Picture Courtesy of Shaffer Farms, Inc.
Dalmatia, PA
Once the prize of the hunter, venison is now being farm-raised in many states throughout the country, making it more readily available at upscale restaurants, specialty markets, and here on the Internet (see our Country Store for convenient online ordering and overnight delivery).
Farm-raised venison are allowed to graze in pastures, with natural grains added to their diet to assure highest quality in flavor and texture of the meat without the "wild" characteristics of their woodland cousins and free of any chemicals or hormones given to stimulate growth. The result is tender, tasty meat that is milder in flavor than lamb, but more distinctive than beef. And the deep-red venison meat is low in calories, fat, and cholesterol.
Let's see how venison compares to beef and lamb:
3.5 ounces (100 g) of cooked venison = 139 calories, 5 g fat, 82 mg cholesterol
3.5 ounces (100 g) of cooked beef tenderloin = 204 calories, 9 g fat, 83 mg cholesterol
3.5 ounces (100 g) of cooked leg of lamb = 204 calories, 9 g fat, 91 mg cholesterol
Forget all the slow cooking techniques that are generally recommended for cooking wild deer. Farm-raised venison is most tender and moist when cooked quickly over high heat to rare or medium rare doneness. Since it's a dense meat, a small portion (4 ounces before cooking) is plenty for most adults when accompanied with a starch, vegetable, and salad. When purchasing venison here in the States, insist on voluntarily inspected U.S.D.A. venison (there is no government regulation for mandatory inspection for venison as there is on other meats). This will further insure that the venison that you purchase is of the highest quality.
Our first recipe is reminiscent of a venison dish we had at Larry Forgione's fashionable restaurant in New York City, An American Place. The succulent venison (there, a large 7-ounce steak) was served with a tart-sweet dried cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes which had been whipped with maple syrup. Since dried cranberries contain a lot of sugar, we've substituted no sugar added dried cherries with good results. The sauce is a little tart so we gave it a balsamic vinegar finish (don't you just love this dark, sweet vinegar!) that works wonderfully with the rich venison meat. We love sweet potatoes baked in their jackets without any further embellishment -- they're so naturally sweet and earthy flavored, there's no need for even a smidgeon of butter or margarine. Serve Brussels sprouts alongside "Martha Stewart" style -- cooked in boiling water, then the individual leaves peeled off and tossed with lemon juice and fresh thyme (we leave out the butter in M.S.'s recipe). We'd start the meal with a fresh green salad (baby lettuces, arugula, māche, and watercress), tossed with a walnut oil dressing made from a tablespoon each of walnut oil, white wine vinegar, and fresh lemon juice, with a sprinkling of chopped fresh herbs -- basil, thyme, and mint.
A mid-winter meal that's exquisite to the eye, delectable to the palate, and so kind to your heart!
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