Cooking the perfect venison steak takes a little practice, but it’s worth it. Of all the methods, Touch is by far the most reliable once you get the feel for it. The other methods – Time, Temperature, and Telltale Signs are useful guides, especially when you’re starting out or cooking steaks of varying thickness. With practice, your fingers become the ultimate tool for judging doneness without losing precious juices.
Before you start…
Bring your steak to room temperature, season well with salt and black pepper and use a hot pan.
Touch (Most Reliable)
Use the finger-to-thumb method to judge doneness by feel: Press the centre of the steak and compare its firmness to the base of your thumb when touching different fingers together. With practice, this method allows you to judge a steak’s doneness perfectly every time, regardless of thickness or heat.
• Rare Index finger to thumb: very soft and squishy
• Medium Rare Middle finger to thumb: slightly firmer with a little bounce
• Medium Ring finger to thumb: firm, less give
• Well Done Little finger to thumb: very firm, almost no bounce
Time
Approximate cooking times per side for a 2–2.5 cm thick venison steak.
Times vary with steak thickness and pan heat, so use this as a guideline rather than a rule.
• Rare 1 ½ minutes
• Medium Rare 2 minutes
• Medium 2 ½ – 3 minutes
• Well Done 4 ½ – 5 minutes
Temperature
Measure the Internal steak temperatures using a food safe probe for precise “doneness”.
A meat thermometer is reliable, especially for thicker cuts or if you’re new to cooking venison.
• Rare: 50 °C / 120 °F
• Medium Rare: 55 °C / 130 °F
• Medium: 60 °C / 140 °F
• Well done: 70 °C+ / 160 °F+
Telltale Signs
Look at the colour of the meat and juices – and if needs be make a small incision in the steak to check! This method is useful for a quick visual check but can be misleading if steaks are unusually thick or thin.
• Rare: deep red, cool centre, red juices
• Medium Rare: warm red centre, slightly pink juices
• Medium: pink centre, clearer juices
• Well done: uniform brown/grey, clear juices
And the most important bit of all… LET IT REST
Let the steak rest 5 mins before slicing to keep it juicy.
Click here to download Scott’s Four T’s Venison Steak Cheat Sheet
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