Herb, Wine and Peppercorn Marinated Venison Appetizer with Sweet Mustard Sauce
The marinade will add flavor to well-trimmed venison. For tougher cuts, lightly pound chunks of meat with a mallet to make them more tender before cooking. As with any venison, the longer you cook it past medium-rare, the tougher it will be. The sweet mustard sauce is quick and delicious.
Herb, Wine and Peppercorn Marinated Venison Medallions with Sweet Mustard Sauce
Servings: 4 to 6 appetizer servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound venison trimmed of all silver skin and gristle
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh herbs - rosemary oregano, basil, sage or whatever looks good
- 2 tablespoons peppercorns crushed
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
Sweet Mustard Sauce
- 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup red currant jelly
- 1 lemon juice only
- 1 tablespoon chopped sage
Instructions
- Combine sweet mustard sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- Season meat liberally with salt and pepper. In a bowl, whisk together red wine, lemon juice, garlic, herbs and peppercorns. While whisking, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a thin stream to emulsify marinade. Marinate for at least 2 hours, up to 12 hours. Longer time in the marinade will enhance the flavor.
- Remove meat from marinade, pat dry and re-season with additional salt and pepper. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet, or cook on a well-oiled grill over medium-high heat, and brown meat evenly on all sides to desired doneness, which, for me, is medium-rare, or about 130 degrees in the center of the meat. Remove meat from heat, and let it rest a few minutes before slicing into medallions across the grain. Arrange on a plate, and serve with sauce on the side for dipping.