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1
Place the venison slices in a deep, non-reactive container. Add the wine, juniper berries, bay leaves, rosemary, cloves, and cinnamon. Turn the meat to submerge it completely. Cover and refrigerate for 12–24 hours. The marinade is ready when the flesh has taken on a deep wine colour throughout and the spice fragrance is clearly detectable.
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2
Lift the venison from the marinade and pat each slice thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. Reserve the marinade liquid and aromatics. Dust the slices lightly and evenly with flour on both sides, shaking off any excess. The surface should appear barely chalked, not thickly coated.
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3
Heat the butter and lard together in a wide, heavy braising pot over high heat until the fat shimmers and begins to colour. Add the venison slices in a single layer — work in batches if necessary. Brown deeply on both sides: the crust must be a rich, dark mahogany. This is where the dish lives or dies; pale, steamed meat will produce a flat, colourless braise with no depth of flavour.
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4
Remove the browned meat and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the sliced onion to the same pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until fully softened and beginning to turn golden at the edges — the onion should be translucent and yielding to the touch of a spoon.
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5
Return the venison to the pot. Pour over the reserved marinade liquid, including all aromatics. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover tightly and braise over very low heat for 1.5–2 hours. The braise is done when the meat offers no resistance when pressed with a spoon and has shed its gamey edge entirely, having absorbed the wine and spice of the marinade.
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6
Uncover the pot and raise the heat to medium. Reduce the cooking liquid, turning the meat gently, until the sauce thickens to a concentrated glaze that coats and clings to the meat with a deep, translucent colour. It should flow slowly from a spoon — not run like a jus, and not set like a syrup. Adjust seasoning. Serve immediately over polenta concia.