I have been cooking lots of venison. Every year my brother in law brings one home for me. It's pretty easy to cook just don't over cook it. You cook venison like any other extremely lean meat. It's great in any kind of stew. If you grind it you can make wonderful burgers. My husband also loves venison fajitas.
Here is a wonderful recipe from Mario Batali that we have enjoyed. Also you may want to try using it in his bolognese recipe. It's fabulous.
Venison Goulash: Gulgas di Capriolo
Ingredients
4 pounds venison shoulder
1 carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 Spanish onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
6 sage leaves
6 cloves garlic
6 peppercorns
6 juniper berries
1 bottle dry red wine
1/4 cup lard
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 ounces speck, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 cloves
1 cup sour cream
2 tablspoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
Grated Montasio, for garnish
Directions
Trim the venison of any connective tissue, and cut it into 2 by 1-inch cubes. In a 6-quart pot, combine the carrot, celery, onions, rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic, peppercorns, juniper berries, and red wine and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, allow the marinade to cool, and submerge the venison pieces. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry with towels, reserving marinade. In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat the lard until smoking. Season the venison with salt and pepper and place 4 to 5 pieces at a time in the pan. Sear until deep golden brown all over, then remove to a plate. Repeat the process until all the meat is done. Add the flour and speck to the pan and bring to boil. Add the cinnamon, cloves, remaining marinade and meat, including juices exuded onto the plate, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook slowly for 1 1/4 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Remove from the heat, stir in the sour cream, sprinkle with parsley, check for seasoning, and serve immediately.