Ingredient

Venison

Venison is dark, close-grained and extremely lean — leaner than any common farmed meat. That leanness is the single fact that governs cooking it: there is almost no intramuscular fat to keep it feeling moist, so the margin between perfect and dry is very narrow.

Lean, and what follows

A venison loin has a fraction of the fat of a beef sirloin. Cooked to the same doneness it will feel drier, because there is no melted fat lubricating the muscle fibres.

So the rule for the tender cuts is fast and rare, and rested properly. Cooked past medium, venison goes livery and dry, and no sauce recovers it.

The working cuts — shoulder, shin, neck — are a different matter and braise excellently, though they need added fat in the pot because the meat contributes almost none of its own. A piece of bacon or a spoonful of dripping in the braise makes a real difference.

Farmed and wild, and the species

Farmed

Consistent, milder, slightly fattier, available all year. What most supermarket venison is.

Wild

More variable, more strongly flavoured, leaner still. Flavour depends on species, age, season and diet.

Red deer

The largest, with the strongest flavour. The classic British venison.

Roe deer

Smaller, finer-grained, more delicate. Often considered the best eating.

Fallow and muntjac

Fallow is mid-strength and widely available; muntjac is small, mild and increasingly common.

Hanging

Wild venison is usually hung, which develops flavour and tenderness. How long is the supplier's judgement.

Cut by cut

• Loin and fillet. Fast and rare, seared hard and rested. The best of the animal and the least forgiving.
• Haunch (leg). Roast whole and pink, or bone it out and treat the muscles separately. Dries out quickly.
• Shoulder. Braise it. Three hours with stock, red wine, juniper and bacon.
• Shin and neck. The best braising cuts, full of connective tissue.
• Mince. Very lean, so add pork fat or fatty bacon for burgers and meatballs or the result is crumbly.
• Liver. Excellent, and best eaten very fresh and cooked pink.
• Sausages and salami. Almost always blended with pork fat, for the same reason.

Cooking a loin steak

1. Bring it well towards room temperature and dry the surface.
2. Season, and get a heavy pan very hot with a little oil.
3. Sear hard on all sides. Venison browns quickly because of its low water content, so watch it.
4. Add butter, juniper berries and thyme and baste for the final minute.
5. Take it off while it still feels distinctly soft to the touch — earlier than you would a beef steak.
6. Rest for at least as long as it cooked, somewhere warm.
7. Serve with something sweet-sharp — redcurrant, blackberry, damson, quince, or a sauce made with the pan juices and a splash of vinegar.

Common questions