Trim any silver skin (if present) and to trim the piece of meat to remove any particularly thin pieces – this will ensure the meat cooks evenly and give you a more consistent result.

If you have your meat ready a day or two before cooking, season the meat and put back in the fridge, covered until you cook it. If you are cooking the meat within an hour then wait until the last minute to season.

We recommend oiling the meat first then season with salt (and pepper if using) on both sides before cooking.

Once your meat has thawed, remove from the package. Use a paper towel to remove any excess blood .

Allow the meat to warm slightly at room temperature. This ensures that the meat cooks evenly particularly with larger cuts.

Bring a heavy-based pan (preferably cast iron) up to medium-high heat before adding a little oil. You will know when the pan is the right temperature when the oil starts to shimmer slightly, it will run quickly across the pan like water when you tilt the pan. Your meat should sizzle when you add it to the pan. Make full use of this first sear, by not moving the meat. Give it a good 30 seconds before turning the meat to caramelise the other sides.

At the halfway point of cooking you can then add butter to aid in the caramelisation process and any herbs such as thyme or rosemary. Tilt the pan and baste the meat with the sizzling hot butter.

Because venison is so lean, it’s not as forgiving as fattier cuts such as marbled beef. Venison is best eaten medium-rare or rare. Anything medium or above is dry and loses its true flavour.

Until you can gauge doneness by touch an instant-read digital thermometer is a great option. Probe meats as you cook them to identify the temperature you prefer for each type of meat.

We recommend 40-42 degrees for medium rare venison. This is especially helpful when cooking a larger cut.

The temptation is to eat your perfectly cooked meat straight away, but this will undo all your careful cooking. Resting allows the meat fibers to relax and for the juices to redistribute within the meat. Skipping this step will result in tough and dry venison. Cover loosely with a piece of tin foil, keep warm and rest for approximately the same time that you cooked it for.

After resting, if the meat has cooled too much you can flash it back in a hot oven for no more than 30 seconds to get it back to serving temperature.

When you carve the venison, no juices should leak from the meat. This shows that you not only perfectly cooked your meat, but perfectly rested it.

Enjoy your tender, juicy and delicious seared venison!