Recipe of the Month

by Duane Radford

Venison Steaks with Blue Cheese Sauce

Venison Steaks 
● venison steaks or tenderloin
● 2 tablespoons olive oil
● 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
● 1 teaspoon prepared garlic
● 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
● 1 teaspoon peppercorns
● 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
● 1 teaspoon oregano
● 1 teaspoon thyme (dried)
● salt and pepper
● aerosol canola spray
● Ziploc plastic bag 

Blue Cheese Sauce
● 2 cup crumbled blue cheese
● 1/4 cup salted butter (softened)
● 3/4 cup dry white wine
● 2 teaspoons green capers (peppers)
● 1/2 cup whipping cream
● 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley 

This recipe is adapted from the ATCO Blue Flames Kitchen for barbequed beef tenderloin with blue cheese, billed “blue cheese, garlic sauces take meals to another level.” The chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika impart a bit of a smoky flavour to the meat making for a mouthwatering meal.

Venison Steaks
Venison has a good fit with this recipe either fried in a skillet or grilled on a barbeque, but not for too long and NOT at a high heat. I used some moose rib eye steaks for this recipe.

1. Wash the venison steaks or tenderloin under cold tap water and pat dry with a paper towel. Trim any connective tissue. To prepare a marinade for the venison, combine the olive oil and red wine vinegar in a bowl with the prepared garlic, crushed peppercorns, cayenne pepper, paprika, oregano and thyme. Whisk to blend the ingredients for the marinade.
2. Put the venison in a Ziploc plastic bag and add the marinade. Slosh the marinade around the meat and set aside in a refrigerator for at least one hour, preferably overnight.
3. Remove the venison from the Ziploc bag and shake off excess marinade. Let the meat set up at room temperature for several minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. If you fry the venison in a skillet, first add a dash of canola oil and sear the meat on both sides and then cook it at a medium to low heat for about 10 minutes until it’s browned. Don’t overcook venison or it will dry out and be tough.
5. If you opt to grill the venison, pre-heat your barbeque to 400 F. Spray the venison with aerosol canola oil and sear it on both sides to seal in the juices. Grill it for ~10 minutes until done. Turn it over with tongs so you don’t puncture the venison, which will cause the juices to leak out.
6. Serve the venison with blue cheese sauce.

Blue Cheese Sauce
1. Add the blue cheese and butter to a small bowl. Heat briefly in a microwave and blend.
2. Add the wine and green capers to a small saucepan and bring to a slow boil until the wine is reduced by half. Add the whipping cream and return to a boil. Simmer until the ingredients are again reduced by half.
3. Slowly add the cheese and butter to the saucepan until blended and stir in the parsley.
4. Top the venison steaks or tenderloin with the blue cheese sauce and serve with your choice of a side dish or garden salad.

For a wine pairing, opt for a full-bodied red wine. For a beer pairing, I’d suggest an amber or brown ale, dunkel or stout.