Can You Mix Lard With Venison? A Guide to Adding Healthy Fat to Lean Wild Game

Venison is beloved by hunters for its lean, protein-packed meat. Yet that same leanness can cause venison to dry out and toughen when cooking. This leads to the common question – can you mix lard or other fats with venison to keep it moist and flavorful?

While fat has gotten a bad reputation over the years using small amounts can provide benefits for otherwise lean meats like venison. This guide will explore the reasons for and against mixing supplemental fats with venison looking at impacts on health, taste, and preservation.

Why Add Fat to Venison?

There are several key benefits to incorporating fats when preparing venison

Moisture and Tenderness

Venison’s leanness makes it prone to drying out during cooking. With less intrinsic marbling or fat than beef, venison needs supplemental fats to baste the meat, keeping it tender and juicy as fats melt into the lean protein. Fats like butter, olive oil and bacon grease allow venison to stay moist when braised or roasted low and slow.

Flavor

Added fats also impart flavor to mild-tasting venison. With less inherent fat content, venison has a lean, gamey flavor compared to beef or pork. Mixing in rich, meaty fats like lard, tallow or bacon fat gives a flavor boost that balances and rounds out venison’s wild essence.

Nutrition

While venison alone is very low in fat, adding small amounts of certain fats can provide nutritional benefits. Oils like olive, avocado and walnut oil contribute healthy unsaturated fats and omega-3s that venison lacks on its own.

Preservation

The extra fat seals venison, limiting air exposure. This protective coating created by fats preserves freshness and extends refrigerated shelf life.

Best Fats for Venison

When adding supplemental fat to venison, consider these options:

• Butter – Provides subtle dairy flavor for pan-frying or roasting. Softened butter under venison skin gives roast moisture.

• Bacon grease – Excellent for searing, imparting smoky, salty pork flavor. Also used for basting chops or roasts.

• Lard – Contributes rich mouthfeel and mild sweetness. Mixed into ground venison for burgers or sausage.

• Tallow – Deep, savory flavor from grass-fed beef complements venison. Use similar to lard.

• Duck fat – Subtle game bird essence pairs well with venison. Roast venison chunks in duck fat.

• Olive/Avocado oil – Healthy plant-based fats for sautéing or roasting in moderation.

How to Add Fat to Venison

From grinding to pan-searing, here are effective methods for incorporating fat with venison:

• Grind fat into ground meat – Blend cubes of beef, pork or venison fat into ground venison before making patties or sausage. Aim for 75% lean, 25% fat ratio for juicy texture.

• Mix in cured fat – Inject moisture by mixing 1-2 tablespoons chilled lard per pound of ground venison. Imparts subtle pork essence.

• Pan-sear – Cook steaks, chops and roasts in a small amount of avocado, peanut or other high smoke point oil to create a flavorful sear while sealing in juices.

• Baste roasts – Regularly spoon or brush melted butter, tallow, bacon drippings over a roast every 20-30 minutes while cooking. Keeps meat incredibly moist.

The key is using just enough fat to lend flavor, moisture and richness without going overboard on saturated fat and calories. A properly balanced venison dish enjoys supplemental fat’s benefits without compromising lean nutritional profile.

Tips for Cooking Venison with Added Fat

Follow these guidelines when adding fat to venison for the best results:

• Use lard or fatback for optimal texture and mild flavor balance with venison.

• Limit added fat to 1-2 tablespoons per pound of ground meat or 1-2 teaspoons per chop or roast.

• Chill fat before grinding or mixing to evenly incorporate without smearing.

• Heat fats over medium-low to prevent burning and imparting off-flavors.

• Pair fats with complementary herbs and spices like garlic, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper.

• Cook venison properly to desired doneness – searing steaks to browned exterior with pink interior, braising roasts low and slow.

• Allow venison rest 5-10 minutes after cooking so juices can redistribute for most tender, juicy meat.

• Use fresh, high-quality animal fats within a month for best flavor. Rancid fats can ruin venison.

Health Considerations of Fatty Venison

While venison and added fat can fit into various diet plans in moderation, there are some caveats:

• The higher saturated fat content makes venison with lard or tallow less suitable for strict low-fat, low-cholesterol diets.

• The animal fat makes it unsuitable for vegan/vegetarian, kosher, and halal diets.

• Those with diabetes should be mindful of saturated fat and carb pairings when working venison into meal plans.

As long as servings are limited to control overall saturated fat and calories, venison with supplemental fat can work for many goals from weight loss to keto or paleo diets. The lean protein and richness can satisfy without overdoing carbs.

In moderation, adding supplemental fat to lean venison can take it from dry and tough to succulent, rich and flavorful. A small amount of fat balances the wild gaminess of venison beautifully. Consider finely ground pork fatback for the best texture and balance. Follow the tips above to cook venison mixed with just enough fat to make it shine while maintaining its nutritional benefits. With a light touch, lard and other fats can transform your venison into a mouthwatering culinary delight.