Venison Tenderloin And Mushroom Sauce

VENISON TENDERLOIN MEDALLIONS WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole venison tenderloin, 1/2 per person (see notes below)
3 shallots, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, Morels, Oyster, Porcini or your choice
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup Dry Sherry or Port Wine
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar made in Modena, Italy, do not substitute
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Wild Bill's Meat Rub
Meat Tenderizer
Morton table salt (to taste)
Freshly ground black peppercorns (Tellicherry)
2 tablespoons Morton table salt (for brine solution)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar (for brine solution)
1 quart water (for brine solution)

Mix brine solution; 2 tablespoons of salt and 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar in 1 quart of water adding to a one gallon zip lock type bag. Add tenderloin and place in refrigerator for 3 hours to overnight. Remove tenderloin from brine solution and rinse off under cold tap water and pat dry with paper towels. Rub tenderloin with olive oil and coat with Wild Bill's Meat Rub and meat tenderizer; let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to one hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, place a medium sized saucepan on low/medium heat, add olive oil and sauté shallots and garlic for about 5 minutes until soft. Add mushrooms to pan and another tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and black pepper and sauté another 5 to 7 minutes. Add wine and increase heat bringing mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add Balsamic vinegar simmering uncovered for 15 minutes reducing sauce. To finish sauce, add butter blending well; salt and pepper to taste.

Place an oven proof skillet on high heat, add olive oil and sear tenderloin on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer skillet with tenderloin to oven and roast for 10 minutes or until medium rare; 135 to 140 degrees F. Use a reliable digital meat thermometer to verify doneness; don't guess. Remove from oven and place tenderloin on a serving dish and loosely tent with aluminum foil for five minutes to rest. To serve, cut tenderloin across the grain into 3/4 to 1 inch thick medallions and spoon mushroom sauce on top. Place remaining mushroom sauce in a small bowl for dipping. Serve with your favorite sides, e.g., wild rice, roasted potatoes, veggie medley and/or asparagus spears, toasted garlic bread and beverage of your choice.

YIELD: 1/2 tenderloin per person

Above prepared on 12-11-14 and was outstanding. I soaked the venison in a brine solution consisting of 2 tablespoons of table salt, 2 tablespoons of Light Brown Sugar and 1 quart of water in a one gallon zip lock type plastic bag and placed in the refrigerator overnight. Rinsed off in cold water and pat dried. Also, make certain you use real balsamic vinegar and not the imitation stuff sold in most food chain stores. You want the balsamic vinegar that is made in Modena, Italy and aged a few years.

The mushroom sauce has some sweet and sour going on by the usage of the Port Wine and the Balsamic Vinegar which complements the venison excellent, highlighting a complexity of flavors. You can add some heavy whipping cream to the sauce if desired. Morel and Porcini mushrooms have a more woodsy flavor to them and "high dollar" compared to the standard supermarket variety; e.g., Baby Bella, Shiitake, Portobello and White Button to name a few, but "most of the time, you get what you pay for."

Beef and Venison tenderloin is at it's peak for taste and tenderness when cooked between rare and medium rare since there is no fat in the tenderloins and will get tough the longer you cook it.

With this recipe, you can substitute beef tenderloin or venison loin aka back strap, however if using venison loin you need to marinate it for a couple days since it is a much tougher cut of venison.

Below thumbnail sequence pixs.

NOTES: Many hunters mistakenly call the loin or back strap the tenderloin which is incorrect terminology. The tenderloins are much smaller, only about 10 to 12 inches in length and are located inside the deer's abdominal cavity, beneath the spine and toward the tail end. The only way to reach them is by field dressing the deer and cutting them away. The back straps aka loin straps are the long, round cuts of meat located on the top of a deer's back. They run along either side of the spine and can be 2 to 3 feet in length.

Web published by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 12-09-14 with pixs added on 12-11-14.

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