Best Cheeses To Compliment Venison: A Guide

Venison is a versatile meat that can be grilled, roasted, or turned into sausages and burgers. When it comes to cheese pairings, there are several options to choose from. For venison burgers, blue cheese, brie, camembert, and stilton are popular choices. If you're looking for something different, you can try gruyere, emmental, or gouda. For venison sausages, mild cheddar, pepper jack, or smoked cheddar are good options. When it comes to venison steaks, dry blue cheese crumbles can add a nice touch without overpowering the meat. For those who enjoy cheesesteaks, provolone is a tasty choice.

Venison burgers with blue cheese

Venison is a versatile meat that can be made into a variety of dishes, including juicy burgers. When it comes to choosing a cheese to complement venison, blue cheese is an excellent option. Its sharp and salty flavour adds a delicious tang to the meat without being too overpowering. Here is a guide to creating mouth-watering venison burgers with blue cheese.

Ingredients

To make four large venison burgers with blue cheese, you will need:

• 1 1/2 pounds of ground venison
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 cups of mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup of blue cheese crumbles
• 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Burger buns
• Lettuce and tomato, or your choice of condiments

Method

• Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cooking until the onions are translucent.
• Stir in the mushrooms and sauté until they are soft.
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow it to cool.
• Add the ground venison, blue cheese crumbles, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Mix well with your hands to blend all the ingredients evenly.
• Form the mixture into four large patties. You can grill, pan-fry, or broil the patties until they are browned.
• Place the cooked patties on burger buns and add lettuce, tomato, or your choice of condiments.

Tips and Variations

• For a unique twist, try adding gin-cooked peaches to your venison burgers with blue cheese. The gin complements the juniper in the burger patties, while the peaches add a sweet and sour element.
• If you're looking for a spicy kick, include some jalapeños in your venison burgers. Combine the ground venison with chopped jalapeños, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Form the patties and create a well in the centre to add the blue cheese, ensuring it's fully enclosed in the meat.
• To enhance the flavour and moisture of your venison burgers, consider adding some ground fatty meat, such as smoked streaky bacon. This will give your burgers a delicious savoury taste.
• When it comes to choosing the right blue cheese, options like Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Danish blue, or Stilton are excellent choices.

Venison cheesesteaks with provolone

Venison is a versatile meat that can be made into a variety of dishes. When it comes to cheese, American or Cheddar are the most popular choices, but there are several other options to elevate your meal. One such option is provolone, which is a popular choice for cheesesteaks.

A classic Philly cheesesteak is made with tender, well-marbled steak, sautéed onions, and melty provolone cheese served in a soft but sturdy hoagie roll. To make a venison version of this sandwich, here is a recipe you can try:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh venison backstrap or top round
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 6 slices of provolone cheese
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Hoagie rolls or hot dog buns

Instructions:

• Place the venison in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to firm it up for slicing.
• Use a meat slicer or a sharp knife to shave the meat into thin strips (about 1/16").
• Heat a large skillet, griddle, or flat top to high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil.
• Add the sliced onions to the pan and cook for 5 minutes until softened and lightly browned.
• Add the bell peppers and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
• Push the vegetables to one side of the pan and add the remaining oil to the other side.
• Add the venison strips to the pan and sear for 1 minute without stirring.
• Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Mix the vegetables and meat together and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• Split the mixture into two piles and layer 2-3 slices of provolone cheese over each pile.
• Toast the buns until golden under a broiler or on the griddle.
• Scoop each pile of the venison-cheese mixture into a bun and serve immediately.

You can also make a provolone cheese sauce to drizzle over your venison cheesesteaks. To make the sauce, simply melt butter and whisk in flour, milk, and grated provolone cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. This sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

When choosing the cut of venison for your cheesesteaks, opt for backstrap or top round muscles as they are more tender and provide nicely sized slices. Additionally, thinly slicing the meat will help combat any toughness and ensure quick cooking.

Venison charcuterie boards

Venison is a versatile meat that can be made into a variety of dishes, from burgers to steaks, sausages, and snack sticks. When creating a charcuterie board, it is important to consider the different flavours and textures of the meat and cheese to ensure they complement each other.

