RARE Advice
Venison needs to be cooked differently to other meats especially beef and lamb. Due to its low fat content it can easily dry if cooked for too long and venison fat, unlike beef fat, can taste bitter if not used correctly. Trim away any fat or sliver skin / film before use (especially on steaks).
Here are some key areas that should be taken into account when cooking vension:
1. Don’t overcook it. The number one mistake people make when preparing venison is that they overcook it, rendering the meat rubbery and gamey. Tender cuts of venison should be served rare or medium rare. Always cover slow cook joints during the cooking process.
2. Match the cut of meat to the cooking method for the most tender results. Naturally tender cuts take well to high heat grilling, pan searing, or roasting and should be served rare to medium rare. Tougher muscles from the shoulder, shank or neck should be braised or stewed slow and low.
3. Use dry rubs and marinades. Dry rubs and marinades break down the enzymes in the meat, tenderizing it in order to soften the meat and enhance the flavours.
4. Go easy on the salt. Venison is a very lean meat and excess salt will dry it out. It is already a flavoursome meat . If you must add salt please do so after you have tried it first.
5. Venison is not the same as beef so don’t just substitute it in a beef recipe.
6. For a perfect simple steak - prior to cooking ensure the steak is at room temperature. Put a little oil in a very hot griddle pan. Place the steak on the pan without moving it whilst it cooks. Leave it cooking for a few minutes on each side to your liking. Remove from the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly.
The flavour of venison lends itself well to earthy, autumnal flavours like mushroom, turnip, beetroot and parsnip. Juniper is frequently paired with venison to provide a fresh evergreen aroma to match up to the gamey flavour.
Chocolate and red meat have been paired together since Aztec times and the flavour of the bitter chocolate gives a rich, earthy note to the venison.
Pan-fried venison with blackberry sauce
ingredients
· 1 tbsp olive oil
· 2 thick venison steaks, or 4 medallions
· 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
· 150ml beef stock
· 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
· 1 garlic clove, crushed
· 85g blackberry puree
Method
Heat the oil in a frying pan, cook the venison for 5 mins, then turn over and cook for 3-5 mins more, depending on how rare you like it and the thickness of the meat (cook for 5-6 mins on each side for well done). Lift the meat from the pan and set aside to rest
Add the balsamic vinegar to the pan, then pour in the stock, redcurrant jelly and garlic. Stir over quite a high heat to blend everything together, then add the blackberries and carry on cooking until they soften. Serve with the venison, celeriac mash and broccoli.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2007
Venison and red wine casserole
Ingredients
2 tbsp plain flour
900g diced venison
Oil for frying, e.g. vegetable or sunflower
1 large onion, finely sliced
3 carrots, peeled & finely diced
3 sticks celery, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
450ml red wine
200ml beef stock
10g dried wild mushrooms, chopped (optional)
2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
10-12 juniper berries, lightly crushed
A few sprigs fresh thyme & rosemary
2 bay leaves
Salt & pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 150°C/Gas 2.
Place the flour in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Toss the venison in the flour to coat. In a large flameproof casserole heat 3 tablespoons oil.
Fry the venison in batches to brown; you want a good caramel colour for the best flavour, so don’t crowd the pan. Once browned, transfer the venison to a large bowl and set aside.
Heat a little more oil in the pan and fry the onion, carrots, celery and garlic for a few minutes to soften.
Add the wine, stock, dried mushrooms, redcurrant jelly, balsamic vinegar, juniper berries and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
Return the venison to the pan and bring to the boil. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2½-3 hours, until the meat is tender.
Recipe from:
https://www.riverford.co.uk/recipes/view/recipe/venison-red-wine-casserole
Braised Venison Shoulder
Ingredients
For the marinade:
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 whole Carrot, Roughly Chopped
1 whole Onion, Roughly Chopped
1 stalk Celery, Roughly Chopped
1 clove Garlic, Minced
1 bottle (750ml Bottle) Dry Red Wine
⅔ cups Red Wine Vinegar
1 whole Clove
2 whole Bay Leaves
1 sprig Thyme
3 whole Parsley Stems
8 whole Peppercorns
For the venison braise:
4 whole Small Or 2 Whole Large Venison Shoulders
Olive Oil
1 cup Onion, Diced
1 cup Carrots, Diced
4 cloves Garlic
½ cups Celery, Diced
2 sprigs Thyme
2 whole Bay Leaves
2 whole Cloves
1-½ cup Red Wine
3 cups Veal Or Beef Stock
1 cup Ripe Tomatoes, Diced
Salt And Pepper, to taste
method
For the marinade:
1. Heat the oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat and sweat the vegetables, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the wine and vinegar and remaining aromatic ingredients and simmer slowly for 30 minutes.
3. Cool thoroughly and pour over venison. Let it soak for several hours.
For the venison braise:
1. Remove the shoulders from the marinade and pat them dry.
2. Heat a roasting pan to medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add the venison shoulders. Sauté on all sides until nicely browned. Remove and set aside.
3. Add the onions, carrots, garlic cloves and celery to the pan and cook until well browned. Pour off any grease and add the herbs.
4. Add the wine and deglaze the little caramelized brown bits at the bottom of your pan, scraping them with a wooden spoon. Add the stock and tomatoes and a little salt and pepper. Return the venison shoulders to the liquid.
5. Tightly cover the roasting pan with tin foil and place in a 300° F – 325° F oven to braise for approximately 2 ½ hours.
6. When the shoulders are tender, remove the roasting pan from the oven. Remove the lid and let the shoulders rest for 10 minutes.
7. Carefully degrease the cooking liquid by skimming the fat off the top with a ladle.
8. Remove the shoulders from the pot and set aside in a warm place, covered. Strain the braising liquid through a fine mesh sieve. You can reduce some of this liquid in a separate sauce pan until it is thick, and pour it over your venison to serve.
Recipe from:
https://tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/braised-venison-shoulder/