It’s not every day you have a rack of venison, so when the opportunity presents itself: do it properly. For this recipe, we leverage the tech of sous vide to ensure perfect, juicy done-ness, searing off in a ripping hot cast iron pan for a crispy blackened crust that leads into the tender, buttery venison. Served up with crispy smashed potatoes and tempered with just-wilted garlicky spinach. This is a meal for the books!
Rack of Venison with Smashed Potatoes & Garlic Spinach
Equipment
- Cast iron pan
- Wok
- Food vacuum sealer
Ingredients
- 1 Rack of venison Frenched
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp Gustus California Sea Salt
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 2 ½ tbsp Gustus Green Goddess Seasoning
- 4 tbsp Gustus French Onion Seasoning
- 6 tbsp Gustus New Zealand Lamb & Game BBQ Rub & Seasoning
- 6 cloves garlic
- 4 tbsp duck fat
- 4 tbsp pork fat
- 2 lbs baby potatoes
- 2 ½ tbsp Ultra Tex 3, or Wondra
- 1 ½ tbsp crème fraiche
- 20 cherry tomatoes
- 1-1/3 stick unsalted butter
- basil oil for finishing
Instructions
- Preheat a sous vide bath to 130F degrees, and bring a pot of water to a roiling boil.
- Trim venison rack of any silver skin, and French ribs, if not done already.
- Rub generously all over with New Zealand Lamb & Game Rub.
- Vacuum seal the rack with a stick of unsalted butter, and drop in the bath for 2 hours.
- Boil baby potatoes for about 40 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork, then strain and reserve.
- Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
- In a small foil lined baking tray, toss together the cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and California Sea Salt, then roast for 20minutes, until tomatoes are well browned but not burned. Reserve.
- In a large bowl, add baby potatoes (with skin on), pork fat, and French Onion Seasoning. Roughly smash together with a potato masher, incorporating the French Onion Seasoning but leaving large chunks of potato unbroken.
- Using a ring mold, form 4 compact cylinders of potatoes, and pop in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Rinse and pat dry spinach, and finely minced garlic.
- Remove rack from bath, pouring liquid into a small sauce-pot on low heat.
- Whisk in crème fraiche and Ultra Tex, and bring to boil, before reducing to the lowest heat setting. The sauce should be fairly thick and coat the back of a spoon – adjust with more California Sea Salt as desired.
- Bring a large cast iron pan and a wok up to high heat.
- Pat dry venison, and add duck fat to each pan.
- Begin browning garlic in the wok with Green Goddess Seasoning, and sear one side of the venison for about 2 minutes.
- Add spinach to wok, tossing to incorporate fat and garlic, and cover with a large plate to steam.
- Flip rack, and add remaining 1/3 stick of butter, basting and cooking for another 2-3 minutes, and tossing spinach until just wilted but not a mush.
- Remove rack, tent with foil, and rest for 5 minutes.
- While the rack is resting, plate potatoes and spinach, topping with roasted cherry tomatoes.
- Give the sauce a final whisk, then spoon onto your plate.
- Slice venison and plate, drizzling with basil oil if you have some on hand.
- Admire your handiwork, serve, and devour.
Notes
Best if enjoyed immediately, can be kept covered & refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Difficulty: Easy.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
CREDIT: Gustas Vitae
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