Venison Backstrap with Cumberland Sauce
Adapted from Hank Shaw's recipe at honest-food.net.
Ingredients
VENISON
- 1 to ½ pounds venison backstrap in one piece
- salt
- 3 Tbls unsalted butter
CUMBERLAND SAUCE
- 1 shallot
- 1/2 cup port wine
- ¼ cup demi-glace or 1 cup regular stock
- pinch salt
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- zest of a lemon and an orange
- 1/4 cup Strawberry Smash
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Salt the venison well and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Over medium heat, brown the venison on all sides in the butter. Using an instant read digital thermometer, cook the venison to your liking: 130-135° F for medium rare and 135-145° F for medium. Move the meat to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil and let it rest while the sauce is being prepared.
- Using the same pan, ensure there is at least 1 Tablespoon of fat left in it -- add more if necessary. Sauté the shallot over medium-high heat for 90 seconds, just until soft. Take care not to burn the shallot.
- Add the port wine and deglaze the skillet by scraping up any brown bits stuck to the pan. Bring to a boil and let reduce by half. Add the demi-glace (or stock), salt, citrus zest, mustard and cayenne and let boil for a minute or two. Stir in the Strawberry Smash and black pepper. Boil down until thick but still pourable.
- Slice the venison into medallions. Pour any remaining juices from the meat into the sauce and stir to combine. Serve with the sauce over the meat or on the side.