Venison Rib Chops with Grilled Polenta & Pickled Apricots
Makes 4 Servings
 |
WINE PAIRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Syrah | ||
Venison racks are great on the grill. Just grill them whole, then easily slice into single or double-bone chops before serving. They cook quickly because they’re so lean, and are lighter on the palate than beef or pork. Here they’re served with baked, then grilled polenta rounds and some pickled apricots for brightness.
Of course, if it’s too cold out to grill, you can also cook the venison rack & polenta rounds on the stove in a well-oiled pan over high heat.
INGREDIENTS
- Polenta:
- 1 cup Polenta
- 1 quart Water
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 Venison Rack
- ¼ cup Boat Street Pickled Apricots
DIRECTIONS
- Bake the polenta:
(this can be done a day or two ahead of time if desired)
1a
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
1b
Combine the polenta, water and salt in a baking dish, and stir.
1c
Place the baking dish on top of a sheet pan, and put both into the oven for 20 minutes.
1d
Remove the polenta from the oven, stir in the butter and it return to the oven for 20 more minutes.
1e
Remove from the oven, and stir again. Return to the oven for 20 minutes, until stiff.
1f
Remove the polenta pan from the oven and let it cool completely, then move it to the fridge to chill.
2
Cut the polenta into thick rounds. Very thoroughly clean & oil your grill, then oil & salt the polenta.
3
Pat the venison rack dry & season it liberally with salt. Put the rack on the hot grill, and sear it to your desired doneness (we like ours cooked to 125-130°F, Medium Rare. The USDA recommends cooking all farmed game meats to an internal temperature of 160°F for safety).
4
While you’re grilling the rack, also grill the polenta rounds, using an offset grill spatula, turned upside down, to scrape them off of the grill for flipping. Grill them until they develop grill marks & are heated through.
5
When the venison is cooked to your liking, remove it from the grill and let it rest, loosely covered, for 15 minutes before slicing.
6
Slice the rack into chops & collect the juices that run out. In a small pan, stir together the pickled apricot with the venison juice. Gently heat this sauce just until warmed through.
7
Serve the venison chops with the grilled polenta and pickled apricot mixture.