A gentle seasoning and overnight marination lets venison's lean, clean mouth-filling meatiness shine.
Ingredients
- 3 pound Denver roast of venison, cut into 6- by 3-inch pieces
- 2 heads garlic, cloves separated and smashed
- 1/2 cup savory or thyme leaves, lightly crushed
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, slightly cracked
- 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Preparation
Toss venison with garlic, savory, wine, allspice, peppercorns, and 1/4 cup oil in a sealable bag. Marinate, chilled, turning bag occasionally, at least 8 hours.
Bring venison to room temperature, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.
Discard marinade and pat meat dry. Sprinkle on all sides with 1 tablespoon kosher salt, then 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper. Heat remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then brown meat on all sides in 2 or 3 batches, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a shallow baking pan.
Roast until venison registers 125°F on an instant-read thermometer (inserted 2 inches horizontally into meat) for rare, 5 to 8 minutes (depending on thickness of meat). Let stand on a cutting board 10 minutes before slicing across the grain.
Cook's Note:
- Venison can be marinated up to 24 hours.
- You can substitute a 3-pound trimmed and tied center-cut beef tenderloin roast for the venison (do not cut into pieces). Follow recipe above, roasting until beef registers 120°F, 25 to 30 minutes for medium-rare.
Makes 6 servings.
