I'd love to try it tbh, we have quite a fancy butcher so I'm tempted to ask them if they ever have any in.
Only ever had venison burger or sausage before, as down here in the South you don't see much around. I'd love to try a steak!
What's the best cut? Is there an equivalent of a rib eye?
Haven't eaten venison for years mainly cos it was very hit and miss as to whether it would be tasty. Didn't make any difference as to what type of deer it was, crumbs even the dog refused to eat muntjac!
Guilty secret: there's a chap on Youtube called MeatEater and do find any vids featuring hunting (white-tailed) deer with a bow to be rather appealing. Just seems kinder all round. They use a mixture of public land where they're given an official ticket or invited to someone's country property.
Deer are classed as a pest here so culling is encouraged. That means lots of venison available for me.
Mmmm, backstrap lightly fried in garlic butter on sourdough toast. S'cuse me, I need to make a phone call.
well we are having a fallow doe rump pan fried with juniper rosemary and garlic, finished in the oven with butter and red wine and shallot sauce. crushed new potatoes, carrots, tender stem broccoli, runner beans and savoy cabbage, and a yorkshire pud.
many tummy rumbling noises going on. dog has just had some muntjac with the fur on as i just couldnt be bothered to skin it - i left it hanging in the garage a few days as it was well below 5c, and i think that might make it harder to skin.
back strap is probably the best bit, it melts in your mouth if you do it properly. gave a lump of rump to a mate a while ago and he marinated it, covered it in bacon and roasted it a highish heat for a shortish amount of time. looked incredible in the pics. his kids loved it. Another mate took the neck of a fallow buck we had and used a Jamie Oliver burger receipe, which again involved a load of pork and he said his kids pester him constantly to make some more. I want to have a go at making sausages.
What’s the best cut? Is there an equivalent of a rib eye?
Loin or saddle. This can be subdivided into Top Loin and Strap loin.
The Strap loin (the lower portion) on a roe makes a great steak for one hungry diner. It has a bit of silverskin to cut away, but I pan sear them for about a minute each side in a cast iron skillet heated 'til it squeaks, or sets the smoke alarm off, splash of oil and a knob of butter. I then wrap in foil and allow it to stand for a good ten minutes in a warm place. You could roast in the oven if you want it nearer medium, but this is a cut you can serve "blue". A good char is essential, so a going over with a blowtorch works well.
The toploin (up towards the shoulders) can be left in situ and half a dozen chops cut, but it's another fantastic tube-shaped steak for one either side otherwise. I often turn this into Carpaccio: Marinaded overnight in a rub of olive oil, dijon, garlic, szechuan pepper and salt, wrapped tightly in clingfilm to maintain its cylindrical shape. Then wipe off the wet marinade, roll in a good layer of crushed peppercorns, and sear in as hot a skillet as you can achieve. It literally takes a few seconds on each side, turning it as you do to make sure all the outer surface is seared. Take it straight off the heat and into the fridge. You need to stop the inside heating through and cooking too far. You could pop it in the freezer, it needs to chill completely. Once it's completely cold, slice it as thinly as you can with a sharp knife, then roll out the disks between sheets of greaseproof paper so they're more or less translucent. Serve with cornichons (gherkins) and root vegetable crisps as a starter.
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