How to Cook Deer Sirloin

By: Fred Decker

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Skilled cooks understand that the tenderest meats are easy to cook but usually mild in flavor, while the toughest are among the most flavorful but require more careful cooking. The sirloin is a pleasant compromise, providing good flavor but remaining tender enough for easy cooking. That's true for venison, as well as beef or other meats. Deer sirloin isn't as tender as the loin or rib cuts, but it makes fine roasts and steaks.

Roast in the Oven

Step 1

Dry the surface of the roast with clean paper towels. Trim away any surface fat or connective tissues with the tip of a sharp knife. Venison fat can give the roast a gamy taste and isn't plentiful enough on the outside of the sirloin to provide any consistent protection against the oven's heat.

Step 2

Heat a heavy skillet over a medium-high burner, then add about half a tablespoon of oil. Sear the sirloin in the pan, browning all surfaces to create rich, savory flavors. Remove the roast to a clean tray or cutting board and season it with salt and pepper, or other flavorings as desired.

Step 3

Cover the surface of the roast with thin slices of bacon or uncured pork fat, if you like, to help prevent the roast from drying out while cooking.

Step 4

Roast the sirloin in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, until it reaches the desired degree of doneness when tested with an instant-read thermometer. For rare to medium-rare venison, remove it from the oven at a temperature of 130 F to 140 F.

Step 5

Cover the roast loosely with foil and let it rest on a serving platter for 10 to 15 minutes before carving it.

Steaks on the Grill

Step 1

Scrape your grill's grate thoroughly and oil the bars. Preheat the grill to a medium-high temperature, slightly lower than you'd use for beef steaks. If you're pan-searing the venison steaks, heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Don't oil the pan until you're ready to begin cooking.

Step 2

Place the steaks on your grill or in your preheated pan. Watch the line on the side of each steak, as the cooked area of the meat reaches from the surface toward the center. Turn them when the cooked portion has reached 30 to 40 percent of the steak's thickness, depending on your preferred degree of doneness. Season them lightly with salt and pepper as they cook.

Step 3

Cook the steaks for another three to five minutes on the second side, or until they're as done as you prefer. Remove them to a serving platter, and let them rest for a few minutes before serving.