Venison is cooked much the same as beef but needs careful handling as it has far less fat to keep it moist. Venison haunch steak is best cooked either medium rare (slightly pink) or medium-well (no pink but moist) The best way to cook venison steak is by direct heat; either pan-fry or grill-pan. Non-stick is the enemy of meat; cast iron its friend.

Always bring venison steak to room temperature before cooking. Oil the meat and not the pan; just rub a little oil over the surface and season with freshly ground black pepper. Salt the pan and not the meat; throw a pinch of flaked sea salt into the pan before the meat. Make sure the pan is searingly hot; holding a hand flat above the surface is the best gauge. Don't overcrowd the pan; give the steaks a good few inches room. Cook separately if need be.

Although times can vary according to thickness the following is a fairly accurate gauge for an average 1-inch thick venison steak
Medium rare – 3 minutes on each side
Medium well – 3.5 minutes each side

After cooking a venison steak needs its rest; let it sit for at least five minutes before serving and you won't need a steak knife. In fact, you should never need a steak knife; they were invented to disguise mediocre badly cooked steak.