When i placed a meat order from D’Artagnan a while back, I decided to include a venison shortloin. I googled that it’s also known as blackstrap.
To help me figure out what to do with it I turned to my encyclopedic friend Stefan, from Stefan Gourmet. He was able to tell me that this was part of the tenderloin of the deer, which really excited me. As part of the tenderloin, I could prepare this piece of meat just as I would a beef tenderloin.
I decided to make an Asian-inspired marinade for the meat, plus use the reduced marinade as a sauce. There are so many options for Asian ingredients – oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, shrimp paste, sesame oil, or mirin. Personally I don’t mind mixing Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese flavors together.
Asian-Inspired Marinade
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
4 cloves garlic
Sambal Oelek, to taste
Place the olive oil, soy sauce, fish, and sweet soy sauce in a blender jar. Add the garlic cloves and blend until the marinade is smooth.
Place the short loin in a sealable plastic bag, and pour the marinade into the bag.
Seal the bag, and refrigerate the meat for 24 hours.
The next day, at least 1 1/2 hours from serving time, remove the bag from the refrigerator and let the meat warm up a little. Before cooking, grab the meat, using tongs, out of the marinade and place it on paper towels. Pat it dry on all sides.
Pour the remaining marinade from the bag into a small saucepan. At this point, add a teaspoon of sambal oelek, or the amount to your liking.
Place the saucepan on the stove over the lowest heat, stirring occasionally, and reduce the marinade.
Meanwhile, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet or grill. Heat the oil over high heat until the oil begins smoking. Have your ventilation system on as well. Place the meat in the grill. Add some freshly ground black pepper, but stay away from salt. Sear the meat on one side. This will take about 5 minutes.
Turn the meat over and sear it on the other side for another 5 minutes.
Turn down the heat under the grill but keep the meat in the grill. This will allow the meat to cook through to the center, without over-browning the outside. This will take another 5 minutes total. If you prefer to use a thermometer, without too much poking, get the meat to an inside temperature of 125 degrees for rare, if that’s the way you like it. That’s how we prefer it. Then remove it to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
Once the marinade has thickened, remove it from the stove. This isn’t a necessary step, but I put it through a strainer before serving because I don’t like chewing on chile pepper seeds.
When you’re ready to serve, slice the venison short loin crosswise, in 1/3″ wide slices or thinner, if preferred.
If you like the sauce, pour a little over the meat or serve on the side.
I served the asian-flavored venison with an orangey leek and pea pilaf. It was a delightful combination.
