Bur Oaks Inc Expanding Their Red Deer Venison Product Lines

New products will include Red Deer Jerky, Brats, Sausage, Breakfast items, and warm/serve Appetizers. Partnering with Olson’s Meats, as Processor, will enable these product lines to be developed.

Fertile, IA, Feb 1, 2010
Bur Oaks Inc will be adding a new line of Red Deer Venison Products. These Venison lines will include: Jerky, Bratwurst, Sausage, Breakfast items, and warm/serve appetizers.

The new products will be available Feb 22nd. Bur Oaks has partnered with Award Winning sausage, jerky, and smoke house specialties, Olson’s Meats of Woodville, WI. Olson’s will be processing and making the new products using Bur Oaks Red Deer Venison. Olson’s Smoke House is known for their “Smokin’ Good” products since 1962. Old World Norwegian recipes have been handed down for generations in this Meat Processing family.

Bur Oaks has been continually ask for whole muscle Jerky, warm/serve, and easy to prepare products. In looking for a company with experience, Federal USDA certification , and new and unique ideas Bur Oaks has joined with Olson’s family owned company in this exciting project.

Red Deer Jerky will be made using the Whole Muscle, Venison Brats will include these flavors: Garlic-Italian, Jalapeno/Pineapple, Cheddarwurst, Buffalo Wing/Bleu Cheese, Cranberry/Wild Rice, and Black & Blue (dark beer and bleu cheese). Fine award winning Venison Salami (Italian Wine), Cocktail Wienies, Meat Balls, and Prime in Au jus will be part of the new line. Venison Breakfast sausage and Venison Bacon will also be introduced.

Judy Gergen and husband, Larry, say these products are an exciting expansion to their business. The company has had 20 fold increase in sales over the last 9 years and these products fill the request of customers, and quality and satisfaction of customer have been instrumental in their growth. Products will be available to both web site customers and restaurants throughout the US, expanding on its high quality processing and packaging and remain low in fat and calories.

For additional information on these new lines and Bur Oaks Red Deer contact Judy Gergen, 877-252-2081, or visit http://www.venisonsteaks.com . Bur Oaks Red Deer since 1997, owned by Larry & Judy Gergen, Federal USDA certified Red Deer Venison.

It’s Venison Chili Time

Venison Chili is great. You don’t have to worry about having to drain the fat off with lean venison. Here are 2 simple alternatives that you can use for making your Chili. You can use Ground Venison or Venison Stew meat. For those who believe Chili isn’t Chili without chunks of meat use the Stew Meat or cut up a venison chuck roast. This recipe is a starting point for everyone. Some people like lots of beans and some don’t want any, some want hot with lots of chili powder, others want the heat turned down. So taste and vary as your pallet dictates, as I say this is where I start, vary from here.

Ok, for the Recipe:
2 lbs Venison (Ground or Stew Meat, whichever you prefer)
1 ½ cups chopped onion1
½ cups chopped green pepper
2 garlic cloves – minced
3 - 28 ounce cans of whole tomatoes - cut up – undrained
1 - 15 ounce can kidney beans - undrained
2 ½ tbsp chili powder1
½ tsp ground cumin
1 ½ tsp salt
¾ tsp pepper

Brown Ground Venison or Stew Meat with onion, green pepper, and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Transfer mixture into crock pot. Add remaining ingredients, stir to blend. Cover and cook at desired heat setting for about (5 hrs on low heat Ground Venison), (6-7 hrs Stew Meat). High setting (3 hrs Ground), (4 hrs Stew Meat). Not all crock pots are created equal; some are hotter than others….Serves 6 to 8.

How to Cook Venison Roasts

Dry Roasting of Venison can be done with the following cuts: Hind Leg (Rounds, Eye of Round, Peeled Knuckle, and Sirloin), 8 Rib Rack, Strip Loin, Shortloin, and the Tenderloin. These are the more tender cuts. Less tender cuts such as the Chuck Roast and 4 Rib Shoulder Roast must be cooked with moisture. Roasting is to cook by exposing to direct heat, without moisture, by sealing with browning. To brown and carmaelize venison that are roasted, it is necessary to baste them, don’t overdo it (approximately 1 tablespoon per pound of roast), with (2/3 rds Olive oil and 1/3 butter is best. Roasting is done in the oven or on a spit.

