Extremely lean red meat from wild deer. No added hormones, no antibiotics, completely free-range, grass-fed. 3oz cooked provides 26g complete protein, only 3g fat (most is PUFA, not saturated), 100% DV B12, 45% DV zinc, 35% DV niacin, 30% DV selenium, and significant CLA (conjugated linoleic acid from the deer's wild diet). Fewer calories than skinless chicken breast with more B12, zinc, and iron.
Hunted by Black Southern communities across the rural South and Midwest. Venison processing facilities in rural areas. Can be purchased from specialty butchers, online, and occasionally at farmers markets in hunting-dense areas.
Venison's nutritional profile is superior to beef, pork, and chicken in several dimensions simultaneously: (1) lower saturated fat than any of them; (2) higher protein per calorie than all of them; (3) higher CLA than commercially raised meat (from wild diet); (4) B12 at 100% DV; (5) zinc at 45% DV — second only to oysters among common meats. For the Black American hunter who brings home a deer in the fall, the nutritional yield of a single deer is enormous — dozens of meals of the leanest, most mineral-rich red meat available. The zinc density (45% DV/3oz) makes venison one of the most important zinc foods in the database — zinc deficiency is linked to impaired immune function, testosterone reduction, impaired wound healing, and taste/smell loss (highly prevalent with COVID-19).
Ground venison: use like ground beef in all applications (burgers, chili, tacos, spaghetti sauce). Venison steak/backstrap: marinate, grill or pan-sear to medium-rare (do not overcook — very lean meat becomes dry and tough). Slow-cooked: shoulder roast braised low and slow in Dutch oven with onion, garlic, vegetables. Venison jerky: traditional preserving method.
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