Venison Ribs

Don’t relegate those deer ribs to the grind pile (or gut pile) ever again!

Too often, people don’t use the ribs from the antlered game they kill.  Venison ribs are lean, and can be very tough if not prepared properly.  Most folks either (1) trim the meat from the ribs for grinding or, worse (2) discard the ribs altogether.

Preparing ribs is not that hard y’all!  You don’t have to take the time to trim all the meat off them for grinding, and you definitely don’t have to dread knawing the tough meat off the bones.  There is a better way.  Here is a recipe that will deliver tender rib meat that falls off the bone and melts in your mouth.  You’ll never trim or discard your vension ribs again!

plate of venison ribs

Ingredients

  • Venison Ribs – you can leave them in whole racks, or cut them down into 2-4 bone pieces for easier handling
  • BBQ Sauce – click here for recipe
  • BBQ Rub or rib seasoning of your choice – click here for recipe
  • Water

Step 1: Prepare Ribs

When removing the ribs from the animal, you can either:

(1) take the time to find the joint where the rib bones connect to the backbone and slice through disconnecting each rib one at a time

OR

(2) take a hacksaw and make quick work on separating rack of ribs from the backbone.

I’ll leave the process up to you, as long as you end up with two racks of ribs from the deer.

Now, take your time and trim up the ribs.  On the side of the ribs that faces the inside of the animal, there’s a thin, but tough, membrane.  Get a paper towel and pull that membrane off.  If left on, the membrane will make it harder to get the meat off the bones.

If there’s any shot damage, cut out all damaged meat and bones from around the hole.  You don’t want little bone and bullet fragments floating around in your meat. Trim as much fat off the venison ribs as possible, but don’t sacrifice a ton of meat in the process. Just get the big chunks off where you can.

Now, you can leave the venison ribs as whole racks, or use the hacksaw to cut the ribs in half long-ways and then separate into 3-4 bone sections.  Separating into smaller sections makes it easier to fit them into a pot and handle them on the grill, but do what makes you happy.

Step 2: Boiling

clean venison rib bone

Done correctly, the boiling process will both (1) render fat out of the ribs and (2) tenderize the rib meat.  This will lead to a great tasting meat that falls off the bone, leaving you with a plate of clean, white, glistening rib bones.

Place the venison ribs in a pot on the stove.  Fill the pot with enough water to cover the ribs.  Boil the ribs for 2-4 hours, making sure the water level stays high enough to keep the ribs submerged.

You should notice the meat pull back from the ends of the bone as it boils. Boiling the ribs like this not only makes the meat tender, it also helps render off what little fat the ribs have on them.

When you’re satisfied the ribs have boiled long enough, remove them from the boiling water and set them aside on a plate or platter.  Be careful when removing the ribs from the water, as they’ll be tender and ready to fall apart.

Step 3: Seasoning

Get out your favorite BBQ rub or seasoning.  If you need a recipe for a good BBQ rub, check out my preferred mixture by clicking here. The ideal BBQ rub should consist of some mixture of salt, sugar, paprika, and other good stuff.  While the venison ribs are still wet from the boiling water, sprinkle the seasoning on liberally.  Cover all the meat surfaces with the seasoning, and make sure to get both sides of the ribs.  Once they’re sufficiently covered in the rub, leave them be and go get your grill hot.

After the ribs have sat with the rub on them for a good 10 minutes, get out your BBQ sauce.  Again, if you need a recipe to make your own sauce at home, click here to check out the recipe I use.  Slather a good bit of BBQ sauce on the ribs, coating both sides.  Now, they’re ready for the grill.

Step 4: Grill

Take your seasoned venison ribs to the grill.  Place them on the grill and cook on med-high for a few minutes, turning regularly.  If you let them sit, the sugar in the BBQ rub and sauce can burn, causing an off flavor to develop. The idea here is just to char the ribs and glaze the sauce a bit.  Once the ribs start to develop a darker color and the sauce becomes super sticky, they’re ready to serve.

Step 5: Enjoy!

Remove the ribs from the grill and serve while still hot.  If you like sticky saucy ribs, go ahead and slather more BBQ sauce on them as they come off the grill.  Serve these ribs with the same sides you’d use for any kind of ribs: corn, fried okra, green beans, etc.

The aftermath of properly cooked ribs is a plate of carnage.  A pile of clean-picked bones is all that remains.  The whole family will love them, and you’ll save yourself the painstaking time and effort it takes to trim meat off the ribs for the grind pile.  No need to do that, just boil, grill, and enjoy!

plate of venison rib bones

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