Leg of venison is not exactly an everyday part of the local kitchen. It is usually better to leave the preparation to the professionals. But so that you too can prepare a dish with deliciously aromatic meat, you should pay attention to the recommended core temperature.
Wild Mace
We usually recognize games by the very intense taste and the unmistakable color. The deep red is also characteristic of deer meat. The leg of venison is also a special delicacy. It sits on the rear part of the animal and consists of a lower and an upper leg, which in turn is divided into the lower and upper shell and the nut, the pelvic muscle.
Appropriate preparation
The leg of venison is suitable for various types of preparation. You can roast or grill them, stew them or use them for pan-frying. You can also cook the leg of venison sous vide. We recommend preparing the venison leg in a sealed container in the oven. This allows you to keep an eye on the core temperature and avoid the meat becoming too dry. At the same time, the respective core temperature tells you something about the cooking status and can be constantly measured with a meat thermometer.
Tip: The taste of the leg of venison stands out, particularly with sweet components such as cranberries or caramelized pears and a glass of Pinot Noir.
Recipe for success: core temperature
When preparing game dishes, the focus is on the meat. Therefore, the right preparation is crucial for the taste experience. You should always keep an eye on the core temperature because even a few degrees can make a big difference.
Measure core temperature
The core temperature is a guideline for the cooking point of your leg of venison because it indicates the temperature in the meat core. It can be measured with special meat thermometers as follows:
- Determine the thickest part of the leg of venison
- Insert the needle into the middle
- read temperature
Tip: If you have prepared the leg of venison with the bone, measure the temperature with some distance to it, because it is often higher on the bone and the measurement result is incorrect. When preparing without bones, proceed as described.
The right thermometer:
A meat thermometer measures the core temperature in the leg of venison very reliably. There are differences in handling, which also have a few advantages and disadvantages at the same time. When measuring with an analog thermometer, the casserole must be opened, which can result in heat being lost. A wireless thermometer can remain in the meat during cooking and will continuously indicate the temperature. When the desired temperature is reached, there is often an acoustic signal.
Finger test
If you don’t have a meat thermometer, you can determine the cooking point in another way. To do this, press your thumb and one of your fingers together and use the index finger of your other hand to test how soft your palm feels. The following applies to the respective finger positions:
- Index finger and thumb: rare
- Middle finger and thumb: medium
- Ring finger and thumb: well done
Then press your index finger into the flesh to compare. Of course, this is not quite as reliable, but it is a good alternative to the thermometer and better than relying on optics.
Healthy ingredients
Since game – as the name suggests – is in the wild and therefore does not come from factory farming, it is often free of medicines. Unlike pork, for example, it is full of unsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids. At the same time, the movement that the game has in nature contributes significantly to healthy meat. So you are doing everything right if you decide to prepare venison leg. Even if the preparation often involves a little more effort.
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