Venison With Rosemary Sauce Food

BRAISED VENISON WITH ROSEMARY AND SHIITAKE

Steps:

• Melt the bacon drippings in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the venison in two batches until nicely browned and remove. Stir in the shiitake, onions, and garlic; cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the cognac, wine, and bouillon cube, simmer for 30 seconds to remove the alcohol flavor and dissolve the bouillon.
• Stir in the venison, pepper, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently until the venison is tender, about two hours or more; adding water as needed.
• If using baby carrots, add them during the last half hour of cooking. When the venison is tender, you may wish to thicken the sauce by dissolving the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water and stirring it into the sauce.

PAN-SEARED VENISON WITH ROSEMARY AND DRIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Grind 1 teaspoon rosemary with coriander seeds and garlic with a mortar and pestle to make a paste, then stir in 1/2 teaspoon oil.
• Pat venison dry and put in a bowl, then rub with paste. Season well with pepper, then cover and chill 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over high heat until hot, then add remaining teaspoon oil, tilting skillet to coat evenly. Season venison well with salt, then brown, turning once, about 6 minutes total.
• Transfer skillet to middle of oven and roast venison until an instant-read thermometer inserted diagonally into center registers 125°F, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate and cover tightly with foil.
• Add wine and cherries to skillet and deglaze by boiling over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Stir together broth, water, cornstarch, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon rosemary in a bowl and add to skillet. Simmer, stirring, until mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in jelly and salt and pepper to taste.
• Cut venison into 1/4-inch-thick slices and serve with sauce.