Friday Night In!: When in Pennsylvania, cook venison!

Host Chad Carns, The Gourmet Bachelor Cookbook

I'll admit it...venison is one of those ingredients that always freaked me out. During the holidays in Pennsylvania, you will hear a lot of talk about venison stew, burgers and steak. But the home-cooked version of this lean meat always left me wishing for steak (from a cow).

It wasn't until I tried a gourmet version at Aureole NYC that I realized how delicious and flavorful venison can really taste. I'm a big fan of fresh, organic ingredients and let's face it, venison is about as fresh and organic as it gets.

The trick is to sear the venison tenderloin on one side, flip it over, add butter and fresh herbs and then baste it for 3-5 minutes until medium rare. You really taste that gamey flavor when it's overcooked. So keep it dark pink on the inside.

Venison is a little more delicate than beef and has a slightly exotic flavor. So this is our chance to be creative. I included a version with thyme, shiitake mushrooms in a plumb, cherry merlot reduction in The Gourmet Bachelor cookbook.

Today, I'm going to add flavors like butternut squash with vanilla, red cabbage and baked raisins dusted with cayenne pepper.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• gourmet
• venison
• recipe
• chad carns
• pennsylvania
• organic
• easy