Eat More Game Meat
Every year when Autumn comes around, I make a promise that I am going to eat more game meat. We have an abundance of good game meat available in the UK, but it’s something that maybe doesn’t get cooked and eaten as much as it should. That includes me! Despite my annual promise, I don’t eat enough of it, which is crazy as I enjoy it so much when I do. This cook was proof in point.
I have eaten Venison lots of times previously. However, I don’t recall ever eating Venison Haunch. I definitely have never cooked it. It is a cut from the top of the hind leg, with the bones removed and is a tender and flavor-packed cut, ideal for roasting.
I picked this one up from The Dorset Meat Company who I order from pretty regularly.
Preparation and Cook
I did quite a bit of planning for this cook. I have fallen into the habit of not doing enough planning for some of my cooks. Unsurprisingly, when I plan the cooks out they tend to turn out much better.
This one started with an overnight bath in the Orange marinade. It was a lovely cut so didn’t need any trimming and so it was a case of mixing together the ingredients for the Orange Marinade, placing the venison in a ziplock food bag, and covering it with the marinade for 24 hours.
The meat got removed at least an hour before I wanted to start my cook. I debated whether to do this one using a reverse sear or on the rotisserie, but opted for the latter. The Weber GBS rotisserie cooks never fail to impress me. It feels like they are low effort but produce such superb results.
I was a little unsure how long the cook would take, so it was one where I needed to keep an eye on it. My plan was to cook the venison to 51°C and then do a longish rest. I checked the meat after 30 minutes and it was pretty much done (in fact it had gone a little over from ideally where I was aiming at). I removed it immediately and wrapped it in food before finishing off the rest of the plate for the roast.
Whilst the Venison was cooking, I prepared the Blackberry, Basalmic, and Cranberry Sauce.
The Verdict
This cooked worked amazingly well. The Venison haunch was really tender, with lovely flavour. The orange didn’t come through as much as I hoped, but the Blackberry sauce went perfectly with the Venison.
If you love a Sunday Roast and want to try something a little different I would highly recommend trying a Venison Haunch. It’s similar to cooking beef, it leaner but equally if not more tender. Give it a go – you won’t regret it!!!
Orange Marinated Venison Haunch
Equipment
- Weber 57cm Kettle BBQ
- Weber Rotisserie
Ingredients
Orange Marinaded Venison Haunch
- 750 g Venison Haunch
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 tbsp Orange Juice
- Rind of an Orange
- 1 Garlic Clove (minced)
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 tsp Orange Blossom Water
Blackberry and Balsamic Sauce
- 40 g Butter
- 2 Shallots (finely diced)
- 12 Blackberries (fresh)
- 1 tbsp Cranberry Sauce
- 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 100 ml Beef Stock
- 1 tsp Worcester Sauce
Instructions
Orange Marinaded Venison Haunch
- Mix together the Olive Oil, Orange Juice, Orange Rind, Garlic, Thyme, and Orange Blossom Water. Stir well and ensure all the ingredients are well combined.
- Add the Venison Haunch to a food bag and pour over the marinade. Seal the bag and place it in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
- One hour before you want to start cooking, take the Venison out of the fridge to bring it up towards room temperature. Prep your BBQ and when the coals are ready to cook, add the Venison Haunch.
- Try not to cook to time! I was aiming to take the Venison Haunch to 51°C before wrapping it in foil and resting for 20 minutes.
Blackberry and Balsamic Sauce
- Whilst the Venison is cooking, melt the butter over a medium heat in a pan, and add the shallots. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Next, add the Blackberries and Cranberry Sauce. Cook for 4-5 minutes until well combines and the Blackberries start breaking down a little.
- Add the Balsamic Vinegar and Worcester Sauce and heat through for another 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Now add your beef stock and stir well. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir occasionally. The sauce will reduce so you may need to add a little more beef stock. You can also add any juices from the Venison Haunch once it has rested. I got no juices from the cooking of the Venison on the BBQ.
- Slice the Venison and plate up with the other accompaniments (I served this with Triple Cooked Potatoes, Yorkshire Puddings, and Spouts with Pancetta). Finally, pour over your sauce and enjoy!
