Dyresteg or Roast Venison with Goat Cheese Sauce
Submitted by nichelle
Norwegian roast venison (dyresteg) seared in butter, roasted to pink perfection, and served with a velvety brown goat cheese, currant jelly, and sour cream sauce. Scandinavian comfort at its finest.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
45 minCOOK
75 minREADY
2 hrsDyresteg is one of Norway’s most celebrated dishes, a roast venison served during special occasions and the autumn hunting season when the air turns crisp and the forests are alive with game.
A boneless haunch of venison gets brushed with softened butter, seared at high heat until deeply browned, then roasted gently with stock until the interior stays beautifully pink.
The real magic is the sauce: pan juices thickened with a nut-brown roux, then enriched with currant jelly, Norwegian brown goat cheese (brunost), and sour cream for a tangy, slightly sweet, velvety finish that is quintessentially Scandinavian.
Carve it thin, pass the sauce on the side, and serve with lingonberries and roasted root vegetables for the full Nordic experience.
Chef’s Tips
- Brown the roux slowly to nut-brown color. This takes 6-8 minutes and gives the sauce its deep, toasty flavor. Rush it and risk bitterness.
- Use a meat thermometer. Pull the venison at 150F for slightly rare. Venison is very lean and overcooking dries it out fast.
- Don’t boil the sauce after adding sour cream. It will curdle. Keep it at a gentle simmer and whisk constantly.
- Norwegian brown goat cheese (brunost) is the authentic choice. It melts into a sweet, caramel-like richness that pairs beautifully with game.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 475F.
Tie the roast up neatly at ½ inch intervals with kitchen cord so that it will hold it’s shape while cooking.
With a pastry brush, spread the softened butter evenly over the meat.
Place the roast on a rack in a shallow open roasting pan and sear it in the hot oven for about 20 minutes.
When the surface of the meat is quite brown, reduce the heat to 375℉ (190℃) and sprinkle the roast generously with salt and pepper.
Pour the stock into the pan and cook the roast, uncovered, for 1¼ hours.
With a large spoon or bulb baster, baste the meat with the pan juices every half hour or so.
The interior meat, when finished, should be slightly rare, or about 150F on a meat thermometer.
Remove the roast to a heated platter, cover it loosely and let rest in the turned off oven while you make the sauce.
Skim and discard the fat from the pan juices.
Measure the remaining liquid and either reduce to 1 cup by boiling it rapidly or add enough water to make up 1 cup.
In a small, heavy saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and stir in 1 tablespoon of flour.
Stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, cook this roux for 6 to 8 minutes over low heat until it is a nut brown color.
Be careful not to let it burn or it will give the sauce a bitter flavor.
Now, with a wire whisk, beat the pan juices into the roux.
Next whisk in the jelly and cheese.
Beat until they dissolve and the sauce is absolutely smooth, then stir in the sour cream.
Do not allow the sauce to boil.
Taste for seasoning, remove the strings from the roast and carve the meat in thin slices.
Pass the sauce separately.
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