From Fall Harvest to Winter Feast

Like many of my fellow Wisconsinites, I am a deer hunter. To be perfectly honest, I’m not really into killing animals; it’s about other things. It’s the camaraderie of deer camp, surrounded by family I see far too seldom. It’s the beauty and fresh air of the woods. And last, but certainly not least, it’s the meat. 

You can’t buy venison at the store since it’s illegal to sell wild game. On the rare occasion you find it in a specialty market or on a restaurant menu, it was raised on a farm and is very expensive. For most of us, you either have to harvest it yourself or know someone who does…but for the carnivore, there is nothing quite like venison. The very definition of lean, it is pure protein, with not a trace of the intramuscular fat (“marbling”) that gives beef its juicy tenderness. 

Choice cuts (loin, tenderloin) can be grilled or cut into medallions and pan-fried, but not past medium or they’ll be dry and chewy. Tougher cuts from the legs either need to be ground (which makes the best chili on the planet) or slowly braised until tender, as in a stew. If I’m lucky enough to have a very young deer whose hind legs have not been toughened by a hard life in the woods, I like to bone out an entire haunch and treat it as I would a leg of lamb. 

Roast Haunch of Venison with Hunter’s Sauce

Jeff Severson

This recipe blends the flavors of Scandinavia with those of the Mediterranean. Juniper berries are used with game in both regions, as is goat cheese. A classic sauce chasseur (“hunter’s sauce”) is made with mushrooms, demiglace and brandy. I have neither the time nor the patience to make my own demiglace, so I buy packets of it in the supermarket. In place of the brandy I’ve substituted Norwegian aquavit, which plays really well with the juniper berries. While this recipe is admittedly complicated, it is the perfect Solstice feast served with garlic mashed root vegetables and a Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

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Ingredients

  

• 1 4-lb. boned-out haunch from a young deer, well trimmed
• 2 juniper berries
• 1 tsp. black peppercorns
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
• Olive tapenade (Trader Joe’s sells a good one, or you can make your own)
• Fresh mint and parsley, chopped
• Applewood-smoked bacon strips (enough to cover roast)

Instructions

 

• Prepare grill for indirect heat. I use a gas grill with a cast-iron box full of woodchips over the hot zone.
• When the grill is blazing hot I turn off one of the burners and place my roast on the “cool zone”. (If using an oven, preheat to 450 degrees; reduce to 350 degrees after the initial 20 minutes of roasting time.)
• After the initial sear, lay bacon strips over the haunch to baste as it roasts. Roast until you achieve an internal temperature of 110 degrees (for rare); 130 degrees for medium.
• While venison is roasting, prepare the sauce.