Venison with Blueberry-Porcini Compote

This recipe was instigated by a friend who went deer hunting and asked me to prepare it for dinner.  Inspired by some recent reindeer I had eaten in Finland, I decided to serve it with a blackberry-porcini compote.  Because venison is incredibly lean and therefore cooks pretty quickly, I highly recommend that you use a meat thermometer to control the cooking. The compote can be made while the venison is roasting or if you prefer you can prepare it ahead of time but hold off adding the blueberries until you are about to serve the venison in order to keep the compote a vibrant color. If you are not as blessed with a deer-hunting friend like I am, there are quite a bit of online purveyors selling venison.

Serves four 

Marinade

1 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil

¾ cup soy sauce

½ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 tablespoons mustard

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 ¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 venison tenderloins, about ½ lb. each

Compote

1 small onion, peeled and sliced

¾ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, reconstituted in 1 cup hot water

1 garlic clove, minced

½ cup red wine

½ cup beef stock

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

½ cup blueberries or huckleberries, fresh or thawed

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary minced

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons clarified butter

In a large bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Then submerge the venison tenderloins in the bowl and refrigerate 8-10 hours.

When ready to roast, pre-heat oven to 300°F.  Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and place them on a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast the tenderloins until the internal temperature registers 120°F on a meat thermometer, about 10-12 minutes.

While the venison is in the oven prepare the compote. Sauté the onions in olive oil until soft, about four minutes. While the onions are sautéing, drain the mushrooms, straining and reserving the soaking liquid. Slice the mushrooms into thin strips and add them along with the garlic to the onions. Cook for about two minutes. Add the wine scraping the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine has almost totally evaporated. Then add the stock and the reserved mushroom liquid. Bring to a boil and reduce liquid by half. Add the blueberries, honey and red wine vinegar and cook for another minute. Add the chopped rosemary and season with salt and pepper to taste.

When the venison is done roasting, remove from oven. Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the venison, searing each side until brown, about 1 minute each. Remove the venison from the skillet and tent with foil allowing to rest for about 10-15 minutes. Slice and serve with the compote.