How to Cook Venison Steak

Venison, or deer meat, is definitely one of the most leanest and healthiest meats of all, and it's certainly intense in flavour. Despite being pricey sometimes, it makes an excellent ingredient for top-notch dinners. Here's a very easy way of tackling the task, with plenty of room for variations. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Venison steaks (about half an inch thick)
Shallots
Garlic
Raspberry vinegar (one tablespoon)
Olive oil (one tablespoon)
Salt and pepper

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Preparing the Meat

1
Shop carefully. You'll need to find the best quality venison available to you. Like any other meat, venison's final taste and nutritional benefits are highly dependent upon its origin. If you can't shoot a deer yourself, then ask questions when shopping around among hunters in season. If the only produce available comes from a supermarket, surely go for the organic variety of it.
- Try to get something of about half an inch thick regardless of the overall size.
2
Make your marinade. The marinade is essential when it comes to game. Think about countries or regions of the world when it comes to spices and flavours.
- For example, to give it a traditional flair, use about a tablespoon each of shallots, garlic and a very high quality raspberry vinegar together with not-so-cheap olive oil.
- Cut the shallots and the garlic as small as possible (Brunoise). Put them in a vinaigrette of olive oil and raspberry vinegar, with a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
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3
Cover the meat with marinade. Then rub the mixture on the meat. The rubbing in process is not-negotiable!
4
Marinade. Let the meat 'soak' in the flavours for about an hour and you are ready to go.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Cooking the Venison

1
Prepare to go rare! Most people are somehow afraid of eating reddish meat. Don't be scared off by red juices. There is some real chemistry going on in the mouth when you taste the juices. Take advantage of it.
2
Get your frying pan or iron grill as hot as possible. Seriously, make it smoke!
3
Slam the steak(s) on the hot pan/grill and also press them down strongly with a fork. What you want is black lines that sear the meat and concentrate flavour.
- Note: If your marinade is oily enough, your steaks will not stick to the pan.
4
Cook the steak for just less than one minute and then turn it to sear the other (still raw) side. Then remove it from the heat.
5
Let the meat rest for at least 8 minutes. If you don't, your meat will resemble shoe's soles. The resting period is essential, so please do not ignore it.
- If your searing process was done correctly, when cutting your steak you should have a maximum of 1 mm thick browned meat on each side of the steak. The in-between should be furiously red.
6
Enjoy! Salad for summer and steamed potatoes for winter are both excellent sides for your steaks.

Community Q&A

Question

Can venison be battered and pan-fried?

Community Answer

Yes, this is a great method for preparing venison. There are a number of recipes online which will guide you if you need assistance.