How to make Mac and Wild’s Venison Chateaubriand
Scottish chef Andy Waugh shares one of his favourite venison recipes, just as the quality and availability of this meat reaches its peak.

‘July is the best time of year to eat venison,’ says Andy Waugh, co-founder of London-based Scottish restaurant Mac and Wild. ‘This is the month my family gets most excited about.’
Based on the looks of this dish, we’re frankly not surprised.
Recipe: Venison Chateaubriand
Ingredients
Serves one
- 250g unsalted butter
- 1 larder trim strioploin of venison (about six inches)
- Vegetable oil
- Table salt
- Sea salt
Method
To make the brown butter, place the butter in a saucepan on a high heat until it has all melted — the milk solids and clarified butter should split.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes, until all the solids have caramelised and there is a deep, nutty (butterscotch) aroma. Pass the contents through a fine sieve and set aside.
For the venison, start off by placing a cast-iron pan on a high heat. You want it to get piping hot.
While this is happening, gently massage a drizzle of vegetable oil and plenty of table salt into the steak.
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Sear the steak (about two to three minutes on each side for medium rare) until a nice golden crust starts to form.
Remove the pan from the heat and leave in a warm place to rest for 10 minutes.
Slice the steak on a chopping board, place on your plate, drizzle with lashings of brown butter and season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
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