Why it works: Venison and meat work together. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 126 recipes. Both carry 1-octen-3-one, which smells mushroom, metallic. The science ↓
Venison Steak
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Cook the venison
If the steak is tender, broil it or cook like a beef steak.
If unsure, place the steaks in a skillet and cover with boiling water.
Cook covered, turning often, until tender and water is absorbed.
Brown, make gravy and serve
Add butter or bacon fat to the skillet and brown each piece of meat on all sides, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Remove the venison to a hot platter, dot with butter, and pour over a rich gravy made by adding boiling water to the drippings.
Set in a hot oven at 400°F (200°C) until the butter is melted, then serve.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Venison + meattop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together126 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
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Venison + buttertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together957 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
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Butter + meattop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,594 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Pepper + meattop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together8,777 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Butter + peppertop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together85,593 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Venison steaks
- The main protein, which becomes tender through gentle covered cooking and browns on the surface.
- Butter or bacon fat
- Fat that conducts heat for browning the meat and adds richness and flavor.
- Drippings from the meat
- Concentrated meat juices that give the gravy its savory flavor and body.
The step that matters
Cook covered, turning often, until tender and water is absorbed. Simmering in water gently breaks down the connective tissue of tougher venison, making it tender. Turning often keeps the meat evenly moist. Once the water is absorbed, the pan can scorch, so watch closely.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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