Anova Culinary is proud to announce the launch of a limited-edition Anova Sous Vide Box in partnership with Maui Nui Venison. Featuring cuts including osso bucco, tenderloin, stew chunks and rib rack, the Anova Precision® Cooker is Maui Nui Venison's tool of choice for getting perfect results out of every hard-earned cut of wild venison.
Started almost a decade ago, Maui Nui Venison began as a solution rather than a business. The company sells various cuts from Axis deer to help balance the population of the invasive species for the good of the local environment. Harvested using stress-free methods, their fresh venison is clean tasting, tender, and one of the most nutrient-dense red meats on the planet.
Learn more about our partnership here.
The Maui Nui Mission
The most pervasive threats to these Hawaiian species are non-native and invasive plants and animals - particularly non-native axis deer. In 1868, India gifted eight axis deer to King Kamehameha V of Hawaii, who in turn introduced them on the island of Maui. With no natural predators, the non-native species have thrived over the past 15 decades, resulting in over 100,000 deer on the island today. They are responsible for widespread destruction of lowland ecosystems, including critical forested watersheds that are vital to Hawaiʻiʻs water and soil resources. Beyond the obvious benefits of culling the non-native species, hunting axis deer also helps combat erosion that has affected the island’s coral reefs. By actively managing Hawaiʻi’s axis deer populations as a food resource, they hope to inspire more place-based solutions that focus on the health of our environment, and by extension, the health of the communities and systems that it sustains. Maui Nui’s all-natural venison is sourced from 100% wild Axis deer. Because these deer roam free their entire lives, they enjoy a naturally varied diet packed with essential nutrients. A good source of iron, riboflavin, niacin and vitamins B12 and B6, venison is tender, naturally juicy and delicious when prepared properly (hint hint: sous vide). All harvesting is done entirely at night to make the process stress-free for the deer. They are never baited, fenced, penned, or corralled and remain wild until the moment of harvest. To achieve this, Maui Nui uses infrared technology to inspect and harvest each animal without it being aware of their presence. When animals are stressed during or immediately before harvest, they rapidly deplete their bodiesʻ sugar stores and, in turn, their lactic acid levels, causing serious adverse effects on meat quality - both texture and flavor. Lactic acid also acts as an anti-microbial and higher levels equate to less bacteria growth and safer meat. The huge effort that goes into their own stress-free sourcing is, first, an ethical choice, in addition to quality control. Truly wild venison harvested using stress-free methods offers up a difference you can taste.
Venison is traditionally thought of as being more “gamey” and difficult to prepare than other typical red meats. The trick is to cook it low and slow, never exceeding 140 degrees. One of the best and easiest ways to make perfect venison every time is to use sous vide - especially for tougher cuts such as tenderloin and osso buco – which are both included in Maui Nui’s exclusive Anova box.
For those of you who want to take it one step further, you can ensure that no air enters your bag during a sous vide cook while sealing in maximum flavor by using the Anova Precision® Vacuum Sealer. It’s also great for fridge and freezer storage, extending the lifespan of your venison and minimizing waste. You can also use our new and improved Anova Precision® Vacuum Sealer Bags and Rolls, now 100% plastic neutral. Every time you purchase a box, the equivalent of 32 plastic bottles will be prevented from entering the ocean through our partnership with Plastic Bank®. The Most Nutrient Dense Meat in the World
Go Wild with These Exclusive Recipes
- Venison Pastele Stew by Kuʻulani Muise
- Venison Tenderloin by Sharee
- Ossu Bucco by Rich Malloy
- Rack of Venison by Matt Pittman
As always, leave comments and questions below.
Until next time,
Anastasia