| Resolution: Venison |
[May. 11th, 2003|03:03 pm]
Nicodemus
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New ingredient 7: Venison
This is part of my New Years Resolution.
 Thanks to a friend of a friend, I managed to acquire some venison sirloin strip steaks. (As an aside, I don't normally support hunting, but I do feel better about it when the fallen beast is put to worthy use as opposed to becoming a piece of stuffed furry statuary.) They were very nice cuts of meat that cooked up with a wonderful rich flavor.
If you've not tried venison, it is definitely not the same as beef; somewhat reminiscent of buffalo, perhaps. It has a gamier, earthier flavor than straight beef which I, at least, enjoy.
You can also see the side dishes in the photo: mashed potatoes, roast corn, and glazed carrots. Basically, a bunch of our "adjective noun" recipe cards. ;)
I've included notes only on making the venison and carrots, since those were the parts of the meal that I handled.  3catsjackson grilled the corn in the husk; wonderfully fresh flavor. kit_ping was in charge of the from-scratch mashed potatoes.
Venison and Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
Venison, top loin strip steaks
Madiera or other red wine
Chicken or beef stock
Cream
Minced garlic
Salt, pepper, spices
Equipment
Skilet
Whisk
Preparation
The steaks were thawed, lightly salted and peppered, and put into a hot skillet with a drizzle of safflower oil in it.
Leave for one minute, flip, and leave for a second minute.
Add a cup of madiera and a teaspoon of garlic to the pan.
Braise until meat done to desired level (5-10 min), then remove the steaks to a plate and cover with foil while making the sauce.
Add a cup of stock.
Reduce stock and madiera by half over high heat.
Add a cup of cream.
Reduce until sauce becomes thick and richly colored (may take 10 minutes). Add extra stock to prevent sauce from breaking. Whisk frequently.
Carrots Recipe
Ingredients
Peeled and chopped carrots
1 tbsp Butter
1 tsp Lemon juice
1 pinch Dill
1 tsp Brown sugar
Equipment
Small saucepan
Preparation
Fill sauce pan with half-inch of water and bring to a boil.
Add the carrots and cook for 2-5 minutes, depending on your preference for doneness.
Drain.
Return carrots to pan over med-high heat with butter and sugar.
Brown for 2 minutes, stirring to melt/dissolve.
Add dill and lemon juice.
All in all, quite satisfactory. This gustatory exploration gets a mark in the success column. Now, what to cook next... |
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