The Best Tangy Venison Meatloaf Recipe

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When it comes to comfort food, meatloaf is at the top of the list of well-known comfort foods. Not only is it good for you, it tastes great and is a great way to stretch your grocery dollars. At Kowalski Mountain, we have an abundance of venison, naturally, we make our meatloaf with this lean alternative to ground beef. Meatloaf can be made with so many variations to please any palette. This tangy recipe is the best venison meatloaf recipe in my meatloaf arsenal!

History of Meatloaf

Meatloaf has been around for centuries in the form of chopped meat.  It was a great way to stretch available meat sources and use excess vegetables before they spoiled. Americans have embraced meatloaf since the 1800s using any type of finely chopped meat to create a hearty casserole that they ate for breakfast rather than dinner. Meatloaf was a common way to use leftovers. Any hodge podge of ingredients was used to stretch the family’s meat stores. 

Meatloaf as we know it, really became a mainstay meal when meat processing became an industrialized process. Ground meat was a great way to use the abundant scraps produced by the meat packing industry. During the Depression, the availability of meat grinders was common, making meatloaf a pivotal meal that allowed home cooks to stretch their limited meat resources. 

Cooking with Ground Venison

Venison is generally the term used to reference deer meat. Venison comes from the Latin word venari which means to “hunt” or “pursue”. Technically venison includes meat from all members of the deer family, including elk, caribous, and antelope. Venison is extremely lean meat. Personally, we don’t care for the flavor of the deer fat. Therefore we remove all that we can.

Cooking with ground deer meat can come with its challenges because it’s so lean. To remedy this, we add a fat blend to our ground. If you have your meat processed by a butcher, they likely add fat to your ground meat as well. To know for sure, check with your butcher regarding how they process ground venison. 

Here at Kowalski Mountain, we process all of our own meat from field to fork. When we process our ground venison we add 20% fat to the meat as we grind.  We use beef fat most of the time, but pork fat is also a good alternative. If you process your own animals, you can save the excess fat for other butchering projects, or ask your butcher to save it.  Simply freeze the fat in usable chunks that fit through our electric meat grinder. We weigh our meat and add the appropriate amount of fat to the meat and mix it as we grind.

If you don’t add fat to your ground venison, you may find things like venison burgers, meat loaf, and meatballs are very dense and dry. They may not even stay together well. You can add a bit of fat to your recipe by adding a few slices of raw bacon cut into small pieces and mixing into the venison mixture.

The Best Venison Meatloaf Recipe

Believe it or not, I have not been a fan of meatloaf for most of my life. Most classic meatloaf recipes cover the top of the meatloaf with a ketchup mixture. Despite the number of “best meatloaf” recipes I have tried, I’ve found few that I care for. I’ve tried so many variations, some with BBQ sauce, some with a pizza flare (I actually liked this one). Some were sweet like the popular brown sugar meatloaf. However, my favorite recipe includes a tangy glaze with just a bit of sweetness that the whole family loves!

Steps to Success: Mixing the Perfect Meatloaf

In a large bowl, break the 2 pounds of meat apart with a spatula. Dice the medium raw onion finely and sprinkle over the top. Sprinkle the salt and pepper. Finally, add the breadcrumbs. Mix gently just until combined.

If using fresh eggs, break each egg individually in a small bowl, and add to mix. Pour the tomato sauce over the mixture. Mix tomato sauce and eggs into the meatloaf until combined. You can use a spatula, but mixing with your hands may be more efficient.

Shape the meat mixture into a loaf shape. If you choose, line the loaf pan with parchment paper, and place it in the prepared pan. If I am not freezing the meatloaf, I don’t usually use parchment paper, simply placing venison meatloaf into an ungreased loaf pan. Before baking, I like to make a ditch down the center of my meatloaf. It’s just a slight indentation down the center that forces the sauce to the center of the meatloaf, not down the edges.

Place the meatloaf into a preheated oven at 350° on the center rack. Bake for 40 minutes. In the meantime, mix the tangy sauce. Add mustard, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Mix well. Before pouring the mixture over the top, use a fork to pierce random holes over the surface of the meatloaf. Pour sauce over the top of the meatloaf. Return the meatloaf to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Meatloaf should be baked until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°. Allow meatloaf to stand for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

Since Philip and I are empty nesters, I make this recipe into two meatloaves. See the Tips and Tricks below for my freezing tips. If making a smaller meatloaf, you can reduce the mustard sauce by half if you like, though I never do! Cooking time may vary making a smaller meatloaf.

The Perfect Sides

Personally, mashed potatoes are the ultimate side dish to complement meatloaf! Fresh green beans are a great complementary side. Green beans can be roasted or cooked on the stove top. Add a dollop of butter and a little garlic salt.

Leftovers

Leftover venison meatloaf should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Many people like to make meatloaf sandwiches with leftover meatloaf. Heat sliced meatloaf in a skillet until heated through. Serve toasted.