Act of kindness from local folks - how to cook venison?

I have lived out in the country in Georgia for about 1 1/2 years. A guy I rent some storage space to just dropped by and gave me the venison shown in the pic. The kindness I have been shown out here time and time again is truly heart warming. They bring me fresh grown fruit and veggies, eggs, dinners, flowers, invite me to churches, family holiday gatherings, etc.. Even 30 hybrid loblolly pine seedlings! Often a renter will stay around and chat for an hour or more. It's just so nice to be around friendly caring people. If any of you want to give an example of good local people, feel free to mention it.

Anyway, any suggestions as to how to cook this stuff?

Sliced tenderloin

Bacon burger

Sliced tenderloin

Cubed steak

Sausage

For the non-ground variety I typically defrost then in a bowl of milk.  Pat dry and treat as other red meat, with exception of grilling.  The milk pulls out the games flavor and leaves you a very sweet low fat red meat.

 For the ground I really like to use it for venison chili, meat loaf, or burgers?   Bambi burgers for the grill, I use two parts Bambi to one part pig.  Bambi is shy on fat which makes high heat cooking an issue as the fat transfers the heat thru the meat.

 We also like Hungarian goulash for the cubed steaks.  There are lots of good recipes on the web.

For the tenderloin, I defrost in milk, then dust with season salt and garlic powder.  Then wrap in bacon and toothpick in place.  Grill to medium rare.  Watch temps with a thermometer as Bambi meat stays red even when cooked.  Bambi is not kind to overcooking, per the fat comments earlier.

Personally, I do not like venison. My take is that in general, all the suggestions you get will be to "make it taste like something else. "

I see this as why its common for chilli,  sausage, jerky, etc. 

Cook it like you do any other meat and enjoy it. If you don't like the taste send it to me.

Also,  salt, pepper, slap it in a hot pan, then stick some onions in and pour cranberry ginger ale into the pan once the meat is near done. It tastes amazing.

Sorry can’t add any recipe advice but when I can get my hands on some venison sausage it’s like a small victory in life. 

My 1946 "Joy of Cooking" says to trim all traces of fat off, then lace it with beef fat.  The fat is where a large percentage of the gamey flavour resides, according to them.

There is also a page with drawings of how to skin a squirrel or hare.  I'm keeping it for after the bad times arrive.

The bacon burger is a common way they add fat too the meat to help it cook more like a normal beef burger. 

Tenderloin I find best with just some seasoning like salt and pepper cooked on low heat. Cubes steak I've never had made from venison. 
 

if you don't like the game taste then there's not a lot to do, I love the flavor.

John Welsh said:

Personally, I do not like venison.

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My take is that in general, all the suggestions you get will be to "make it taste like something else. "

I see this as why its common for chilli,  sausage, jerky, etc. 

MOST ways we prepare meats are this way.  As you say, in chili, as sausage or jerky, etc.

Had spaghetti and meatballs with venison meatballs once.  WOW that was good.

The key is to get hunted deer, not farmed deer.  Farmed deer taste bland like any other farmed animal, because of how they are fed.  If you want tasty venison, you gotta get it yourself (or know someone who does).

Venison has almost no marbling of fat so be aware that it can dry out and get tough faster than beef. 

I like to pan fry the more tender cuts with lots of butter, onions, mushrooms, salt and pepper.  Spoon the butter over the top of the steaks as they cook in a cast iron skillet.

That was fast - lots if info. Thanks. Since he gave me a good amount I'll try several of these suggestions.

The best sausage I've ever had was venison from the little whitetails around San Antonio. There was a place called Ferdi's just outside the city and locals would bring him car-killed deer. You had to know the guy as it wasn't on the menu.