By: Boone McAlan

There’s no shortage of great recipes roaming around the interwebs.

Whether your favorite fare is protein-heavy or full of greens, easy to whip up or complex, you can be sure you’ll find a treasure trove of great-tasting options.

The list of possibilities for great recipes is so endless we thought it would be a good idea to focus on a few of our favorite cold-weather fixings and narrow the list down to just four.

These amazing venison recipes are guaranteed to make your mouth happy and make sure none of your guests leave hungry.

This is a personal favorite for freshly harvested venison.

While there are several cuts of meat that can work to make a great Philly, I prefer the backstrap, tenderloin, or hindquarters.

An often overlooked and undersold meal for venison, I’ve found that Philly is a greatway to show off the taste of a Midwest grown whitetail while also avoiding an overwhelming game-heavy flavor.

Here’s one of our favorite recipes by OutdoorLife. 

• 1 pound of thinly sliced aged venison steak
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 sliced bell pepper
• 1 cup sliced sweet peppers
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 sliced onion
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 1 package deli rolls
• 1 cup thinly sliced cheese (choose your favorite)

• Evenly mix smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt in a medium-sized plastic or glass container with a lid. Push mixture to one side of the container.
• Combine venison strips and minced garlic on the other side of the container.
• Put the lid on the container and shake aggressively until venison strips are evenly coated with seasonings and garlic. Keep the lid on and let the meat sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet (at least 12-inch diameter) on medium heat. Add venison, veggies, and mushrooms to the skillet; disburse evenly. Cook until venison is medium-rare. Remove ingredients from skillet and set aside (keep ’em hot).
• Add butterflied deli rolls, face down, to the deliciously infused grease bath in the still-hot skillet. Cook until the faces are crispy. It should only take 15-20 seconds. 

Recipe as seen on OutdoorLife.com.

It seems I’d be remiss in this day and age if we didn’t include a recipe that requireda smoker on our list.

If you have one, have used one, or even if you’ve just enjoyed a meal prepared on one, you know the exceptional taste and tenderness that can result from preparing meat on a smoker.

With the modern advances in smoker technology, it no longer requires a degree in meat science to knock out a killer meal on one.

Here’s a personal favorite for smoked venison that’s about as easy and tasty as it can get. 

• 1 whole venison backstrap
• 1 onion (sliced)
• 1 jar sliced banana peppers
• 1 lb bacon
• Salt
• Pepper
• All-purpose seasoning

• Prepare backstrap by cutting slices in one side about ½” deep, do not slide completely through the backstrap.
• Rotate stuffing each slice with onion or banana pepper.
• Season top and bottom of backstrap with salt, pepper, and your favorite all-purpose seasoning.
• Wrap the entire backstrap in bacon and secure with toothpicks.
• Set the smoker to 275°F and cook for 1 hour or until the internal temperature reaches 135°F.

For hunters, there are few things that are as synonymous with colder weather as hunting.

Right near the top, though, would be chili.

Whether you’re the type that calls it chili or if it goes by chili soup in your house, one thing is for sure. There might be no better pairing of a meal for a cold night than a well-prepared bowl of chili.

Hot or mild, with cornbread or a cinnamon roll, covered in cheese or crackers, no matter which way you take it, this venison chili recipe will satisfy even the deepest hunger.

• 1 lb ground venison
• 1 medium onion
• 1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 1- 30 oz can Brooks Quick Chili Mix
• 1- 15.5 oz can Brooks Mild Chili Beans
• 1- 15.5 oz can of Brooks Hot Chili Beans
• 1 tablespoon hot chili powder (plus extra to taste)

• Dice onion and sauté in a cooking pot.
• Add ground venison and brown.
• Drain grease and return to the pot.
• Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili mix, chili beans, and chili powder.
• Let simmer on low for 20 mins. Taste and add more chili powder to taste. Let simmer an additional 20 minutes.

Look, we can’t forget about breakfast.

Whether you’re at home in your pajamas on a Saturday morning or you just got back to camp after a cold early morning sit, this last recipe is sure to be a hit. Taste a bit of the south with this amazing combo of salty and sweet, soft and crunchy.

We’re not taking any credit for this fantastic concoction either; this brunch specialty comes courtesy of one of our favorite carnivores, Jess Pryles.

Featuring steak cuts from the front and hindquarters, this venison dish might become your family’s newfavorite.

• 6 small venison steaks
• 3 waffles (use bought or make your own)
• 1 cup plain flour
• salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup of milk or cream
• 4 cups vegetable oil
• 1 serrano chili, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup honey

• Using a meat mallet or tenderizer, bash the venison steaks evenly to thin them out. Sprinkle with salt on both sides to season.
• In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt, garlic powder, pepper, nutmeg & paprika. In a second bowl, whisk the egg and milk to combine.
• In a dutch oven or deep pan, heat oil on the stove. It will be ready to use when it reaches 325°F.
• Take each steak, place in the flour mix, then transfer to the egg mix, then back to the flour mix to create a coating. Place each coated steak on a foil lined tray ready for frying.
• Once oil is at temperature, gently place 2-3 steaks in to cook, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry a few minutes per side until golden brown, then remove from oil and place on a rack to cool for 5 minutes.
• In a small pan, combine the honey and the serrano chili. Gently warm until honey has thinned to a syrupy consistency. Note: leaving this mix on the heat too long will wilt the chilies – they’ll still taste good but won’t look as fresh. If you prefer a less spicy honey, remove the chili seeds before steeping.
• Warm the waffles and use one and a half per plate. Top with three pieces of fried venison, and drizzle with serrano honey. Serve immediately.

Recipe as seen on JessPryles.com.

These are some of our favorite recipes to pull out when staring at a freezer full of venison meat and a cold-weather winter wonderland out the window. What else might you add to the list?

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The post 4 Staple Venison Recipes to Warm You Up This Winter first appeared on Shadow Hunter Blinds.