What do?
It's a fairly good sized piece. My boyfriend got it from his boss, from what I understand it's pretty fresh, and the boyfriend moved it from the freezer to the fridge yesterday, so it's thawed and needs to be cooked. I know you can't go wrong with the classic salt/pepper/garlic, but I'm open to other options.
Edit: Package says it's a roast.
If you ask ECH, he'll tell you to throw it away, and buy a hangar steak. So don't ask him.
Venison is lean, gamey, and will overcook in a heartbeat. Either a fast sear, or a long braise. It will hold up very well to strong flavors, so rosemary or sage will pair well. Deer also eat pretty much what goes into gin, so I've seen a few recipes that deglaze with a splash of it.
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on December 04, 2012, 06:06:23 PM
If you ask ECH, he'll tell you to throw it away, and buy a hangar steak. So don't ask him.
Venison is lean, gamey, and will overcook in a heartbeat. Either a fast sear, or a long braise. It will hold up very well to strong flavors, so rosemary or sage will pair well. Deer also eat pretty much what goes into gin, so I've seen a few recipes that deglaze with a splash of it.
Yeah, my brother called me in response to my Facebook post. He basically said since I don't know if it's doe or buck, to brine just in case, I can use our homebrewed apple cider or beer in place of vinegar in the brine, hit it with salt/pepper/garlic and pan sear the outside before throwing it to braise with more cider/beer if we want. then deglaze with spiced rum and add cream.
That's a bit heavy for my tastes, but it does sound pretty good.
I'm gonna be roasting some delicata squash with thyme, and then searing up some steak with mushrooms, shallots and a hint of red wine.
Shucks, all we ever did was toss it in a skillet and add a can of Cream of Mushroom soup. All y'all are so fancy in your eats.
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on December 04, 2012, 06:48:26 PM
That's a bit heavy for my tastes, but it does sound pretty good.
I'm gonna be roasting some delicata squash with thyme, and then searing up some steak with mushrooms, shallots and a hint of red wine.
oooh...
I already responded on your FB thread, but I forgot to add that if you do braise it you need to season it with s&p first, rub it with olive oil, and sear it until it's nicely browned before you throw it in to braise. Your boy James pretty much had it dead to rights - I mostly just aped what he already said.
I used to be mighty fond of venison, but I've never done a roast. Let us know how it is.
I'm going to set it in the brine tomorrow and tell the boyfriend DO NOT TOUCH. My brother and dad got in an argument while on the phone with me about what to do with it. Brother said brine, dad said soak it in milk. Brother is a chef. Brother wins (and also told me just about the same thing ECH and my friend on Facebook said.)
If it's REALLY gamey, milk will help leach some of that out. But it won't do anything to help break down the connective tissues, which you'll need if it's pretty much any cut but a backstrap. That's what the brine is for.
You could put it in a bag and cook it at a really low temperature.
All the great chefs do that.
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 05, 2012, 04:44:53 PM
You could put it in a bag and cook it at a really low temperature.
All the great chefs do that.
AUTOCLAVE IT.
Quote from: holist~ on December 05, 2012, 10:53:20 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 05, 2012, 04:44:53 PM
You could put it in a bag and cook it at a really low temperature.
All the great chefs do that.
AUTOCLAVE IT.
My dad did that with a canned turkey, on a Canadian research vessel, once. True story. It wasn't pretty, but he healed without scars.
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 06, 2012, 12:01:43 AM
Quote from: holist~ on December 05, 2012, 10:53:20 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 05, 2012, 04:44:53 PM
You could put it in a bag and cook it at a really low temperature.
All the great chefs do that.
AUTOCLAVE IT.
My dad did that with a canned turkey, on a Canadian research vessel, once. True story. It wasn't pretty, but he healed without scars.
:horrormirth: :horrormirth: :horrormirth:
Quote from: hølist on December 06, 2012, 02:32:51 AM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 06, 2012, 12:01:43 AM
Quote from: holist~ on December 05, 2012, 10:53:20 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 05, 2012, 04:44:53 PM
You could put it in a bag and cook it at a really low temperature.
All the great chefs do that.
AUTOCLAVE IT.
My dad did that with a canned turkey, on a Canadian research vessel, once. True story. It wasn't pretty, but he healed without scars.
:horrormirth: :horrormirth: :horrormirth:
On another Thanksgiving, this one at home with us, he had had this BRILLIANT idea of buying a big-ass turkey in July (they were pretty expensive in Newfoundland, back then), and jamming it in the cryofreezer at work until October (Canada insists on jumping the gun, Thanksgiving-wise. They even moved the 4th of July to the 1st, just to be assholes).
So he brings it home, and puts it in the fridge to thaw. The next morning, the fridge was entirely frozen shut. I think I was about 6-7 at this time, and I remember it being an epiphany. Hey...Adults can fuck shit up just as much as I can. More. They have better resources with which to fuck shit up.
And a very practical demonstration of what I learned in Earth Sciences class in middle school: "Heat flows from Source to Sink".
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on December 06, 2012, 01:56:36 PM
And a very practical demonstration of what I learned in Earth Sciences class in middle school: "Heat flows from Source to Sink".
