At our Vintage Wine and Venison evening, Chef Chris showed that Venison is so much more than only biltong. The menu for the evening included braised Kudu shank consommé with root vegetables, Cape Winelands Impala curry with pomme puree and a berry roasted Wildebeest loin with pomegranate glazed red cabbage, honey roasted sweet potato and buttermilk jus.

Berry roasted wildebeest loin with pomegranate glazed red cabbage, honey roasted sweet potato and buttermilk jus paired with 1995 La Motte Shiraz and 2004 La Motte Millennium He also shared a few basic tips with home cooks on cooking with venison.

• Know the origin of your meat
• Buy fresh
• Know the various cuts
• Combine the correct cut and cooking method:

1. Fillet for the grill and for making biltong
2. Neck and shoulders for stews and the potjie
3. Shins should be braised

• If you want to grill or barbeque the ribs, first salt them for a few days and add fatty meat like bacon (venison ribs are very lean – not at all like lamb’s ribs!)
• If your meat has been frozen, defrost slowly and thoroughly and marinate in a salt brine or buttermilk
• Spices that works well with venison:Cameline spice (ginger, cinnamon, cloves and saffron) or spices traditionally used for biltong – coriander spice and black pepper.

Read what the Food Fox and Michael Olivier said about the evening.