Because First Light venison comes from young animals it is delicate and should be treated accordingly. Here are a few tips and tricks to give it that extra 5% of magic.

It’s lean, don’t over cook it

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Venison is very low in fat and is best served medium-rare. This equates to an internal temperature of 57°C/135°F if you’re using a meat thermometer.

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Don’t cook cold

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Bring the meat to room temperature before cooking it.

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Oil the meat, not the pan

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When grilling, barbecuing or pan-frying steaks, first brush each side of the meat with a little oil, before searing for one minute each side per cm thickness.

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Roasting — salt plus heat equals crispy & delicious

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When roasting larger cuts, first sear all sides of the meat to seal in the juices. To achieve a medium-rare roast, cook at 180°C/350°F for 15 minutes per 500g.

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Keep stir-fry moving

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Venison stir-fry only takes a couple of minutes cooking on a high heat — just remember to keep the meat moving in the pan or wok to avoid over-cooking.

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Rest it

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After cooking, let your venison rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes to allow the juices to evenly disperse.

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Venisons best friends are…

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Venison works well with lots of interesting ingredients including anchovies, bacon, celeriac, mushrooms, red wine, thyme and tomatoes. But possibly not all in the one dish.