Venison Cuts and How to Cook Them
A deer is more than backstraps. This cut-by-cut guide shows what each part of the animal is good for, so nothing goes to waste and every cut eats its best.
Many hunters prize the backstraps and tenderloins and are vague about the rest of the deer. That is a waste, because every part of the animal eats well when matched to the right method. This cut-by-cut guide will help you use the whole deer and cook each piece to its strength, honoring both the animal and your effort.
Thinking about the whole animal
A simple principle organizes the whole deer: the more a muscle worked in life, the tougher it is, and the more it benefits from long, slow, moist cooking. The least-worked muscles, along the back, are tender and want fast, hot cooking. Keep that spectrum in mind and every cut tells you how it wants to be cooked, the core idea from our cooking basics.
| Cut | Best method |
|---|---|
| Backstrap (loin) | Sear or grill, hot and fast, to medium-rare |
| Tenderloin | Quick sear; the most tender cut |
| Hindquarter (round) | Roasts and steaks; do not overcook |
| Shoulder | Braise low and slow, or grind |
| Shank | Braise for hours (osso buco style) |
| Neck & trim | Braise or grind for burger and sausage |
The tender cuts
The backstraps, the long loins along the spine, and the small tenderloins beneath it are the prizes, and they want simple, fast cooking. Trim the silverskin, season, sear or grill hot to medium-rare, rest, and slice against the grain. Do not braise these; their tenderness is wasted by long cooking. Treat them simply and they are extraordinary.
The hindquarter
The hindquarter, or round, yields lean roasts and steaks. These cuts are tender enough to roast or pan-cook but unforgiving of overcooking, so cook them to medium-rare and rest them, or slice thin for quick dishes. They also make excellent jerky. The hindquarter is the workhorse of the freezer: plenty of versatile, lean meat.
The tough cuts
The shoulder, shank, and neck did the hardest work and are full of connective tissue, which means they are tough when cooked fast and sublime when braised slow. Brown them, then cook them low and moist for hours until they pull apart. Shanks braised whole are a revelation. These cuts reward patience and turn the “lesser” parts of the deer into some of the best eating.
Trim and ground
All the odd bits and trim become ground venison, the most useful product of the whole animal. Because venison is lean, many cooks blend in some fat when grinding for burgers and sausage. Ground game makes chili, burgers, meatballs, and sausage, and it should always be cooked through. Used well, the trim ensures that nothing the animal gave is wasted, the final measure of respect from our field-to-table approach.