Venison Loin with Pears Bacon and Sage

Serves
4

Prep Time
10 minutes

Cook Time
15-20mins

“Venison loin is a wonderful cut. The meat is rich and tender, but it’s also incredibly lean. For that reason, it’s important to cook it carefully, so it doesn’t dry out. I’m using some nice, fatty bacon lardons and wedges of sweet fruity pear in this recipe. Both these go beautifully with venison, but also keep everything lovely and moist. Thyme and sage are two perennial herbs I use a lot with game, but they’re also perfect with pears, so I don’t hold back”- Gill Meller.

 

Recipe Created by Gill Mellor and Photos by Andrew Montgomery

Ingredients

Serving 4
  Ingredients
500g (1lb 2oz) Wild venison loin, trimmed
1tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
75g (21⁄2oz) Bacon lardons
2 Bay leaves
2 Ripe pears, peeled, quartered and cored
Large Knob of butter
6-8 Sage leaves, cut into ribbons
2-3 Thyme sprigs
To Taste Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Equipment

Open fire with grill or normal cooker with griddle pan
Heavy bottomed frying pan

1. Trickle the

venison with half the extra-virgin olive oil, then season it all over with sea salt and black pepper.

2. Set a grill over a

hot fire – it should be giving off a nice high heat. Alternatively, heat up a griddle pan until just about smoking. Lay the venison down on the grill/pan and cook it, turning regularly, for 5–6 minutes. For medium-rare, you’re looking for an internal temperature of around 55°C/131°F. 

Pop the venison to one side to rest while you cook the pears.

3. Set a heavy-based

frying pan over a hot part of the fire (or on a high heat), add the remaining oil and, when it’s hot, throw in the bacon lardons and bay leaves. Fry the lardons gently until they’re beginning to crisp up a little round their edges.

4. Add the pear

quarters to the pan and fry them on all sides until they have taken on some colour. Add the butter, sage and thyme, along with a smidgen of sea salt and a twist of black pepper. Turn the pears, bacon and herbs together.

5. Slice the venison

thickly and arrange it, cut-side up, in the pan. Spoon over some of the bubbling, herby butter, and eat straight away.

Venison

Protein (100g)

 30g

Calories (100g)

 111

Fat (100g)

 2.7g

Cholesterol (100g)

 112mg

Protein (100g)

 30g

View Venison recipes