Venison in the kitchen: recipes, tips and advice from the masters

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In autumn, menus in restaurants are full of venison. But what about preparing venison delicacies in the comfort of your own home? The advantage of venison is that you can prepare it in many ways - from slow roasting to grilling or braising.

"Game meat, like any other meat, is important. In the case of a healthy cut that eats only what it wants and chooses in nature, we can say that venison is one of the best and most wholesome cuts," says butcher František Kšána.

The reason why you should include venison in your diet is also because it is easily digestible, contains a high amount of minerals (iron, potassium, phosphorus) and protein, and above all a minimum of fat. At the same time, venison has a specific aroma and taste, making it an ideal ingredient for all enthusiastic cooks. Since the animal, and therefore the meat, is at its best in autumn, there is nothing to do but summon up your culinary courage and start preparing venison now.

What to watch out for?

Have you won venison in a raffle? Or did you buy venison from a vetted dealer? Believe that these facts can play a major role in the quality of the meat. "As with conventional livestock meat, the with venison, you should buy a healthy, young to nearly mature. It is also important that the animal has been shot correctly. Ideally, the shot should be fired when the animal is completely calm. If the animal is shot while running, i.e. when the body is working and under stress, this may adversely affect the taste of the meat," Kšána points out.

So it pays to buy your venison from a vetted dealer or butcher who will ensure you are getting a perfect, and above all healthy, cut of meat.

The right technique matters

The choice of cooking technique and recipe is primarily determined by the low fat content of the venison. It should be taken into account that venison cooks and dries out faster than other types. For this reason, it is ideal to cook the meat either slowly and at a low temperature, or quickly so that it does not release all the juices. The safe bet is long confit, or rapid browning or grilling over a fire.

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Mohlo by vás zajímat

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You can also try braising, a method where the meat is briefly and vigorously seared - pulled in - and then simmered under a lid in a liquid the consistency of soup. If you opt for braising, remember that this method is more suitable for younger meat. Try wrapping it in pak choi, rocket or lebeda leaves. The edible wrapping gives the meat a slight spiciness and the stew looks attractive in the roll.

Before roasting, the meat is usually covered with lard or bacon and is basted and basted with juices throughout the cooking process. This cools the surface of the meat and slows down the penetration of heat into the muscle.

Each type of venison, but also each lot, lends itself to a different treatment:

• High game is often cooked until bloody,
• low meat is usually roasted a lot.
• Ham hocks are used in kitchens for steaks or dried meat,
• The back is simply grilled,
• the forelegs or neck can be braised.
• The trimmings are used to make sausages,
• the giblets can be grilled.

The most proven venison recipes

Venison brings with it many tried-and-tested recipes that are definitely worth trying. "But if I had to recommend one venison dish to make at home, it's venison goulash. It's simple to prepare, and you won't smell the specific aroma of venison. You can also try venison sirloin. Ideally, you should cut the venison into nice pieces of meat that will go into the sirloin, and then cut the rest of the meat into cubes and use them in the goulash," advises Václav Kouba, executive chef of Lokal. You can also prepare venison with cabbage and bread dumplings.

Other common wild game dishes include medallions, meatballs, steaks, steaks, tartare, terrines, pâté or meat ragout which is marinated in oil and spices beforehand. Venison can also be marinated in butter - the de-blanched meat, cut into pieces, is salted, seasoned and placed in a container, covered with melted (seasoned) butter and left to set in the fridge, where it matures for several days.

What to supplement the venison with?

In classic recipes, venison is used paired with sweet sauces, preserves, wild herbs and spices. Those who bet on wild berries can't go wrong. Supplement venison with:

• juniper,
• cranberries,
• rose hips,
• cranberries,
• blueberries,
• wild mushrooms,
• chestnuts,
• or even pine needles.

Artichokes, fennel and roasted or dried root vegetables such as parsley, beetroot, parsnips, carrots, potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes get on equally well with the wild.

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Mohlo by vás zajímat

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Root vegetables often complement game in the form of purees, sauces and reductions. Lentils, cabbage and various cereal groats are also popular among the side dishes. It is also worth accompanying venison with prunes or compote, apricots, apples and pears, as well as exotic citrus fruits, kumquat, pomegranate or mochine.

However, garlic itself can also be used as a flavouring - Before grilling or preparing a steak, the venison is rubbed with a clove of garlic or marinated in garlic oil.