Rannoch Smokery

There is so much venison in Scotland that it seems a shame not to do something more inventive with it rather than stick to the obvious traditional ways. I have, though, often wondered what exactly people’s perception of eating it in a traditional way is? Like a cow, it can be divided up into all the prime cuts and joints, and the hindquarters can also be broken down into the various muscles. Some of these are really tender, so don’t need braising, like the central seam joint in the middle of the leg, which is the equivalent to the topside, and can be roasted or cut into escalopes and pan-fried. The rest of the leg, being slightly tougher, is then best braised. Other cuts, like the saddle and the small under-fillets, are very tender and need little cooking, so are perfect for roasting pink or, again, pan-frying or grilling. Of course, smoking is one of the oldest and most flavoursome ways of preserving meat, and seems the obvious way to treat an abundance of wild venison.