Venison Rarebit
Venison Rarebit
I first had the non-meat, traditional version of this recipe when I was about 6 years old, while dining with my family at Chowning’s Tavern in Williamsburg, Virginia. There’s some history behind it that dates back to 18th century Great Britain. The classic dish, Welsh rarebit, is basically a hot, cheesy sauce spooned over cheesy bread. For years, I thought it was called Welsh rabbit, not rarebit, made with real rabbit. The word “rarebit” supposedly is a corruption of an original dish that might have included rabbit. I’m not too concerned where the word originated, just how the dish tastes. This dish can also be made with slow-cooked pulled venison from the shoulder, neck or hindquarter. You will need 4 smallish baking dishes, or “boats,” or prepare all four servings together in one large baking dish.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
The Rarebit
- 1 pound cheddar cheese
- 6 ounces whole milk
- 3 ounces flat ale
- salt, pepper and cayenne to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse-grained mustard
- 4 thick slices of French or sourdough bread, toasted
- 4 lightly buttered small baking dishes
The Venison
- 1 pound venison steak, trimmed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub venison liberally with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill or pan sear over medium-high heat until just cooked. Let cool before slicing into small cubes.
- Melt cheese in the top of a double boiler. Add milk and beer a little at a time while stirring, until sauce is smooth. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir in mustard. To serve, place toast in buttered baking dishes. Top with cooked venison, and top with cheese sauce.
- Place baking dishes on a baking pan, and place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes and serve.