Marinated Venison Steaks

My husband and I make this special Sunday dinner just as much as we celebrate friends’ birthdays, anniversaries and anniversaries of long-term relationships, especially when it comes to our son. He likes venison because it comes from wild game that is not fished and must be game-hunted. We always use a Venison sausage, which looks so much like the traditional vegetarian sausage that it would be surprising that people had never seen one (The substitute is delicious, though, making all my meat-loving clients drool when they visit). The venison is cooked in foil for a very long time on the stovetop, then fried until the thin, silky strips are crisp, dark brown and sweet.

Not only is it a sweet dish, it’s so versatile, so good with lots of little variations. You can grill them, sauté them in a panini press, pan-fry them on a hamburger bun or buy them hot from a butcher and roll them into sandwiches. Or, just fry them directly on a griddle or in a frying pan to make tempura rolls, as we did to serve our guests for supper. We especially love the portion size; this four- or five-pound package serves two, and we love that our son liked it. Everyone at our dinner piled on the Venison over mashed potatoes, kale salad and sauteed onions, peppers and carrots with great gusto. If you’re hosting a dinner, or you just want to serve this special dish with friends, I think it’s a must.

Venison Steaks

Ingredients

• 4 venison tenderloins, about 1¼ pounds each
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1¼ teaspoons salt

Pinch black pepper

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

• 1 ¼ teaspoon sugar
• 1 ½ cups rice flour, or rice flour with buckwheat

¼ cup half-and-half

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch, or toasted sesame seeds

Additional lemon juice, chives, or parsley

Directions

1. Pat the venison dry. If you find that the pieces of meat have tendrils and hair, rub them with a little olive oil. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and when it boils, remove from the heat. Place the venison pieces in a large bowl, and cover them with cold water. Salt and pepper them generously, then transfer them to the water. Gently stir to coat them evenly. They will float like fish in the water. Cover the bowl tightly, and let them soak for 30 minutes. Drain the venison, and pat dry. Wipe out the bowl, and add the olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon zest, sugar and flour. Stir the water gently to dissolve the salt. Add half-and-half and the cornstarch, and mix to combine. Set the bowl aside. As soon as the dressing is cool, add the flour mixture to the coating in the bowl, and mix well, being careful not to break the venison pieces with your fingers. Roll the mixture into 4 or 5 thin strips or patties, about 1 ¼ inch wide. If they are too thick to place on a cutting board, divide them between two large sheets of plastic wrap, overlapping the pieces by 1/4 inch and twisting them with a small fork. Brush the fish with the lemon juice, as well as a couple of tablespoons of the seasoned flour mixture, which should soak up the excess. Cut the strips into thinner and thinner pieces, and refrigerate until they’re firm, about 45 minutes. When the venison is done, slice it lengthwise into thin 1 ¼-inch slices, and serve it simply on a plate, sliced. If you want it to serve as a hearty sandwich, sprinkle it with the leftover dressing and chives, and top with sauteed onions, peppers and carrots. Or, for an extra-special touch, cover the slices with rice flour tortillas, and roll them over the the shrimp in the chilled dressing. Serve with a mixture of sauteed kale and sauteed onions or a little hot sauce for dipping.
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