Pan-Seared Venison with Juniper and Red Wine
A hard sear, a short rest, and a juniper-spiked wine reduction — the fastest way to make game taste like a special occasion instead of a mistake.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Written
Method
-
Pat the venison dry, season it heavily with salt and pepper, and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
-
Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over high heat until it just starts to shimmer.
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Sear the venison on all sides until a deep brown crust forms, about 2 minutes per side.
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Add 1 tbsp butter, the garlic, thyme, and juniper berries, and spoon the foaming butter over the meat for a minute, then move it to a plate to rest.
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Lower the heat to medium, add the shallot to the same pan, and cook until softened and translucent.
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Pour in the red wine, scraping up the browned bits, and simmer until reduced by half.
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Add the stock and currant jelly and simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
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Off the heat, swirl in the remaining butter until glossy, then slice the venison against the grain and spoon the sauce over the top.
Notes
Venison loin has almost no fat to protect it, so the sear is the whole recipe — get the pan properly hot, don’t crowd it, and pull the meat at 125°F for a rosy medium-rare. Anything past medium turns it into shoe leather with a grudge.
No juniper berries on hand, crush a couple of gin-soaked ice cubes’ worth of gin instead, or leave them out entirely — the wine and currant jelly still get you most of the way there. This is good with the potato gratin or a pile of buttered egg noodles to catch the sauce.