Venison Tenderloin - summer recipe?
My husband's favorite meal is venison tenderloin and he has requested it for his b-day. I ordered some from D'Artagnan, but now I'm wondering what to do with it. Typically I make venison in colder months using dried cherries, etc., wine, potatoes, i.e. "heartier fare." However, in the 90 degree+ weather we have here in PA, does anyone have a lighter venison recipe?? Any suggestions will be appreciated. Can you cook venison tenderloin on the grill? Otherwise I'll just crank the A/C around dinnertime! Thanks.
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carswell
Jul 10, 2006 06:54 PM
As long as you don't overcook it, tenderloin grills beautifully. One of the most popular dishes at the Montreal bistro Le P'tit Plateau is venison grilled rare and served with a zingy reduction sauce. Chef-owner Alain Loivel once described it to me in vague terms. Here's my adaptation; measurements are approximate because I've always played it by ear.
Pour a bottle of fruity, not highly acidic and preferably unoaked red wine into a sauté pan. Add whole "warm" spices of your choosing; I typically use a few cloves, a star anise, a cinnamon stick and a few cardamon pods and sometimes throw in a dried chile pepper or two. Bring to a boil and reduce until thick (i.e. by 3/4 to 7/8). Strain and set aside. Put 2 or 3 tablespoons of sugar in a saucepan, add 3 tablespoons each of sherry vinegar and water and bring to a boil. Boil off the liquid over medium heat. Watching constantly and tilting the pan occasionally, allow the sugar to caramelize. As soon as the caramel turns golden, remove the pan from the heat and pour in the red wine reduction. Stir to dissolve. Although Chef Loivel doesn't, you can mount the sauce with butter if you find it too sharp; otherwise, it's fat free.
›3 Replies-
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re: dano
carswell
Jul 10, 2006 08:21 PM
Peut-être mais...
Agreed that a gastrique is a reduction containing vinegar and sugar. But here it is the wine that, strictly speaking, is reduced. And the sugar is caramelized, which it certainly isn't in classic gastriques like orange sauce for duck. But, hey, what do I know?
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