In the oven one should always preheat before anything is cooked in it. The temperature depends on the size of the piece of Venison however 475 -550 degrees is a good start to brown the surface of the roast and seal in all its juices.

Rub the Venison with the Olive Oil and Butter, place in a Roasting Pan. The pan can either be put in the very hot oven or can be browned on the top of the stove. Turn (never prick the surface with a fork, turn with tongs) and brown all sides, (for myself, it is easier to brown and carmalize on the top of the stove so that I can watch without burning and to make sure that all sides become evenly brown, then take off the stove and place in an oven of 400 degrees or if browned in the very hot oven - turn down the oven to 400 degrees to complete the cooking. I always use a meat thermometer (Pyrex Accessories) because it is so easy to over cook, as it cooks much quicker than beef or pork.

I wait till the meat thermometer reads 135 degrees, then remove the Roast from the oven or spit and let rest for 15 -20 minutes. For very large roasts such as whole hind legs the resting time should be about an hour. After roasting, while resting, cover with a roasting pan lid or aluminum foil to keep the roast warm and it will keep cooking without cooking out any of the moisture. The muscle tissue will relax making the meat more tender and the juices move from the middle of the roast to even out the moisture content.

If the cut of Venison is too sensitive to heat and begins to burn, cover with aluminum foil. This includes the ends of the bones on the 8 Rib Rack).

Sauses, gravies, au jus for the roast are best made from the juice of the meat, Olive oil, and butter that has collected in the roasting pan. To do this deglazes the pan by adding twice as much hot water as the total amount of sauce that you want to end up with. With a spoon, loosen all the carmaelized juices stidking to the bottom of the pan so they will dissolve in the liquid. Boil and reduce the sauce by half (about 2 tablespoons of reduced liquid per serving). Keep warm….to make the sauce a bit smoother and sweeter add pieces of softened butter and swirl into it, also a few drops of good red-wine vinegar may be added to enliven and bring more character to the sauce.

Chuck Roast or 4 Rib Shoulder Roast should be braised. Braising is to cook in low moist heat with fat and water or fat and other liquid. These cuts can be marinated first or not. Then floured, or not, and browned lightly in Olive Oil and then add vegitables and liquid (wine, bouillon, or stock) to cover at least half the piece of venison. The pot should be covered with a lid when braising. The cooking must be gentle, long and even, usually 225 -300 degrees for 2 -3 hrs. As the meat tenderlizes the roast exudes juices into the liquid that heightens the flavor, which gradually transformes the sauce into a rich flavorful sauce or gravy. This meat should be very tender, enough to fall off the bone or shred, when done.

Visit www.venisonsteaks.com for Venison roast, deer steaks, venison burgers and more.

Methods of Cooking and Grilling Deer Meat

Whether in a fireplace, outdoor grill, roasting in an oven or on a spit, sautéing, frying, steaming, "encased" cooking, in a crust, braising, stewing, poaching - Venison will go from raw to cooked.
There are 2 main ways of doing this:

Cooking by "sealing" - with browning - retains all the juices and nutritive elements of foods by caramelizing the exterior surface over heat, with or without the addition of fat (Olive oil) when broiling, or grilling, roasting, sautéing, or frying.

Without browning - cooking the meat in boiling liquid, steaming it, or using a nonstick pan, as when poaching.

Cooking by "interchange" - with browning - used for pot roasting or braising. First the meat is sautéed very quickly in olive oil, then liquid (wine or stock) is added to half-cover, and the food is then simmered slowly on top of the stove or in the oven. The juices within the Venison is gradually released and mix with the cooking liquid....interchange.

Without browning - Quickly sauté in olive oil the place in the liquid and cook. The juice and aromas mix with the stock, which becomes richer and makes a tender and juicy final dish.

