Skip The Beef And Try This Game Meat For A Meatloaf With More Bite

A nostalgic comfort food, the humble meatloaf has long been a dinnertime staple. But for those who prefer sticking to a classic meatloaf recipe, it's time to expand your horizons to the possibilities of new tastes and textures. Try a twist on the typical meat in your meatloaf by swapping in venison for your next batch.

Venison, also known as deer meat, is a uniquely flavored wild game that would make an ideal meat swap for the base of a meatloaf. Depending on your specific location, venison may also be cheaper than beef. Additionally, when it comes to nutritional value, venison is generally leaner than beef with a higher protein content.

Taste-wise, venison is especially lean with an underlying richness and earthy flavor that's directly related to the deer's predominantly herbivore diet. Some call the taste and texture gamey; however, this also depends on your cooking method. For a meatloaf, which itself usually includes an addition of breadcrumbs and other ingredients to act as binders and provide moisture, it's easy to swap in ground venison and supplement its lack of fat with your choice of ingredients.

One of the biggest mistakes when cooking venison is treating it the same as beef. As it's notably leaner, you'll want to make accommodations for your meatloaf swap to maintain moisture and flavor without drying it out during the baking process. When working with venison for a meatloaf, you'll want a ratio of about 80/20 meat to fat. Try adding butter or ghee into the mix or utilizing a blend of ground beef or pork to supplement the fat content.

You can use standard meatloaf ingredients, including eggs, milk, and breadcrumbs to bind the venison-based loaf together and keep it moist. In addition to using beef and pork to provide additional fat content, consider other vegetable ingredients for more moisture in your meatloaf. Chopped mushrooms are ideal for their water content, while lentils can also help bulk up your venison meatloaf with extra protein and fiber.

For seasonings, try chopped fresh herbs like sage and rosemary. This will complement the earthy richness of the venison and enhance the overall texture as well. As far as a topping, ketchup is a go-to glaze, but if you really want to up your venison meatloaf swap, try something that leans into the sweetness, such as the glaze in a sweet and spicy coconut-glazed meatloaf recipe. Anyway you make this meat swap, your meatloaf will truly shine.