Indeed. He was bubbling over with geekspiration when he'd realized what he'd done (why he had to realize it is beyond me, he's a PhD in biochemistry). My mother wasn't as enthusiastic. I wanted to fix shit and get the fridge open(I had this brilliant idea, see...), but my mother had utterly had it with males in our family by that point, so she sent me out to play in the woods instead.
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 06, 2012, 01:54:27 PM
Quote from: hølist on December 06, 2012, 02:32:51 AM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 06, 2012, 12:01:43 AM
Quote from: holist~ on December 05, 2012, 10:53:20 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 05, 2012, 04:44:53 PM
You could put it in a bag and cook it at a really low temperature.
All the great chefs do that.
AUTOCLAVE IT.
My dad did that with a canned turkey, on a Canadian research vessel, once. True story. It wasn't pretty, but he healed without scars.
:horrormirth: :horrormirth: :horrormirth:
On another Thanksgiving, this one at home with us, he had had this BRILLIANT idea of buying a big-ass turkey in July (they were pretty expensive in Newfoundland, back then), and jamming it in the cryofreezer at work until October (Canada insists on jumping the gun, Thanksgiving-wise. They even moved the 4th of July to the 1st, just to be assholes).
So he brings it home, and puts it in the fridge to thaw. The next morning, the fridge was entirely frozen shut. I think I was about 6-7 at this time, and I remember it being an epiphany. Hey...Adults can fuck shit up just as much as I can. More. They have better resources with which to fuck shit up.
:lulz: I think I love your dad.
Quote from: hølist on December 06, 2012, 06:43:53 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 06, 2012, 01:54:27 PM
Quote from: hølist on December 06, 2012, 02:32:51 AM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 06, 2012, 12:01:43 AM
Quote from: holist~ on December 05, 2012, 10:53:20 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 05, 2012, 04:44:53 PM
You could put it in a bag and cook it at a really low temperature.
All the great chefs do that.
AUTOCLAVE IT.
My dad did that with a canned turkey, on a Canadian research vessel, once. True story. It wasn't pretty, but he healed without scars.
:horrormirth: :horrormirth: :horrormirth:
On another Thanksgiving, this one at home with us, he had had this BRILLIANT idea of buying a big-ass turkey in July (they were pretty expensive in Newfoundland, back then), and jamming it in the cryofreezer at work until October (Canada insists on jumping the gun, Thanksgiving-wise. They even moved the 4th of July to the 1st, just to be assholes).
So he brings it home, and puts it in the fridge to thaw. The next morning, the fridge was entirely frozen shut. I think I was about 6-7 at this time, and I remember it being an epiphany. Hey...Adults can fuck shit up just as much as I can. More. They have better resources with which to fuck shit up.
:lulz: I think I love your dad.
My dad is amazing. He could find the ONE STREAM in Newfoundland that had NO FISH IN IT. He made amazing kites that didn't fly. He could repair a car to DEATH.
On the other hand, he's an amazing cook, and can make printed circuit boards dance the can-can. Inside his areas of expertise, he can't be touched. Those would be chemistry, electronics, and his personal ethics, which approach those of Gandhi.
Your dad sounds full of awesome. :lulz:
Bambi has been brined, seared and is currently low and slow in the oven. Will report with results tonight.
Quote from: Suu on December 06, 2012, 09:19:34 PM
Your dad sounds full of awesome. :lulz:
Bambi has been brined, seared and is currently low and slow in the oven. Will report with results tonight.
PICS
PICS!
So I brined the roast overnight in a mixture of our homebrewed hard cider, salt, pepper, and water. This afternoon I removed it from the brine, coated it with sea salt, black pepper, garlic and oregano, and pan seared each side for a few seconds to lock in the flavors.
(http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u446/Annasgarb/IMAG0540.jpg)
After that, I just set it in a Pyrex with another bottle of the cider, covered it with foil and tossed it in the oven at 200*F.
(http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u446/Annasgarb/IMAG0541.jpg)
I checked the internal temp at an hour, and turned the roast. I gave it another half hour, and the internal temp read 155*, so I removed it from the oven and allowed a resting period so it wouldn't dry out.
While the roast was going, I took that frying pan and deglazed it with Kraken rum. This made my house smell like a bar.
(http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u446/Annasgarb/IMAG0542.jpg)
My brother suggested using cream, but I didn't have any, so I reduced the rum sauce to a drizzle.
Made some rice sprinkled with Auntie Arwen's Ghengis Khan Steppe Nomad Salt...and done.
(http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u446/Annasgarb/IMAG0543.jpg)
It was very tender and juicy and not overspiced at all. I had to get over the stigma of eating Bambi, and the "Oh god, this isn't beef!" flavor I have the first couple bites every time I eat venison, but it was delicious, and very simple!
That looks and sounds awesome, Suu.
I have yet to try venison, but we were recently graced with some fresh moose - in steak and ground form. The burgers we made were really good, though a bit not-wanting-to-stick-together as much as beef. Have the steaks (and more ground) in the freezer for near future use. Would these steaks also likely take a bit more care in preparing than your average beef?
I know I can try to look it up too, but with all the experienced chefs here, input is always welcome :)
That looks so delicious, Suu. I love venison. I have an uncle who's an avid hunter. Whenever he has a good year he usually has more meat than he can eat so he'll give me a lot of venison on Christmas. I'll head home with a trunk full of venison chili, jerky, steaks and sausage. Those tend to be my favorite Christmases. :lol:
Envy!