Fireplace or Outdoor Grill:
Grill must be hot, Venison should be at room temperature and lightly coated with Olive Oil.
Very Rare: The Venison is place on grill and seared, then turned 90 degrees (do not turn over) to make crisscross pattern of brown lines on its surface. Then the meat is turned over (do it with out spearing the meat - do not make a hole in the meat as the juices will escape). Same thing is done on the other side. (Only turn completely over once). After the meat has been grilled for a very short time, and is still soft when pressed gently with a finger, it is ready to take off the grill. (125 or less degrees internal temp) Place the meat on a plate, cover, and keep warm for (10 minutes) to finish cooking.

Medium-Rare: If you continue the cooking somewhat longer, you must do it more slowly; therefore keep the meat considerably farther from the main source of heat. More drops of blood will appear on the upper surface, and when you press the meat, it will be more resistant and firmer that before: it is now medium-rare (135 degrees internal temp). Again, let the meat rest for 10 minutes.

If you wanted it to really cook longer but not loose the moisture in the meat, cover the meat tightly while resting.

Rules:

• Do not overcook - nothing over 135 degrees internal temp before resting.
  
• Do not puncture the meat until after resting the venison - no fork, no knife - no puncture. Use tongs to turn the venison.

• Do not turn the meat over more than once.

Bur Oaks Venison Cooking Guide

Bur Oaks Venison dishes are delicious and simple if you follow the guidelines listed below. Venison is mild, with a distinctive flavor and lends itself to a variety of cuisines. Naturally tender and requires no marinating -- it is important to pay close attention to these simple tips.

Use this chart as a guide only as pan and grill temperatures vary. The below cooking times are based on a preheated pan, grill or oven. Meat should be at room temperature when you begin.

Pan Frying
Steaks, Medallions, New York Strip Steak, Rib Eye Steak, Tenderloin

Cut Thickness
1 inch thick steaks, medallions

Guidlines
Cook over high heat 2 minutes each side

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Sauteing/Stir Frying
Stew meat, deer steaks, Eye of Loin, Tenderloin

Cut Thickness
1/4 inch wide strips(Cut into strips)

Guidlines
Cook over high heat for 30 to 40 seconds

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Roasting
Roasts* - Rounds- (Inside or Bottom), Sirloin, Peeled Knuckle, Eye of Round, 8 Rib Rack, Eye of Loin, Tenderloin, Whole Loin

Cut Thickness
1 lb. to 1.2 lb. pieces

Guidlines
Seal meat over high heat. Cook in pre-heated 400° F oven, allowing 3-4 minutes for every 1/2-inch of thickness. Minimum 15 minutes for rare roasts. Rest for 5 to 8 minutes.

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Grilling
Steaks, Medallions, New York Strip, Rib Eye Steak, Roasts* cut - also Eye of Loin, Tenderloin, Whole Loin

Cut Thickness
3/4 inch steaks, medallions, butterfly steaks

Guidlines
Cook over high heat 2 to 3 minutes each side.

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Barbecuing
Steaks, Medallions, Roasts*, Eye of Loin, tenderloin, 8 Rib Rack

Cut Thickness
1 1/2 inch steaks, medallions

Guidlines
Cook over high heat 2 to 3 minutes each side for rare.

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Internal Cooking Temperatures:

Bur Oaks Red Deer Venison, is 96-98% lean meat and is best served rare or medium rare, then rested for 8-10 minutes to ensure maximum juiciness and tenderness. If overcooked, it will become dry and tough.

Bur Oaks Steaks
1/4 lb. - 3/4 in. thickness
(rested for 3 minutes)

Rare: 110° F Medium Rare: 120° F Medium: 130° F


* Roasts - Hind Leg
0.91 lb. -1 3/4 in. thickness
(rested for 5 minutes)

Rare: 135° F Medium Rare: 136° F Medium: 140° F

Note: temperatures taken before resting - then allow it to rest and the juices to disperse evenly.

You will find your own "best" temperature, how you like your meats.

2010 Resolutions for the 2 and 4-Legged Family Members!

Our 4-Legged Family Members!

