Venison is a very lean meat so is excellent if you’re watching your weight. It’s best served on the rare side so make sure you only cook with very fresh meat.
285 CALORIES | 6G FAT | 2G SATURATES | 20G CARBS | 19G SUGAR | 0.8G SALT | 36G PROTEIN | 4G FIBRE
SERVES 4
a drizzle of olive oil
sea salt and crushed black pepper
2 x 300g venison steaks
400g mixed salad leaves
½ red onion, finely sliced
1 orange, peeled and sliced into segments
150g pomegranate seeds
for the balsamic vinaigrette
100ml balsamic vinegar
juice of ½ large lemon
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1. Drizzle a little oil into a large non-stick frying pan, lightly season the venison and then sear over a high heat for about 3 minutes on each side. Turn off the heat and let the meat rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn and let it rest for another few minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Place all the ingredients in a jar and shake well.
3. Place the salad leaves in a large bowl and toss together with a little dressing. Divide the salad between four plates, add the red onion and orange segments and sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds.
4. Place the rested meat on a chopping board and, with a sharp knife, slice the steaks thinly. Arrange the slices over the salad and serve immediately.
TIP
Venison is a great healthy eating choice – it has more protein than any other red meat and contains even more iron than beef, so is good for energy levels. Also, because of all the wild and pasture food that deer graze on, the small amount of fat in venison is generally high in conjugated linoleic acid, which is thought to protect against heart disease and cancer.
