Prepare venison loin as fillet correctly - core temperature of venison

Properly preparing venison, whether as stews, steaks, or roasts, can be tricky. The meat is very rare and expensive, which is why you need to handle it with great care. Small mistakes can have fatal consequences for you and your wallet. However, we'll show you how to prevent them.

The venison loin fillet, like the tenderloin, comes from the animal's back. This is the muscle strand along the spine. Back fillets are also called venison medallions. What makes them special: The back fillet represents the outer muscle, while the fillet represents the inner muscle. Both are quick-frying cuts and therefore suitable for preparation as steaks. These two cuts are the finest and highest quality in the entire deer. The meat is very lean and also high in protein. This makes the game meat easy to digest and ideal for beginners. The steaks have an aromatic gamey flavor and are suitable for both pan-cooking and BBQing. Fun fact: It's the same with venison, and therefore also with venison loin . You can find more information on our YouTube channel .

To properly prepare venison, you need optimal preparation, the perfect internal temperature for venison, and, of course, the best cooking method. We'll explain all of this now.

If you want to sear the back fillet, you first need to remove the silver skin. To do this, carefully run a sharp knife between the skin and the meat , gradually peeling away the skin. Only then can you fry or marinate the meat .

To marinate your steak, you need a marinade based on pumpkin seed or olive oil . Rosemary, thyme, juniper, and bay leaves are good spices. Our house-made spice blends also go perfectly with it. Choose between the Basic Rub or the Burger Seasoning . Our spice blends are suitable for any type of meat preparation and complement the meat 's natural flavor. It's best to leave your meat in the marinade overnight in the refrigerator.

First, make sure your meat reaches room temperature. You can ensure this by letting it cool down outside the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. If your venison is frozen, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Be sure to pat it dry with a paper towel first.

The reverse cooking method is best for steak. This means you cook your meat in the oven at 60°C (fan oven) for about two hours and then sear it in a pan until golden brown on both sides. Your steak should reach an internal temperature of 54 to 62°C. This is the ideal internal temperature. This way, the meat will still be tender and pink on the inside. If it's above this temperature, it's well done. You can also sear your steak first and then finish cooking it in the oven. It's best to use a meat thermometer; you won't go wrong with it.

Once your venison has reached the desired internal temperature, let it rest for a few minutes. This stabilizes the meat juices and keeps your steak nice and juicy. Then, carve it with a sharp knife and season it with a little salt and pepper . However, if you prefer a roast instead of a venison medallion, the process and the cut are different.

For the right sauce, it's best to use seasonal fruits and vegetables. Game is available directly from the hunter in autumn and winter, so mushrooms, root vegetables, and pumpkins are excellent additions. Sauté your fruit and vegetables in a pan, deglaze with red wine or game stock, and transfer it to a pot. Pour in a little liquid, then slowly reduce the contents and purée. For seasoning, you can use herbs, berries, salt , and pepper . Our house-made spice blend, Burger Seasoning , is also worth trying. You've now got a sauce that goes perfectly with game .

For venison roast, you need a different cut of venison. While you can use the entire saddle, it's advisable to opt for the venison leg or shoulder. Incidentally, schnitzel and goulash also come from the shoulder. Therefore, focus on the leg instead. This cut is also lean and tender.

Here too, it's important to properly temper and trim the meat. Additionally, you should pat the venison dry with a paper towel. You can season your roast before or directly after searing. Use spices that you would also use in the marinade for your steaks, such as herbs and berries.

Sear your venison until golden brown on all sides, then place it in a roasting pan with liquid. Cover the roasting pan with a lid or aluminum foil. Now, place everything in a preheated oven or grill. Note: If you're cooking the roast entirely on the grill, set up direct and indirect heat zones.

Before you can remove your venison roast from the oven, it must have reached an internal temperature of 72 °C. You ensure this by cooking it at 160 °C for about an hour in the oven or on the grill. This will make your piece of meat beautifully tender and perfect for special occasions.

If you'd prefer to use a roe deer leg instead of venison for your roast, that's certainly possible too. We have a video with detailed instructions here.

However, if you'd rather prepare your game dish from the venison saddle, the internal temperature will change.

To keep your meat tender and juicy, you need the optimal internal temperature. The right internal temperature is the key to success. However, internal temperatures vary, so you can't simply base your cooking on the internal temperature of other cuts.

If you're preparing the venison loin as a roast, you'll need to place it in a pan, sear it on all sides, and then treat it like a leg. Continue cooking in the oven. Before you can remove the venison loin from the oven, it needs an internal temperature of 54 to 62°C. Only then is your loin done. You can find meat-related videos on our YouTube channel . Now all you need are the side dishes and the right seasonings.

Finding the right flavorings for your venison isn't as difficult as you might think. Generally, rosemary, thyme, juniper berries, and bay leaves are good choices. Besides salt and pepper , cloves, allspice, and sage are also suitable. Of course, you can also use our in-house spice blends.

Both our Basic Rub and our Burger Seasoning are universally applicable. They're suitable for any meat dish. Whether wild boar, venison, or red deer, these spice blends are a perfect complement to game , beef , pork , and chicken . But let's move on to the side dishes.

Once your meat is nice and juicy and tender, all you need is a suitable side dish. Perhaps the most well-known is red cabbage with cranberries. A salad where you refine the red cabbage with cranberry jam. Seasonal vegetables, stir-fried or baked, also go very well with it. Mushrooms, pumpkins, and root vegetables are excellent choices. If you prefer something heartier, feel free to try dumplings, spaetzle, or Schupfnudeln.