Venison: How does it compare nutritionally to beef and pork?

The term venison is used specifically to refer to deer meat. Like all meat, venison is a good source of protein. It's also a good source of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6 and B-12, iron, zinc and copper. Venison is higher in vitamin B-12 and iron than pork and beef.

Game meat, including deer, elk and moose, generally has less fat than does meat from domesticated animals, such as beef and pork. This is because game animals are typically more active than domesticated animals. However, game meat contains about the same amount of cholesterol as beef and pork do.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture Nutrient Data Laboratory, 2004

The small amount of fat on game meat may have a strong taste, so you should remove it before cooking. For maximum tenderness, cook game meat slowly — either braise it in liquid or roast and baste it frequently.