MMMMMarinated Venison Steaks

We are very lucky to have friends who hunt wild game. Every time they stop by with something to share we are thrilled with the opportunity to enjoy true field-to-table cuisine!

Recently a friend (who is a certified “sharpshooter”) brought over some beautiful venison tenderloin steaks. I marinated four steaks, but only seared two for dinner last night, letting the other two continue to marinate. Those will be seared and served as Venison Caesar Salad today. A word of caution when preparing venison… only cook as much as you plan to consume immediately. Venison gets extremely dry and tough when heated up as leftovers. (I’ve learned that lesson the hard way.)

Keeping up with the seasonal theme, I like to serve venison steaks with small mushrooms, halved and simply sautéed in a little olive oil. For a side dish, classic mashed potatoes or creamy white Cannellini beans work well. Since my marinade contains both soy and Worcestershire sauces, there’s no need to add additional salt. As a condiment, I’d recommend a dab of spicy Dijon mustard on the side.

Marinated Venison Steaks
For the marinade:
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Grated rind of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 bay leafs
3 juniper berries, crushed
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds venison loin or leg, cut into 4 steaks

Directions

1. Gently whisk together all marinade ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Submerge the venison steaks in the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours, turning the venison periodically. The venison steaks could also be marinated in a well-sealed Ziploc bag. Shake the bag periodically to make sure that the venison steaks are evenly coated.

3. When ready to serve, remove the venison from the marinade (discard the leftover marinade). Preheat a stove-top grill (coated with a little olive oil) on high heat. Sear the steaks for 4 minutes on each side for medium rare. Serve with sautéed mushrooms and creamy mashed potatoes.