Whole Venison Saddle // 13 lb

Order by 7:00pm PST on December 13th for guaranteed delivery by Wednesday December 17th.

Venison saddle is a cut worth celebrating. In fact, it’s several cuts in one. Properly cooked and correctly carved, it’s an incredible feast for any dinner table. This Whole Venison Saddle comes from a Red stag harvested in the wild in the Scottish highlands. It is presented still on the bone and can be butchered into a variety of premium steak cuts including two rib racks, two strip loins, two short loins, and two tenderloins.

There are many ways to prepare your venison saddle, both roasted whole or by cooking the individual cuts. Bones can be used to create a stock/sauce. Roasted saddle with a red wine sauce and roasted vegetables is a classic preparation for the whole saddle. This venison pairs well with any full bodied red wine, or for the adventurous, a German spätlese riesling.

To butcher:
Set saddle on flat surface rib side down. Using a boning knife, cut the saddle down the middle along the ribs. Cut meat on both sides of ribs to remove loins. Turn saddle over, and remove filet meat from the ribs. Then, remove sinew from loins, and slice loin into appropriate pieces.

To cook:
Think of a saddle of venison as a spectacular joint with the bone still in. It’s important that the venison fillet – which is part of the saddle – isn’t cooked at a low temperature.

To begin, prepare the saddle and preheat the oven to 250°C (480°F), then heat oil and butter in a roasting dish in the oven. Once the roasting dish is hot, cook the saddle of venison with one fillet side down for about 4 minutes. Turn and cook the other fillet side for about 4 minutes. Finish off by cooking the other side of the saddle for 10-16 minutes. Take the saddle out of the oven when the internal temperature reaches approximately 55-60°C.

Leaving a saddle to rest:
Once at temperature, take it out of the oven and place on a large piece of aluminum foil, then season and wrap it carefully. Leave to rest for at least 20 minutes, or to 90 minutes tops. It doesn’t need to rest in a hot place. It’s enough to put the roasting dish next to the oven.

Please note: Never cook a fillet, inner thigh or other tender cuts of fallow deer at a low temperature, especially if they’re from young animals. Preheat the oven to at least 125°C (250°F). The meat has such a fine texture that it can take on a sticky, doughy consistency otherwise.