The number one mistake people make when preparing venison is that they overcook it, making the meat gummy and juicy. Tender cuts of venison should be served low or half cooked, unless you are cooking them or mixing them with pork to add more fat. For example, venison loin cooks faster, mainly because it is a thin and very lean piece of meat. When cooked properly, venison is a nutritious protein and is known to lower cholesterol levels.
However, when handled and cooked properly, consuming venison has very positive health benefits. You can cook venison as you would any other meat, either by frying it, baking it, roasting it, or grilling it on the grill. While venison can be eaten rarely, it's best to cook it at an internal temperature of 135°F (62.77°C) to make it safe to eat. Deer is a popular choice for those who enjoy big game and for those looking for leaner red meat, free of the antibiotics and growth hormones found in the industrial farm beef industry.
To be safe for consumption, venison must be cooked to an internal temperature of 135°F (62.77°C), which means it's at least half cooked. Most hunters over the past 20 years have also heard advice from the World Health Organization not to eat venison from deer infected with chronic wasting disease. Gondii tissue cysts, found in virtually every edible portion of infected deer, bears, and wild pigs.
