PASS THE BUCK

Wine as a marinade can make venison tough and leach out the flavour – rather use a dairy product

The perfect venison comes down to what is used to marinate the meat, as well as larding it, which adds some fat to what essentially is very lean meat.

Using wine, the natural choice for marinating, can make venison tough and leach out the natural flavour – rather use a dairy product, such as buttermilk or yoghurt, which tenderises meat beautifully without tainting the flavour. In the past, one would use a larding needle, which did the job perfectly. If you don’t have one, use a sharp, thin-bladed knife, writes Hilary Biller

LEG OF VENISON IN BUTTERMILK MARINADE Serves 6-8

6 cloves garlic, peeled

5ml (1 tsp) whole black peppercorns Stick of cinnamon

1 litre buttermilk

45ml (3 tbsp) oil

125g bacon or pancetta, diced 500ml (2 cups) beef stock

Method

With a sharp knife, make incisions into the venison and lard it by folding a piece of lard or bacon around the sharp point of the blade and inserting it into the incision, then pulling the knife out.

Rub the meat with the pepper, chilli powder, thyme and sage and leave to stand for 1-2 hours. Combine the vinegar, onions, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, cinnamon and buttermilk. Add the venison, coat well and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 days, turning 2-3 times. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry with paper towel.

Heat the oil in a large ovenproof pot and fry the bacon or pancetta for 1-2 minutes. Add the venison and brown on all sides. Pour over the stock, cover and transfer to the oven, preheated to 160ºC. Roast for 2-3 hours until tender, turning once.