You have to try this venison rack recipe with risotto, it will absolutely amazing!
Venison rack with risotto is on the menu today and this recipe is definitely a special occasion, splurge, type recipe. It's not everyday you get to have a rack of venison for dinner, and when you do you want it to be absolutely perfect whether you killed the deer yourself or spent the money on the prized piece of meat.
The secret or key to making any rice taste good is by cooking the rice in a flavorful broth or stock. The better your stock the better the arborio rice. The rice grains will absorb the liquid as it cooks which I like to cook in a sauce pot , so if you have a well seasoned stock then each grain of rice will be infused with great flavor.
The less ingredients you want to make the risotto with the more you can concentrate on maximizing the ingredients potential in this case mushrooms. This will give you end product the richest and deepest flavor possible. Here is the venison rack recipe I hope you enjoy it!
Venison with mushroom Risotto
Mushroom Stock
- 3 oz dried mushrooms (porcini)
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic ((optional))
- 2 tops leeks ((optional))
- 6 cups water
- salt (to taste)
Risotto
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/4 cup onion (small diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 4-5 cups mushroom stock
- salt (and pepper)
- 1/4 cup cream
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 1/2 oz parmesan cheese (finely grated)
- 1 tbsp thyme (chopped)
Venison
- 1 rack venison
- 3 cups duck fat
- 1 salt (and pepper)
Venison Reductionn sauce
- 1 rack vension bones (cut into 3 pieces (cut in between the rack bones))
- 1 whole onion (medium diced)
- 2 whole carrots (medium chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (medium chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 cups red wine
- 6 cups water
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (mixed with 2 tbsp cold water)
- 1 salt (to taste)
Garnish
- 1 cup watercress
- 3 tbsp lingonberry (dehydrated powder)
Mushroom stock
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Place all the ingredients in to a pot and fill with water. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Cook for about an hour to an hour and half until the stock has reduced by half and the water taste like mushrooms. Strain out the mushrooms, season with salt and set aside and keep warm.
How to make risotto
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In a small sauce pot add olive oil, onion and garlic. Sauté for two minutes and then add your rice.
Toast your rice for 2 to 3 minutes and then deglaze your rice with white wine. Cook the wine until there is hardly any wine left at all. Then ladle 8 oz your mushroom stock over the rice just enough to cover it.
Stir occasionally so the rice doesn't stick to the pan. I am a believer in not having to stand and stir the rice every second because you have the tendency to break the rice grains by over stirring. You stir enough so that there is liquid and that the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
Once the first round of stock has cooked (only should take a few minutes) and evaporated then repeat the first step and add another ladle of stock. You will probably do this 4 more times until your risotto gets close to the point of finishing (tender rice grains with a bit of al-dente bite to it). You want to add salt into the liquid and rice so that it is seasoned and not bland. The rice should take on a brown color and flavor of mushrooms.
Once the rice starts turning an opaque color with a little white (raw rice) in the middle your getting really close to your rice being done. Risotto should be a little bit al dente, with a little bite to it. Otherwise you will have an overworked mushy rice, which no one wants to eat. If you want to cook ahead of time read below this as to why and how. If you have timed you venison to be done along with your risotto then you would finish the risotto with a little cream, butter, and parmesan cheese. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and fresh chopped thyme.
In the restaurant business right when the rice is getting al dente, this is where you would pour the risotto out on to a baking sheet and spread evenly and thinly so the rice can cool completely and quickly. Then when you get an order for risotto you would heat the rice back up with garnishes and finish with whatever else you want to add to it. I do this because one, you can make it ahead of time and two it makes it easy to finish with other ingredients. But you don't have to do it this way if you don't want.
Venison Reduction sauce
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In a large sauce pot add oil, venison bones, onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 20 minutes roughly until all the vegetables have gotten a deep brown caramelized color along with the bones (not black or burned). Add the garlic and thyme. Then add the red wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the wine by half and then add the water. Bring it to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.
You want to reduce this sauce by at least half if not a little more. When the sauce has reduce by half add some salt and the cornstarch slurry. Continue to cook the sauce another 10 minutes. At this point the sauce should have a light golden brown color with a rich flavor. It should coat your spoon when you try the sauce. Season with salt, set aside and keep warm.
For the Venison Rack (see video)
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Watch the video on how to tie a venison rack with butcher twine about every 1/2 inch, to have more of a cylinder shape. Season the venison with salt and pepper. Place the duck fat in a small pot. Because my pot wasn't wide enough I cut my rack in half so that both pieces could fit inside the pot comfortably. Then place the venison in a duck fat bath at 128 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Take out and rest.
To finish
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Add 2 tbsp of duck fat to a hot saute pan and place the two pieces of venison loin into the pan. Cook on all sides for 1-2 minutes to get a nice sear on the meat. Take the meat out and allow to rest 5-10 minutes. Cut off all the strings at this point. Then spoon the risotto onto a plate. Add the sauce around. Cut the venison loin and place on top of the risotto. Garnish with a little bit of watercress and lingonberry powder over the risotto. Serve and enjoy!
