Venison Wellington | Jamie Oliver venison recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook venison so it's tender? ›

The best way that I've found to make sure a venison roast (bone-in or out) tender is to cook it in the crockpot or slow cooker on low for 8-9 hours, or until it is falling apart. If you cook it on low you won't dry it out. Please note that I don't recommend cooking this on high for 4-6 hours.

Slow and Moist

When pan fried or sauteed, cuts from the shoulder, front legs, and lower back legs stay tough and chewy, which is one reason many hunters turn much of their deer into venison sausage. He says even densest shoulder roast can be made tender and succulent by slowly cooking it with moist heat.

While some hunters swear by certain soaking methods to take the “gamey” flavor away or bleed the meat after processing, others don't find it all that helpful. If you would like to try soaking your meat, instructions for a buttermilk soak can be found at The Backyard Pioneer.

Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least four hours, and no more than 12, before proceeding to cook it as you normally would. The calcium in milk contains enzymes that will tenderize the meat, and the main protein in milk will neutralize the gamey flavor.

For the venison loin:

Use a neutral oil such as rapeseed oil for searing at high temperatures. Once the meat is nicely coloured, add the butter to the pan with the rosemary, thyme and garlic. When the butter has melted baste the loins continually for 6 minutes before removing from the pan. Rest the meat for 5 minutes.

Deer meat, also known as venison, is often soaked in a marinade before cooking to help tenderize the meat and reduce any gamey flavor. This marinade could include ingredients like red wine, vinegar, olive oil, and various spices.

Simply put, aging results in a more tender, albeit smaller product. To inhibit bacteria growth and encourage enzymes to work, keep the meat above freezing and below 40 degrees. The ideal temperature range for aging meat is between 34 and 37 degrees.

Venison silver skin, fat, ligaments, and other undesirable parts of a deer that aren't muscle don't taste very good. Deer fat is generally bitter, unlike beef fat. This is probably the number one reason why folks think venison, particularly ground venison, tastes gamey.

How do you make venison less tough? ›

Hanging your meat, skin on, for about two weeks is the best option. Aging the meat allows the animal's natural enzymes to break down the connective tissues and mellows the flavor. Cihelka said this is the reason his venison is so tender.

Venison behaves in many ways like beef, albeit very lean. You can cook the tender, steaky cuts of venison to the same doneness levels as you would beef, namely 130–135°F (54–57°C) for medium rare and 135–145°F (57–63°C) for medium. Hitting those temperatures just right is important for maximum enjoyment.

The CDC also urges hunters to cook their venison more thoroughly. They recommend cooking steaks and other whole cuts to at least 145 degrees at the center and letting it rest three minutes before carving and eating to ensure the heat kills all parasites. Ground venison should be cooked to at least 160 degrees.

Tender cuts of venison should be prepared using quick cooking methods to a rare or medium-rare level of doneness (internal temperature of 120° to 135° F). If it is prepared past medium-rare too much moisture will be cooked out causing the meat to become dry and tough.

Deer meat, also known as venison, is often soaked in a marinade before cooking to help tenderize the meat and reduce any gamey flavor. This marinade could include ingredients like red wine, vinegar, olive oil, and various spices.

Deer meat is very low on fat, so it tends to be dry. Best bet is to cook it in a manner that adds liquid to it- stewing, for example, or pot roast for roasts. Steaks can be seared and served medium rare, it they're from the backstrap- others will dry out too quickly, unless you know exactly what you're doing.