How to prepare venison fillet correctly - core temperature of venison

Preparing venison can be tricky. Meat from young animals is often recommended, but is there another way? Is well-done or medium-rare the best option for the meat ? We'll get to the bottom of these questions and explain everything you need to know about venison fillet in this guide.

The venison loin is the most exquisite and valuable cut of the entire animal. The loin actually contains both the fillet and the back loin. This is because the back is a muscle strand along the spine. For this reason, the back loin is the outer muscle, and the fillet the inner. The back loin is also called the medallion.

If you choose the whole loin of venison, it's best prepared as a roast. However, if you divide it into fillets, you should sear the meat as steaks. Regardless of your choice, the meat is both flavorful and lean. Fun fact: Roe deer and the associated venison are the same as deer. We have more information on this topic in the form of videos on our YouTube channel .

When it comes to venison, there are many methods of preparation. But which is recommended? How do you handle steaks, roasts, and the like? And what exactly are meat juices? We'll tell you.

When we talk about venison medallions, we mean the back fillet. A venison steak, on the other hand, can be either the fillet or the back fillet. Both come from the back of the animal, and the preparation is the same.

First, bring your steak to room temperature. Remove the silver skin from your meat . This means you'll need to trim it. If you want your meat to be particularly tender, you should cook it backwards. This means you'll need to cook your medallions in the oven. Place your venison in a preheated oven at 160°C. After about two hours, you can remove the meat from the oven. The same applies to the grill . But for that, you'll need to prepare the grill . Set up a direct and indirect cooking zone.

Now fry your venison medallion in a pan or on the grill until golden brown. On the grill, transfer your steak from indirect heat to direct heat. The venison will only need a few minutes per side. So be careful when setting the grill to high heat.

You can measure the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. The optimal internal temperature for venison (in this case) is 54 to 62°C. This will ensure the meat is beautifully tender and pink. However, you should let it rest for about 5-10 minutes before carving it with a sharp knife . This stabilizes the juices and the meat structure, ensuring the meat remains tender and juicy. Finally, you can season it with salt and pepper . Of course, you can also make a venison roast.

To prepare a venison roast, you should opt for the venison leg. This is perfect as a braised dish and is very easy to prepare. Here's a quick recipe for a succulent roast:

• Bring meat to room temperature
• Remove silver skin
• Dab with a kitchen paper towel
• Heat pumpkin seed or olive oil or clarified butter /ghee in a pan
• Put the meat in the pan
• Sear on all sides
• Deglaze with red wine
• Season the meat (you can find the appropriate spices below)
• Place the meat with liquid in a roasting pan
• Cover the roasting pan with a lid or aluminum foil
• Place in the oven and continue cooking
• Cook at 160 °C for about one hour
• Reach core temperature of 72 °C
• Serve with sauce and side dishes

We also have a quick guide for the right sauce:

• Slice or finely dice seasonal vegetables and fruit
• Fry in a pan with clarified butter , ghee, pumpkin seed oil or olive oil
• Season with thyme, rosemary, juniper berries and bay leaves
• Deglaze with red wine or game stock
• Put in a pot
• Pour in liquid and bring to a boil
• Let everything boil down
• Puree the contents
• Season with salt and pepper
• Simmer gently
• Serve with game dishes

There are different core temperatures for red venison, which you should consider carefully. Only at the right temperature will the meat become more tender and milder in flavor without becoming too dry or tough. Here's a short list of the ideal core temperatures:

• Fawns (under twelve months) - Leg: 60 to 68 °C / Shoulder: 76 to 82 °C
• Spießer (one to three years) - Leg: 66 to 78 °C / Shoulder: 78 to 82 °C
• Venison (from three years) - Leg: 72 to 78 °C / Shoulder: 78 to 82 °C
• For fillet, you always need an internal temperature of 52 to 64 °C.

Game lovers always season the meat with thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and cranberries. Cinnamon, cloves, and allspice also go perfectly with it. Besides salt and pepper , sage is also a good choice. However, if you prefer something a little lighter, you can season your game dishes with our house-made spice blends. With our Basic Rub and our Burger Seasoning , you can refine any meat dish and give it that special kick.

These spices are also suitable for marinating. Mix them with pumpkin seed or olive oil . Then marinate the meat in the liquid for 24 hours and store it in the refrigerator. The oil breaks down the protein structure of the venison , making the meat beautifully juicy and tender.

The same side dishes are suitable for the lean and tender flavor of game, regardless of the type of meat. Game is in season in autumn and winter, so it's a good idea to use root vegetables and fruits that are in season. Mushrooms and pumpkins are also recommended. These make a great addition when baked, pan-fried, or grilled.

Spätzle, Schupfnudeln, and dumplings are also suitable. However, a distinction must be made between bread dumplings and potato dumplings. Both are excellent with the appropriate sauce for fillet and roasts.

If you'd rather skip the sauce and enjoy your steak with just salt and pepper , we recommend red cabbage with cranberry jam. This also goes very well with the side dishes for roast venison. Those who prefer a simple, rustic approach can enjoy their steak with garlic bread or fries.