For a venison charcuterie board, it is best to avoid cheeses with too much moisture and opt for semi-hard and dry varieties. Here are some specific cheese and meat combinations to make your venison charcuterie board a success:

• Sausage or brats with Havarti: Venison sausages tend to be very salty and rich. Havarti has a semi-sweet, smooth flavour with buttery aromas that complement almost all venison dishes. Muenster cheese is also a good choice as it is mild, soft, and slightly nutty in flavour.
• Summer sausage and Cheddar: Cheddar is a classic pairing with summer sausage, often ground together to add firmness and creaminess. If your sausage doesn't include cheese, smoked Gouda, Asiago, or chunks of Parmesan are excellent choices for a slightly salty and sweet combo with a smoky flavour.
• Smoked steak and Parmesan: Thinly sliced smoked venison is similar to prosciutto, with a salty and light flavour. While Havarti is a safe choice, Parmesan adds a bolder flavour. For a crumbly texture, try goat cheese or feta, which also have a dry consistency that pairs well with juicy meat.
• Venison jerky and Alpine-style cheeses: Jerky is dry, so a firm but not too dry cheese is needed. Alpine-style cheeses offer a nutty or slightly sweet flavour that complements the salty, earthy, and smoky notes of the jerky without drying it out further.

In addition to the cheese and meat, consider adding condiments such as honey, marmalade, fig preserves, olive tapenade, or caramelized onion jam to your charcuterie board. Pickles, nuts, and fruit like apple slices or grapes can also add a crunchy texture. Don't forget to include crackers or crostini to round out your board!

Venison summer sausage with cheddar

Venison is a versatile meat that can be made into a variety of dishes, from burgers to snack sticks to charcuterie boards. When it comes to choosing the perfect cheese to pair with venison, there are several options that can enhance the flavour and texture of the dish.

One classic combination is venison summer sausage with cheddar cheese. This pairing is a favourite for a reason—the sharpness of the cheddar complements the rich, salty flavours of the sausage, adding a creamy element to the dish. When choosing a cheddar to pair with venison summer sausage, consider a mild cheddar if the sausage is heavily smoked, or a hickory-smoked cheddar for a bolder flavour combination. For a spicy kick, a pepper jack cheese can also be a great choice.

Traditionally, cheddar cheese is ground with venison summer sausage to add firmness and a creamy texture. However, if you prefer your sausage without cheese, smoked Gouda, Asiago, or chunks of Parmesan can also be excellent choices to pair with it. These cheeses offer a salty-sweet combination that pairs well with the unique flavour of venison.

In addition to the type of cheese, the choice of crackers can also enhance the overall taste experience. For venison summer sausage and cheddar, whole wheat crackers or Ritz crackers are often recommended. The savoury, nutty flavour of whole wheat crackers can complement the sausage and cheese without overwhelming their flavours. Similarly, the buttery, salty taste of Ritz crackers can provide a nice contrast to the other flavours in the dish.

When preparing a dish with venison summer sausage and cheddar, it is important to consider the level of smokiness in the sausage. If the sausage is heavily smoked, a milder cheese like a mild cheddar or Colby jack can balance out the flavours. On the other hand, if the sausage is lightly smoked, a stronger cheese like a hickory-smoked cheddar or smoked Gouda can add depth and complexity to the dish.

Venison snack sticks with Colby Jack

When it comes to cheese and meat pairings, finding the right balance is essential. Colby Jack, also known as Co-Jack, is a hybrid of Colby and Monterey Jack cheeses. It has a mild, slightly nutty flavour and a creamy, semi-soft texture. This cheese variety is known for its marbled appearance, with a mix of white and orange hues. The orange colour comes from the addition of annatto, a natural colouring derived from the seeds of the achiote tree.

Colby Jack is a versatile cheese that can be enjoyed in many dishes. In the case of venison snack sticks, its creamy texture and mild flavour enhance the taste of the meat without overpowering it. The venison itself is a rich and flavourful protein, and the addition of Colby Jack cheese creates a delicious contrast.

When preparing venison snack sticks, it's essential to choose high-quality ingredients to ensure the best flavour and texture. The venison should be sourced from reputable butchers or suppliers, ensuring it is fresh and properly handled. Similarly, opting for a reputable cheese brand or a local cheesemonger can make a significant difference in taste and quality.

For an optimal experience, serve the venison snack sticks at room temperature to fully appreciate the flavour and texture of the meat. Chilled cheese can be challenging to savour, so allowing the Colby Jack to come to room temperature before consumption is recommended. This ensures the cheese is creamy and malleable, providing the perfect complement to the venison.

Frequently asked questions