This Ain't Bambi...

Cooking Venison Two Ways

My brother-in-law is a veteran hunter. He and my sister live out in Tabernacle, and they have frequent visitors in their yard in terms of wildlife. One night this fall, a man hit a deer in front of their house, and the deer attempted to get up and run into the woods with two broken legs. My brother in law chased it down and put it out of its misery, and was left with some wonderful venison in return. After his dad skinned it and hung it to dry, he butchered it up, and I was the lucky recipient of a roast and some medallions. I took them to my girlfriend’s apartment one night and cooked them up for our first time trying venison. She was a little apprehensive about it, but I assured her that it would taste great. I seared it off in a pan, then coated it in mustard and pistachios and roasted it in the oven with some chopped veggies. I also took the medallions and coated them in the pistachio mixture and cooked them in a pan on the stove stop while the roast was in the oven. Once they were ready I served them with some buttered egg noodles and a delicious blackberry/pinot noir reduction. 

The meal turned out incredibly well. The venison was so flavorful. I loved each and every bite, and if we weren’t going to get ice cream after, I would have stuffed myself full of it. I liken it to a leaner more flavorful beef, and it is not gamey at all as I had heard from some people. The blackberry sauce was a really nice touch, although I wish I had run it through a strainer to get the seeds out of it. You live and learn I guess. I posted the recipes below for you to try. Beef or pork can be substituted for the venison if you can’t find it or don’t want to try it! Cheers!

• 1.5 lbs venison roast and 8 medallions
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup toasted and ground pistachios
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
• Cranberry, Black Pepper and Sage Reduction Sauce, recipe follows
• Fried sage leaves or chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Season the venison with the salt, pepper and spices. Place a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the pan and once the pan is hot, sear the venison on one side for 1 minute. Using tongs, turn the roast and sear on each of the other sides for 1 minute until nicely browned on all sides. Remove roast from the pan and allow it to cool completely.

In a medium bowl combine the pistachios, breadcrumbs, remaining 1/2 teaspoons of spices and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss well.

Once the roast is cool enough to handle, rub the roast with the mustard. Dredge the roast into the bread crumb mixture to evenly coat. Turn down the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Place the roast in a baking dish and roast in the oven 45 to 60 minutes or an instant read thermometer inserted into its center registers 140 degrees F for medium-rare.

Slice the venison roast. Spoon 1/4 cup of the sauce around the plate and garnish with fried fresh sage leaves or chopped parsley.

Blackberry, Black Pepper, Sage Reduction:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh blackberries
• 1 1/2 cups veal stock
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons cold unsalted butter

Place a 10-inch skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the shallots are translucent, about 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and raise the heat to medium-high. Add the sage and blackberries and continue to cook until the wine is reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 3 minutes. Add the stock to the pan and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Season with the salt and black pepper and swirl in the cold butter. Puree with a stick blender until smooth, Run through a cheesecloth to get the seeds out. Serve immediately or cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

Yield: 1 cup