Recipe of the Week: Venison Backstrap With Berry Sauce

The following recipe for Venison Backstrap With Berry Sauce is from SurvivalBlog reader Dave W.

The berry sauce is made separately and poured on only at serving time.

Ingredients
  • 3 lb. venison (one whole backstrap from a large deer, or two from a smalle deer)
  • 3 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. ground pepper
  • 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 6 oz. berries (blackberries are best)
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 lemon
  • 4 cloves
  • 2 star anise (optional)
  • thyme sprigs (for garnish, optional)
Directions – For Meat
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Combine salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Towel-dry the surface of the backstrap and generously sprinkle the spice mix on top.
  3. Heat an oven-proof skillet on a high setting. Once smoking hot, place backstrap into skillet to sear, turning every minute or so to sear it, making sure that all sides are cooked. Then place it in a pan in the oven for 7-10 minutes.
  4. Remove from oven and pan, place into foil and allow to rest 10 minutes before cross-cutting the backstrap into medallions.
DIRECTIONs – For Sauce
  1. To make the sauce – combine berries, sugar, vinegar, lemon zest, juice, cloves, and anise in a pan, and bring to boil. Add an optional pinch of salt.
  2. After about 5 minutes of boiling, you should be able to crush the berries up against the side of the saucepan using a wooden spoon. Continue rapidly simmering sauce a further 5-10 minutes, to thicken it.
SERVING

Place medallions on a plate, spoon over generous portions of sauce. Optionally, top with some sprigs of thyme.

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!