the deer steaks with mashed potatoes and a whole mess of gravy, and you'll understand why I'm so mad for the taste of deer.