The Venison faggot is a “faggot” made from venison.
Faggots are meatballs made with minced offal and scraps (mostly pork and traditionally pork heart, liver, and fatty belly or bacon) mixed with herbs and sometimes breadcrumbs.
It is a traditional dish of the United Kingdom, particularly from South and Central Wales and the English Midlands, as it originated as a low-cost traditional food consumed by country people in Western England.
We tasted it during our trip to Cornwall in January 2025.
Usually, a faggot is made of minced pork liver and heart, wrapped in caul fat (pig’s omental fat), with onion and breadcrumbs.
The mixture is hand-shaped into small balls, wrapped with omental fat (the omental membrane of the pig’s abdomen), and baked.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: English
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 13 oz venison leg (minced)
- 12.7 oz venison offal (heart and liver)
- 4.4 oz pork shoulder (minced)
- 2.3 oz breadcrumbs
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1.8 oz caul fat
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- to taste herbs (thyme, cumin, juniper, tarragon)
- to taste salt and white pepper
Steps
For the venison faggot: mix the venison and pork in a large bowl until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix again.
Add the egg yolk, garlic, and onion after stewing it (with water or wine), form 6 equally sized balls and set them aside.
Rinse the caul fat in cold water and lay it out on a board.
Place a rolled faggot in the center of the caul fat, wrap it until completely sealed, and cut away the excess with a knife.Form a ball and repeat for the others.
Arrange on a baking sheet, brush with melted butter, and roast them in the oven at 365°F for 1 hour.
To serve: plate the venison faggot and serve it with a thick gravy, creamy mash, and crispy cabbage.
Another variant of the faggot
Another variant of the faggot is fried pork testicles wrapped in caul fat: the pork fry and boiled onions are minced together, then mixed with breadcrumbs or cold boiled potatoes, seasoned with sage, mixed herbs, and pepper, all beaten together and then wrapped in small pieces of caul fat to form a ball.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is the other meaning of “faggot”?
The use of the word “faggot” has caused misunderstandings due to its American English meaning as a derogatory term for a gay man (translatable with faggot, queer or sissy).
In 2004, a radio commercial for the British supermarket chain Somerfield, where a man refuses the dinner suggested by his wife saying “I have nothing against faggots, I just don’t like them” was deemed an allusion that violated the Advertising and Sponsorship Code and was banned by the sector regulator Ofcom.
In November 2013, it was reported that British users of Facebook were temporarily blocked for using the word, in its culinary sense, on the website.
Facebook stated the word had been misunderstood.What is caul fat?
Caul fat, or netting, is a pig offal made up of part of the peritoneum, a white membrane traversed by fibers that lines the abdominal cavity.
In Italian gastronomy it is used for Salento turcinieddhi, grive and Frisse from Piedmont, and Tuscan fegatelli.
