The delicious red wine sauce with this is killer. It is best when mixed with pan juices and drippings from the meat, which is best accomplished by roasting in a pan in the oven. However, if grilling the meat, the red wine sauce alone is very good, too.

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat tenderloin with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until internal temperature is about 125°F for rare. Remove pan from oven and pour cognac over meat and flame. When flame dies, set meat on a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.

• Sauté shallots and garlic in butter. Add red wine and boil until reduced to ¼ cup. Add 1 cup beef consommé and bring to a boil. Add sun-dried tomato paste and Maggi. Pour red wine sauce into the pan with meat drippings and cognac. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Whisk in butter and season to taste with salt and pepper.

• Slice tenderloin into ½- to ¾-inch-thick slices and spoon some sauce over the meat. Serve additional sauce on the side.

Removing Fat from Venison

The fat is what has the distinct wild flavor that many people find unpleasant. Once the fat is removed, most claim that the wild game meat tastes better than any beef ever tasted. The silver skin needs to be cut from the tenderloin before preparing it for cooking. Also, any bits of fat are best removed from steaks. Roasts taste better with much of the fat removed, too.