Cooking venison depends on the cut, with tender cuts requiring higher temperatures and shorter cooking times. Tougher cuts need to be cooked longer at lower temperatures. Popular techniques include broiling, dry roasting, and braising. Slow grilling and roasting can also be effective.
The correct way to cook venison largely depends on the cut of the meat. The two main types of venison are tender cuts and working cuts, which differ based on the structure of the muscle tissue. Each of these cuts must be cooked at different temperatures for varying lengths of time to achieve the best flavor and texture. The most challenging part of cooking venison can be selecting the technique that keeps the meat from becoming too tough or dry.
The tender cuts of deer come from muscle tissue that was not used regularly in movement such as running and jumping. This muscle is found mostly in and around the midsection. Venison and tenderloin steaks are tender cuts, as are short ribs and the smaller round sections known as noisettes. To properly cook tender cuts of venison, remove them from the heat source when their internal temperature reaches 54 to 60°C (130 to 140°F) as measured by a meat thermometer. Because tender cuts of venison don’t have the tough connective tissue found in working cuts, they cook more quickly.
Popular techniques for cooking tender cuts of venison include broiling, dry roasting, and braising. You can also cook venison over a direct barbecue flame, although this method should only be done for a short time over medium heat as it can easily char the venison if not done carefully. Roasting is usually done without basting liquid because meat does quite well without it. To cook venison by braising, first sear the meat on a higher temperature and then finish it on a lower one so the meat can absorb the flavor from its own fat.
Tougher cuts can sometimes present a greater challenge when learning how to cook venison for the first time. Shoulders, legs and shanks are all examples of thicker deer muscles that have been enlarged during the animal’s life. The flavor of working cuts is more pronounced than that of tender cuts, particularly if the venison came from a venison or older venison. This type of meat needs to be cooked longer and at lower temperatures, generally between 220 and 280°F (104 and 138°C).
Slower grilling at low to medium heat is an effective way to cook venison from processed cuts as this method provides enough heat to soften and tenderize the connective tissue without drying out the meat. Roasting larger working cuts like venison almond roast also produces similar results. When cooking a chuck roast, you may need to add a small amount of liquid stock since working cuts generally contain less fat than tender cuts.
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