Cooking Venison

[shazsha]

A friend from Stornoway bought venison at my local butcher to take home with him. He left yesterday and forgot to take it with him so I'm going to attempt to cook it.

The problem is I've never cooked venison and dont have a clue what to do with it.

It's like a roast, approximately 3lb and trimmed of all fat....can someone please tell me what to do.

[Diflower]

Shaz I haven't cooked it very often but do sometimes get steaks from the farmers market - and right now have some incredibly expensive medallions in the freezer. Waitrose had reduced them from about a tenner for two to errr...ooh about 60p

It's very, very lean, so you want to treat it like a good piece of beef but need to make sure it doesn't dry out - unlike beef there's not really any fat to keep it juicy.
How do you eat beef, do you like it rare/medium/well done? Even if you like it well done, please don't get the venison more than just-done, it will go too dry. I'd say about 20 mins per lb at about 190c for 'cooked' but not overdone, 15 mins per lb for rarer. But heat the oven to more than that, say 220c, and turn it down as you put the meat in.

You don't drink, do you? I'd probably sit it on a bed of thickly-sliced onion, add some herbs (bay, thyme) and quite a bit of red wine. Drizzle it with oil anyway. And probably cover it with foil till the last 20 mins or so too, again to keep it moist.
If you don't fancy it roast you could always cut it into large pieces and casserole it, with onions, carrots, herbs, etc.

I bet Debih would have some ideas

[lissie]

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/know ... y/venison/

This might help, Shaz

lissie

[Workingman]

I found this Shaz, it's pretty comprehensive/informative.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/ ... st-venison

[TheOstrich]

Interesting seeing your comment on pricing, Di.

If the proposals for a humane deer cull go ahead in the UK - up to 750,000 head has been mooted - it's quite possible that there will be much more venison on the food market and that might reduce prices. I've tended to regard it as too expensive for us to buy as it stands, to be honest.

[Workingman]

I saw that about the cull Ossie. 750,000 deer is a lot of meat to shift in a year. It should bring the price within range..... at least for a special occasion.

I was thinking of trying rabbit or hare sometime. The local farm butcher will do the business with them so that all you get is the main body, skinned - no fur or head or feet.

[Diflower]

The local farmers markets do have reasonably priced venison sometimes, it being readily available around here, but it's seasonal. I've bought steaks for instance, for about £4 for the two of us, so a treat yes but cheap for a treat.
I wouldn't want it too often, but enjoy it.
Oh we've also had venison sausages, again reasonably priced from the farmer, I like those, lovely cooked with lots of red onions and red wine.
The medallions are from New Zealand, a new line for Waitrose I think, hellishly expensive but there are plenty of local people who would never even glance at a price. There were 3 packs of two I think on Sunday with that day's date and I just happened to be there at the right time, at that price it would have been illegal not to buy it I guess when we have them I'll treat them like fillet steak.

Bb loves rabbit and has had it when we've eaten out, both here and in Greece. I did say I'd cook it for us, but tbh my heart's not in it. I've never been able to eat it, silly I know but get this image of the fur going in my mouth.
It's very bony, lots of little fiddly ones; he's one who loves bones on his plate but even he finds it a bit tedious if they're all still there.

[Diflower]

Second reply
Re the cull, it does seem necessary, the numbers have gone up and up; stepmother has them invading her garden, and even if she's out there banging a saucepan lid they just look at her. She's not in the country either, just happens to have a bit of woodland backing onto her garden.

There's a bit in our local free paper about dogs attacking deer in the Forest, but when you read it they're not 'attacking' as such, more surprising them - or the deer surprising the dogs - and then chasing and bringing them down. I'm not sure I could condemn that really, the Forest is a massive open space, you're not going to keep dogs on a lead. We're all very used to the ponies and cattle and yes, putting leads on sometimes, but they're domestic, owned animals. Deer are much bigger than rabbits (and much bigger than dogs!), but no-one has a go at dogs for chasing/killing rabbits
Haven't decided where I stand on that one.

[debih]

Oh god venison. The bane of my life. We seem to have it twice a week. Mick keeps coming home with whole ones (butchered most of the time fortunately).

I often cover the whole joint in bacon and then roast it. Sometimes I marinate it in red wine (with an onion and bay leaf) for a day or so and then roast it after searing it all over.

Venison can sometimes be tough so it does help to marinate it before you cook it.

I have resorted it to mincing it and making shepherds pie with it! I often make big stews with it too.

[debih]

Di - I have a fabulous, easy recipe for a rabbit ragu. You cook the rabbit whole and then pick the bones out later - it is so simple. Its my favourite way of cooking rabbit.

I will find it out and post it tomorrow.

Not only do I have a freezer full of venison, I have another one that is full of rabbit, pigeons, pheasants, woodcock, grouse, etc.

Why can't my husband just be normal and go to the butchers! Why oh why does he have to be so friendly with gamekeepers!