What do you do with Venison?

My favorite way to cook backstrap is to cut it into medallions (room temp) about 1/2 inch thick, rub with toasted sesame oil and grind some black pepper onto each one. Sprinkle about 2 tsp of coarse salt into the bottom of a cast iron skillet and heat it over high heat just til it's about to smoke. Sear the medallions for about 1 to 2 minutes per side - careful, it cooks quickly - rare is best. Remove to plates and top with a spot of butter or bleu cheese if you like but it's delicious plain, too. This technique can also be done with slices of neck roast or other cuts which don't have silverskin. We eat this often and love it!!

Braised venison is great with either cherries or grapes. But I'd love to get my hands on that heart? Is it still beating? I'm not exactly sure what I would do with the heart but it would be interesting to work with. My head is spinning I'm kind of thinking tacos...but rad tacos.

I'd bet the stew meat would work well in a middle eastern type "Tagine" recipe that normally calls for lamb.
Basically a stew with spices of ginger, cumin, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, garlic, turmeric, Paprika and preserved lemons, carrots and onions.
Served over couscous.
Preserved lemons very easy to make...basically quarter a couple of lemons and salt them very well with kosher salt. Pack in a jar..and turn as they start to juice out, let them sit a couple of weeks. Essential in a Tagine IMHO, and a great cold weather dish.
You can also make 'quick' versions by dicing the lemons and salting and sugaring them for a couple of hour.

Venison chili is wonderful. Just substitute the venison for beef

NICE GIFT! With the backstrap - I like to cut in hunks, marinate in red wine, garlic, pepper - then pat it dry, skewer on rosemary sprigs, season with salt, pepper and olive oil. Grill it fast and hot so the outside sears and the inside stays medium rare. Helps to wrap the rosemary in foil so it doesn't burn completely up.

A milanesa treatment is good too (search milanesa here - I have an elk one out there from awhile back)

Ground meat - use it like VERY lean beef, like when I make chili or patties I typically will add in fat - olive oil or whichever fat suits your flavor profile. I am perfecting a chili gumbo recipe that would br GREAT with venison and duck fat!!!!