Venison Lok Lak

My fiance is an avid outdoorsman. He will fish all year long, whether it's from the shore, his boat or an ice shanty. He also hunts squirrel, rabbit and deer. This year he was lucky enough to get two; one during rifle season and one with his crossbow. That means I have a TON of venison in my freezer.

Before Father's Day, Rob found a recipe for Venison Lok Lak in Field and Stream magazine. He took a picture of it and sent it to me in a text. How could I say no to that request?

Before getting started, I sliced a 3 lb venison roast into think strips. I then soaked the meat in milk for 4 hours to help neutralize the gaminess of the blood. I then made a marinade with hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, sugar, garlic and black pepper. I covered the meat and let it soak marinate for 1 hour.

The dipping sauce is a lime based dressing with a kick of fresh black pepper. Just remember that a little goes a long way.

I stir fry some fresh sugar snap peas and sweet bell peppers to go in the lettuce wraps. The kids are not big on eating the venison on lettuce, so they create a stir-fry with the meat and veggies instead. I don't mind, because the lettuce has the least nutrients out of all the veggies.

I then stir-fry the venison in sesame oil for 3-5 minutes. I recommend doing this in batches so that the meat cooks evenly. Over cooked venison is super chewy, and not an experience I would recommend.

Venison Lok Lak

Ingredients
3 lbs venison roast, trimmed of fat and gristle, sliced into strips
4 cups of milk
6 Tbsp hoisin sauce
6 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sriracha
6 tsp sugar, divided
4 tsp garlic paste divided
Freshly ground black pepper
4 limes
4 tsp fish sauce
3 hearts of romaine
1 large tomato, sliced
2 sweet bell peppers, sliced (one red and one yellow)
12 oz sugar snap peas
4 cups cooked brown rice
6 Tbsp sesame oil

Directions

1. Place the venison in a sealable  glass container. Pour the milk over the meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or over night. (The older the deer, the gamier it will taste.)
2. Pour the venison and milk into a wire strainer, and gently shake to remove as much milk as possible. Pour the meat back into the container and set aside. 
3. Prepare the marinade by whisking the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, 2 tsp sugar and 2 tsp garlic paste together. Add black pepper to taste. Then pour over the venison. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. 
4. Make the lime sauce by rolling the limes on the counter to help loosen the juice. Slice them in half, and squeeze the lime juice into a small bowl. Add the fish sauce, 4 tsp sugar, 2 tsp lime paste and black pepper to taste. Cover and set in the fridge until ready to serve.
5. Heat 1 Tbsp of sesame oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the sugar snap peas and peppers. Stir-fry until crisp tender, about 3 minutes. remove to a serving bowl and set aside. 
6. Add another Tbsp of sesame oil to the wok. Once smoking, add a handful of venison and stir-fry until no longer pink in the middle, 3-5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat with the rest of the venison, adding more sesame oil as needed. 
7. To Serve: Spread a Tbsp of brown rice across the center of a lettuce leaf. Add 3 slices of venison, some stir-fried veggies and a tomato slice. Drizzle with the lime sauce, and enjoy. 

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Per Serving	% Daily Value*
Calories 770
Total Fat 17.7g	23%
Saturated Fat 3.6g	18%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 10mg	4%
Sodium 1195mg	52%
Potassium 603mg	13%
Total Carb 98.9g	33%
Dietary Fiber 6.8g	24%
Sugars 16.5g
Protein 52.2g
Vitamin A 84% · Vitamin C 173%
Calcium 18% · Iron 21%

One serving is approximately 2 wraps. They are very filling and a great new way to cook venison. I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we did. 

Thanks for stopping by, 

Kristie