Many households have become larger this Holiday season with the addition of a pet. It is extremely important to know how to keep them healthy. I am including a rating system for your dog food at the bottom of this blog. You start with 100 points and see what score your dog food gets. You may be very surprised. I became acutely aware of the numerous dog health problems when I started getting calls about feeding our trim and ground to people’s pets. Their veterinarians were telling them they needed "all natural" and "venison" to feed as their pet was allergic to dog food (many were scratching themselves raw, losing their hair, etc). This happens to many pets because they can not take the grains, because of the added chemicals, added coloring, or the meat, which may come from and usually does dead animals from rendering companies. These companies pick up animals that have died from sickness. Animals that have been euthanized or given all kinds of medications are included, with nothing left out. All these medications and deadly chemicals are thrown in. Eating it once might not be enough to make a dog sick or die but constantly feeding the animal this will at some point make the body react, the kidneys and liver cannot flush out all these pollutants. We have many happy 4-legged customers. So, before you have problems, please take the dog food-rating test and just make sure you are feeding a highly rated food. Keep them Happy and Healthy.

Our Natural Protein from our Red Deer has never had antibiotics, added hormones, or tranquilizers (incidentally, did you know there are tranquilizers that are used that can remain in the body and meat for a year or more). But, as you know any diet needs more than just protein. If using our Venison choose your vegetables carefully. Make sure it is a complete diet for growing puppies, adults, or aged animals.

Let's all make Healthy Resolutions for this New Year!

RATE YOUR DOG FOOD:

Start with 100:
1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points
2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal orfat) reference, subtract 10 points
3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points
4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, subtract
5 points5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first fiveingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewer's rice", "rice flour" are allthe same grain), subtract 5 points
6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meatsin the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points
8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points
9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2points
11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergicto other protein sources), subtract 2 points
12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic towheat), subtract 2 points 14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic tobeef), subtract 1 point
15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point

1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5points
3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points
6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points
7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points
8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points
9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein sourcebut "chicken" and "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point
13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point
14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-freeadd 1 point
94-100+ = A
86-93 = B
78-85 = C
70-77 = D
69 = F

Here are some foods listed alphabetically that have already been scored. Notice the score is the last number in the line. There are plenty of "F" scores.

Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
Canidae / Score 112 A+
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
Foundations / Score 106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 D
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+
Purina Beneful / Score 17 F
Purina Dog / Score 62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

Holiday Sales, Gifts, and Shipping:

We just finished the Harvest and here it is - the Holidays are upon us. Select items are being sale priced as a Thank You to our great customers. Our 8 Rib Frenched Racks are exquisite. If you are looking at a special gift or something special to serve, this would be a terrific choice. Also, for gifts or to serve, look at the Round Roasts, Sirloin Roasts, Peeled Knuckles (Sirloin Tip Roasts), or Eye of Round. They are versatile and can be used for Roasts, or cut them for butterfly steaks, steaks, or medallions. Ground venison is always great and easy to use. It can be used for burger, spaghetti, lasagna, anywhere you would use lean ground beef.

We do ship lots of gift packages every year. Just let us know the recipient’s address and (in the Comments section) what you would like to say to them and how you would like the greeting signed. You will receive an email when the package is sent out and when it is delivered. It is always wise to make sure your recipient will actually be home when the package is to be delivered, or know that they are expecting a package, so they can make arrangement for it to be picked up, if they won't be home. It is an honor, for us, to be able to send the gift of your choice to the ones you care for.

Every Holiday we seem to have a few customers who wait a bit too late and the package can not be delivered on the date they would like. For Christmas and New Year’s packages shippers are telling us that if we want to make sure that the package arrives in time, then the Ground shipping should be done by the 15th or 16th of Dec., no later. It is preferred that we do not send any Ground shipments the week of the 22nd. Again, the Shippers are asking us not to wait until the week of the 22nd to ship overnight and 2 day. If you decide that you still want to send something the 22nd or later, the Shipping companies and Bur Oaks will not guarantee the package to arrive on time. We very much would like to send out your Great Holiday Meal of Venison and gifts to those on your special list.

We wish you all a Blessed Holiday Season. Bur Oaks Red Deer, Larry & Judy