It’s no secret in our family that Court is an amazing cook, especially when it comes to wild game! His skill is so renowned that he was gifted with spices, pellets for his grill, cook books, and all manner of grilling fun for Christmas.
What do you do when you have 5 different types of wild game seasonings made especially for venison? You have an Ultimate Venison Seasoning Challenge, of course!
Over the course of a few weeks, Court and I have tested these seasonings on venison steak carefully and expertly grilled on the Traeger grill, and here are our thoughts:
Challenger #1: Fiesta Brand Wild Game Rub
We’ve been cooking with Fiesta Brand seasonings and rubs pretty much the entire time that we’ve lived in Texas. Before expanding our horizons, we frequently gravitated towards their Uncle Chris’s Gourmet Steak Seasoning on just about everything! They have a wide variety from rubs designed for specific meats to all-around favorites meant to be enjoyed on anything.
The main ingredients include salt, garlic, jalapeno pepper, onion, spices, and just a little bit of tenderizer. You can view the complete list of ingredients here.
Preparation: Court used a bit of tenderizer on the meat beforehand and then used a moderate amount of the rub on each side. The steak was cooked on the Traeger using Signature Blend pellets until it was rare. We served it with wild rice and corn dusted with the Fiesta Brand Fajita Seasoning.
First impressions: It had a more peppery flavor than expected, but it wasn’t spicy to me at all. It tasted more like salt and pepper to me than anything else, but I thought it complimented the flavor of the venison well.
Court agreed that it tasted more like salt and pepper to him, but that he also liked it better than our usual go-to seasoning.
Conclusions: The pepper flavor can come on a bit strong, so you wouldn’t need a lot of this rub for good flavor on the meat. It’s very simple, but sublime! This would probably compliment a lot of different types of meats, too.
Challenger #2: Meateater/Spiceology Hatchet Jack
We’ve been watching Meateater on Netflix for a couple of years now, and when the team released an entire line of different wild game seasonings and rubs, we had to get in on it! They have eight in their line so far, each geared towards different wild game.
The flavor profile was described as containing a shallot and vinegar blend, similar to a gastrique, as well as a shot of sweetness from mountain berries. You can learn more about this here.
Preparation: Court used a bit of tenderizer on the meat beforehand and then used a hefty sprinkling of the rub on each side (the texture was a little bit “chunky”). The steak was cooked on the Traeger using Signature Blend pellets until it was rare. We served it with wild rice and corn dusted with the Fiesta Brand Fajita Seasoning.
First impressions: The overall flavor is very earthy, herby, and just a little bit sweet. In fact, the flavor was strong enough that we could taste the transition from the earthy herbs to the sweet berry to a little bit of heat at the end. The flavor was much more subtle once the meat was cooked and very complimentary of the venison.
Court liked it, it was just a very unique flavor profile from what we’re used to. I enjoyed it, too, and I think it would’ve gone nicely with a sweeter red wine and maybe even a salad as a side. I liked the surprise of sweetness at the end.
Conclusions: This rub has a lot of complex flavors that leave a fresh, earthy kind of impression. We liked it and would definitely use it again; it was a nice change from our usual seasoning/rub.
Challenger #3: Meateater/Spiceology Gnome on the Range
This particular spice had a LOT of action on Steve Rinella and his associates’ instagram posts, so I was pretty excited to try it. And after the unique flavors in Hatchet Jack, we were ready for another Meateater blend!
The flavor profile is described as an umami blend with Porcini and Shiitake mushrooms as well as sweet and sour soy, tomato powders, and aleppo chile flakes. Learn more about it here.
Preparation: Court used a bit of tenderizer on the meat beforehand and then used a hefty sprinkling of the rub on each side (the texture is super fine!). The steak was cooked on the Traeger using Signature Blend pellets until it was rare. We served it with wild rice and corn on the cob.
First impressions: The flavor is, again, very earthy with a garlicky/oniony finish. Right when you think it’s going to be a mellow flavor, there’s a little zing at the end! Again, the flavor was more subtle once the meat was cooked, but I got more of the mushroom flavor than trying to seasoning alone. It doesn’t take much for good flavor.
Court was really impressed with this one and thought this one might be his favorite overall. I really enjoyed it because it was similar to flavors we already use a lot, but still just a little different.
Conclusions: These are some classic, earthy flavors that would taste good on just about any kind of meat, in my opinion. They would also be a great crowd pleaser if you have a group of people and want something that they would probably all enjoy. I’m looking forward to using this one more often!
So… What’s the verdict?
This post has been months in the making (on accident and on purpose!), and the results have been pretty interesting.
Initially after trying the three seasonings, we officially ranked them!
- Meateater Gnome on the Range
- Fiesta Brand Wild Game Rub
- Meateater Hatchet Jack
A few months later, the one that we’ve been using the most might surprise you; Fiesta Brand Wild Game! There’s something to be said for something simple and comfortable, and this one in particular delivers. We like to break it up with the Meateater rubs now and then, but Fiesta Brand reigns supreme.
Do you have a particular rub or combination of spices that’s your go-to for wild game? Let me know, and we’ll try it next!
Jess and the Outdoors 