What Are the Different Venison Cuts?

Similar to beef cuts, venison cuts refer to the type and location of meat on a deer which is removed for consumption. They include both high quality meats used for steaks and roasts and lesser quality meat used for sausages and some ground meats. Venison cuts may be obtained from any species of wild or farm-raised deer.

Animal meat is cut from muscle on various parts of the animal's body. The different parts of a deer provide different venison cuts and different qualities of meat that consumers eat. The neck, back, legs, rump, and ribs all provide familiar cuts. Generally from the ribs to the rump is where the highest quality meat is found, however, and is where the steak and the high quality roast cuts come from.

Types of venison steaks include the flank steak, which is cut from the muscle of the belly. Flank steaks are flat and rectangular, and are not often single-person steaks. New York Strips and tenderloin — also called filet mignon in beef — come from the short loin, which is located right behind the ribs. The sirloin cut is right behind the short loin, bordering the rump.

Rump roasts and rounds are cut from the rump area of a deer. On average, roasts are larger cuts of meats than steaks and are designed to roast for hours in the oven, hence their name. Rounds often come more from the back leg area and can be cut in smaller or larger sizes.

Briskets are popular in beef, but are also a venison cut. This cut comes from the chest area of the deer. Briskets are often slow-cooked or barbecued.

One of the venison cuts that is not usually found in beef is the backstrap. It comes from the upper back of the deer, and although it is available when purchasing farm-raised deer, is more often a cut found in hunted, wild deer. The backstrap includes some of the loin section and provides such cuts as loin chops, loin roast, and rib roast.

The chuck meats come from the front shoulder area. Boneless shoulder roasts, chuck roasts, and top blade are common cuts for chuck meats. Chuck is usually considered a lesser quality meat that other cuts.

Ground meat can technically be made from any part of the deer. Usually, however, ground meats are made from the chuck section, but it can be made from higher quality cuts as well. For example, ground sirloin is a popular high quality ground meat.