How to Cook Venison (2024)

Some people tell me that they don't like venison. I contend that they just haven't had the pleasure of enjoying properly harvested and prepared venison. We have been harvesting wild deer and antelope since 1983 and have developed proven techniques to produce high-quality, clean tasting venison. Customers and hunters frequently ask us for guidance on the best way to prepare various cuts of venison. This article should help shed some light on where the cuts originate, how to cook them, and why they should be prepared that way.

How to Cook Venison

There are basically two ways to cook venison:

1. A little for tender cuts
2. A lot for working cuts

Tender cuts of meat come from muscles that were not heavily utilized during the animal's life and, therefore, contain little connective tissue. These areas include the back and some leg muscles, when properly trimmed.Tender cuts of venison should be prepared using quick cooking methods to a rare or medium-rare level of doneness(internal temperature of 120° to 135° F). If it is prepared past medium-rare too much moisture will be cooked out causing the meat to become dry and tough.

Working cuts of meat come from muscles that were vigorously used by the animal and, therefore, contain a lot of connective tissue. These cuts also contain more flavor than tender cuts. Areas for working muscles include the shoulder and leg muscles.Working cuts of venison must be cooked for a relatively long time at a low temperature(220°to 325° F) to allow the connective tissue to breakdown. Once this happens you will get a fork-tender, flavor packed piece of meat.

Below are some recommended cooking methods for the various cuts of venison.

Recommended Cooking Methods for Venison