To cook the perfect piece of venison all you need is a hot pan, a light hand and a decently trimmed loin of venison.

Peppered Venison

400g strip loin wild venison (I use Red Tussock available in New World)

¼ tsp sea salt

½ tsp cracked pepper

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped fine OR ½ tsp dried thyme

1 tbsp olive oil

Trim any silver skin (the shiny membrane) from the loin as it becomes tough and shrinks on cooking. By removing it your loin will cook evenly and not curl up.

Sprinkle salt, pepper and chopped rosemary on a chopping board and roll the loin until coated on all sides. If not using immediately, wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate overnight. 

In a pan, heat olive oil to medium to hot. Gently lay peppered venison loin in pan and sear for about one minute on all sides - it should still feel quite ‘squidgy’ when pressed. Cooked this way, venison will be rare (or cook for slightly longer if you fancy it more cooked but remember, the best way to eat venison for it to remain truly tender and moist, is rare).

Cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes so that the juices settle in the meat.  Using a sharp knife and cutting on a diagonal, slice into 1.5-2cm thick slices. 

Serve with thinly sliced raw beetroot and pan-fried mushrooms tossed with parsley, olive oil and salt. 

Tips

Remove any silver skin before cooking.

Rest it well – 10-15 minutes.

Always cut on a diagonal, across the grain for melt in the mouth results.

Pair with beets, roasted garlic, parsnip, roasted pears, walnuts…in other words, other autumnal produce.