Pat the venison steaks dry and place in a shallow dish or resealable bag.
Marinate the venison in buttermilk, covering entirely for 3 hours.
Remove from the marinade and pat dry. Discard the buttermilk marinade.
Arrange on a wire rack and allow to air dry in the fridge for another hour
Pan sear the deer steaks:
When ready to cook, preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat with oil and butter. Liberally season the venison with salt and a light sprinkle of pepper.
Add the steaks to the pan, working in batches if needed to not over crowd the pan.
Sear for 2 to 3 minutes until a thick crust forms.
Flip and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer until the steak reaches 125 degrees F.
Rest the steaks:
Remove the steaks from the pan and place a small dollop of butter over each.
Tent with foil and rest for 5 minutes.
Serve:
Place the steaks and garnish with a sprinkle of flaky salt, a spritz of fresh lemon juice, and minced chives.
Serve the steaks with your favorite side dishes
Notes
We marinate the venison medallions in buttermilk which helps to tenderize the meat and pull out the gamey flavor. This step isn’t mandatory but it helps a lot! Especially if you have people who are averse to venison. Due to it’s low acidity it benefits the deer steak without causing it to become mushy, like a marinade that is high in acid could.