Snippets of Venison
Submitted by nfinkle
Snippets of venison marinated in cider with juniper berries, seared pink, and served with sauteed mushrooms in a garlic sour cream sauce. An elegant way to use venison trimmings.
YIELD
3 servingsPREP
24 hrsCOOK
15 minREADY
24 hrsThis is what smart cooks do with venison trimmings: cut them into thumb-sized strips, marinate overnight in apple cider with crushed juniper berries and black pepper, then sear them fast and hot until pink inside.
The garlic sour cream sauce is made separately: a crushed clove infuses into sour cream for the same 24 hours, so the garlic mellows from sharp to sweet by the time it hits the pan. It gets beaten into the reduced marinade and stock off the heat for a rich, tangy sauce.
Two minutes in the pan is all the venison needs. It’s lean meat that goes tough and dry the moment you overcook it. Sear hard, rest briefly, and serve immediately on hot plates.
Chef Tips
- Pat the marinated venison completely dry before searing. Wet meat steams instead of browning, and you’ll lose that caramelized crust.
- Use very hot butter for the searing. The pan should be almost smoking when the meat goes in.
- Beat the sour cream into the reduced sauce off the heat. Boiling sour cream causes it to curdle and break.
- Juniper berries are a classic pairing with venison. Crush them lightly to release their piney, gin-like aroma.
Variations
- Use red wine instead of cider for the marinade for a deeper, more robust flavor.
- Swap sour cream for creme fraiche for a richer, less tangy sauce.
- Serve over buttered egg noodles or creamy polenta to catch the sauce.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut the meat into strips about the size of your thumb - if possible.
Some of the trimmings may, of course, be slightly ragged, triangular or cubed but this is the size and shape to aim for.
Dust with coarsely ground black pepper and 3 to 4 crushed juniper berries, moisten with the cider, cover and leave to marinate for 24 hours.
Crush a garlic clove, mix it with the soured cream or yoghurt and leave it to infuse in a cool place for 24 hours.
Carefully drain and dry the venison, reserving the marinade.
Slice the mushrooms thickly and sauté them in a little very hot butter.
Remove and keep hot.
Then sauté the venison briefly, searing it nicely but keeping it succulent and pink within - 2 minutes is plenty.
Then let the venison rest in a low oven where it will go on cooking a little without toughening.
Start making the sauce straight away or wait for several minutes if you want the meat to lose its pinkness.
To make the sauce, let the marinade liquid and the stock bubble away in the frying pan until reduced to just 2 or 3 spoonfuls.
Blend in any juices that the venison has exuded and bubble again briefly.
Then beat in the garlic-flavoured soured cream, away from the heat.
Return the pan to a low flame to warm the sauce.
Season well, scatter with chopped chives and serve on very hot plates.
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