Larding.

[weeman]

Hi all i ment to post this couple of weeks ago. My Mrs tends to find roe haunch a wee bit dry when cooked and before anybody says its not over cooked.
So she looked up old methods on the web found one called LARDING, there might be another name for it, but we submerged the haunch in water in a huge Le Creuset pot by covering it by about 1 inch, simmered it for about 7 hours. I must admit it tasted tender'er.
After eaten the haunch, we saved the water/stock put some carrot's, onions, celery few hers-de-provence added couple of pounds of diced shoulder with a hint of chilli flakes and wow gorgous.

 

[John_R]

I remember reading about larding needles, used to thread strips of lard through a joint of meat.

 

[basil]

I only ever wrap it in smoked bacon, herbs and silver foil and roast real slow.
basil.

 

[matt_hooks]

Larding is, as it suggests, using fat of some sort or other to prevent the meat from drying out. If I'm cooking a haunch I tend to poke holes in it with a knife, and stuff sticks of frozen butter in the holes. Freezing it just makes it easier to keep them stiff while you stuff them in.

The method you are talking about is normally called boiling, or even stewing.

One of the most important things to remember when serving venison is to carve it properly. You need to make sure you cut ACROSS the grain, not along it. This means that when you bite you are not trying to bite through the fibres, but rather along them. Also have some good gravy ready to pour on the meat as soon as it's cut, to help prevent drying.

 

[martinl]

matt-hooks, I'm coming to yours the next time your having venison!!!!!!!

 

[EssBee]

Have you ever tried wrapping lean venison on Caul Fat - the fat from the pigs abdomen it resembles a web/net and is used by proper butchers to make faggots.
This fat melts and bastes the meat as it cooks leaving a very nicely flavoured surface on the meat. I use this on game birds also instead of bacon - too salty!!

If you have a traditional butcher or a pork butcher near you they will probably have some in stock, it freezes well so I buy about a kilo and split it into smaller bits to defrost when I want it.