Whole venison loin or fillet? | The venison loin fillet
Venison saddle whole or as tenderloin? This is the question you ask yourself when you hold the most valuable cut of venison in your hands. Both the venison loin and the tenderloin are located in the venison saddle, and the choice presents a challenge for any game lover. We can help with this guide.
The saddle of venison contains both the venison loin and the tenderloin. Regardless of the preparation method, a core temperature of 54 to 58 °C should be aimed for. The saddle of venison can be prepared whole as a roast in the oven or on the grill over a longer period, while the tenderloin is a quick-frying cut. Sauces, spices, and side dishes are equally suitable for both preparation methods and are based on seasonal herbs, berries, vegetables, and fruits.
Venison saddle simply explained
The venison loin is the finest and highest-quality cut of deer . It is a muscle strand along the animal's spine. It contains both the loin and fillet . The fillet represents the inner muscle, while the loin represents the outer muscle.
This makes it possible to prepare the venison loin whole or to remove the individual pieces of meat and then prepare the cuts as steaks. However, the preparation methods vary. Venison loin is usually seared first and then gently cooked in the oven or grill . This makes the loin a popular roast. The fillets, on the other hand, are primarily used as steaks.
But be careful where you buy your game meat . If possible, always buy it from a butcher. Stay away from frozen products from supermarkets. This is the only way to ensure freshness and allow you to verify the meat 's origin. Butchers will also prepare the cut to your liking, so you can cook it however you like.
Prepare the whole venison loin
To prepare a whole venison loin , you generally don't need as much as you might think. Simple kitchen appliances and a manageable range of ingredients are the key to success. Just make sure you allow yourself a little time and handle this precious piece with care.
Simple recipe for roast
First, bring the venison loin to room temperature. If your loin is frozen, you'll need to thaw it in the refrigerator overnight beforehand. Therefore, never use frozen meat for direct preparation. It's much easier if the venison is already at room temperature.
Rinse it with cold water. Then remove the silver skin from the meat. Now heat your pan. After that, you can toast pepper, thyme, rosemary, allspice, as well as juniper berries and bay leaves in it. Now rub your meat with the spices.
As a tip: Feel free to use our Basic Rub or our Burger Seasoning for the meat. These spice blends are excellent for any type of meat preparation and also go well with all types of meat. This will give your dish an extra kick. Depending on the dish, 1 teaspoon may be enough.
Now you can sear the meat on all sides in a pan with 1 tablespoon of butter, oil, or clarified butter. Now either place your meat in a roasting dish or on baking paper and put it in the preheated oven or grill. You don't need aluminum foil for this. While you can prepare meat in aluminum foil on the grill, it's irrelevant for this method of preparation.
At 140 °C, your roast will need to cook for approximately 18 to 20 minutes. The meat should have a core temperature of 54 to 58 °C. This will make your venison juicy and tender pink inside. Then remove the meat from the oven. You see: This simple recipe is quick to recreate. You can find more tips on our YouTube channel, for example here is also a recipe for a venison roast from the leg.
This sauce is suitable
To make the right sauce, you first need seasonal fruits and vegetables. Root vegetables and apples are best. Make sure to remove the cores. Mushrooms and pumpkins also make excellent additions.
Halve your fruit and vegetables and chop them finely. Then put everything in a pot. You can also fry everything in a pan with a little oil and then transfer it from the pan to a pot. However, it's recommended to cook it in the pot right away because:
Now you need to deglaze your vegetables with a glass of red wine. Port wine is also suitable. If you don't want to use alcohol, you can also use game stock or another stock. Now reduce everything and then puree.
Add a little liquid and season with salt and pepper. You can now season your sauce with herbs like thyme and rosemary—but juniper berries and bay leaves also go perfectly with it. As well as allspice or, of course, our house-made burger seasoning —which is suitable for all meat dishes.
You can then add cranberry jam or blackcurrant jelly. A little balsamic vinegar will round off your sauce. While preparing it, make sure you let it simmer gently over low or medium heat. Enjoy!
Venison fillet - preparation
Das Rehrückenfilet und auch das Filet kannst du beides gleichermaßen zubereiten. Es handelt sich bei beiden um Kurzbratstücke. Die beste Variante ist dabei, das Fleisch zunächst auf Zimmertemperatur zu bringen. Ist es gefroren, solltest du es einen Tag vorher im Kühlschrank auftauen lassen. Möchtest du dein Fleisch im Grill zubereiten, richte dir unbedingt eine direkte und indirekte Zone ein. Mehr Tipps und Tricks dazu findest du hier.
Zunächst etwas Öl in einer Pfanne erhitzen. Nimm dazu Kürbiskern- oder Olivenöl. Dann deine Steaks von beiden scharf in der Pfanne oder auf dem Grill kurz anbraten an und gare sie danach langsam sowie schonend auf den gewünschten Gargrad. In der Pfanne kannst du deine Steaks einfach mit Alufolie abdecken oder einen Deckel verwenden. Hierbei strebst du eine Kerntemperatur von 54 bis 58 °C an. So ist das Fleisch saftig und innen noch zart rosa. Auch kannst du deine Steaks erst langsam vorgaren und danach scharf anbraten. Diese Methode ist oft leichter und gerade für Anfänger sicherer, um auf den gewünschten Gargrad zu kommen. Über den richtigen Gargrad haben wir hier ein Video für dich.
Sobald dein Steak fertig ist solltest du es noch 5 Minuten ruhen lassen, bevor du es mit einem scharfen Messer aufschneidest. So stabilisiert sich der Fleischsaft deines Filets. Anschließend die Gewürze, wie Salz und Pfeffer darüber geben und schon hast du ein perfektes Rehrückenfilet. Aber welche Beilagen passen dazu?
These side dishes go well with
You should always serve seasonal vegetables as a side dish with a venison loin fillet. Root vegetables and mushrooms are excellent as a salad or as a pan-fried side dish. Chestnuts and pumpkins are also not to be sneezed at.
As an option, you can conjure up a chutney from these ingredients with cranberry jam. To do this, fry everything in a pan, deglaze with red wine, add the jam, and reduce your vegetables and fruit until your chutney has the desired consistency. This should be neither too liquid nor too firm.
Of course, you can also make a sauce with red wine and stock and serve your venison with dumplings, spaetzle, potato dumplings, rösti, or Schupfnudeln. But other potato dishes, such as gratin, fries, or fried potatoes, also complement venison loin fillet very well.
FAQ
To prevent venison fillet from becoming dry, sear it on both sides and then cook it slowly. Make sure you reach an internal temperature of 54 to 58°C.
Venison fillet requires a core temperature of 54 to 58 °C.
These spices are suitable for venison: juniper berries, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
Venison loin needs about 18 to 20 minutes in the oven if you sear it on all sides beforehand.
Venison becomes tender when it has an internal temperature of 54 to 58 °C.
Our conclusion
Since the saddle of venison is the most exquisite and valuable cut of the entire animal, and it includes both the loin filet and the tenderloin, the question quickly arises whether to prepare it whole or as a filet. One must differentiate here. The whole saddle of venison is to be prepared as a roast, while the filets should be pan-fried as steaks. However, the doneness does not differ. Spices, side dishes, and suitable sauces are almost identical. Only the time factor and personal preference determine the respective choice.


