Herb-Marinated Venison Steak with Mushroom Lasanga & Charred Onions
MAKES 4-6 SERVINGS
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WINE PAIRING | |
|---|---|---|
| An Italian Barbera or Oregon Pinot Noir | ||
This is a wonderful meal to make in the fall when wild mushrooms are plentiful. The lasagna takes some time to assemble but the venison steaks cook quickly. They make delightful dinner companions.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 lb piece of Venison Denver Leg, cut into 6 steaks, about 5oz. each
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
- ¼ tsp chopped fresh rosemary
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ cup pomace oil (or other neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed)
- Kosher salt
- 2-4 tbsp butter
- 2 small to medium sweet yellow onions
- 4-6 tbsp Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
- Cherry tomatoes, for garnish
- Fresh basil sprigs, for garnish
- For the mushroom lasagna:
- 2 cups ricotta
- ½ cup chevre
- 2 eggs
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 2 cup sliced mushrooms (preferably seasonal wild mushrooms)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp diced shallots
- 1 tsp chopped garlic
- ½ cup tomato vodka sauce (store bought or see recipe below)
- 12 cooked lasagna noodles
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- For the tomato vodka sauce:
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- ¼ tsp chili flake
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 28 oz can of peeled whole tomatoes, crushed
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¾ cup vodka
- 2 tbsp good extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
- If making the tomato vodka sauce from scratch:
1
Sweat onion and garlic in canola oil over medium heat for 5 minutes till translucent, stirring often. Add chile flake and toast for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste. Continue to stir tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the vodka and cook until reduced by half. Add crushed tomatoes and remaining ingredients and cook for 30 minutes. Blend sauce with a hand immersion blender and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Marinate the meat:
2
Combine the oregano, rosemary, pepper and pomace oil in a bowl and add the steaks. Allow to marinate steak for 2 hours.
- Assemble & bake the lasagna:
3
Combine ricotta, chevre, eggs, salt, black pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, and thyme in a mixing bowl. Let the mixture chill for 1 hour.
4
Sauté mushrooms in a pan with butter over medium high heat. Once mushrooms are tender add chopped garlic and shallots, turn heat to low and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Remove mushrooms from pan and let cool.
5
In a small loaf pan (8.5” by 4.5”), spoon a little vodka sauce on the bottom of the pan. Cover the sauce with two noodles side by side. Begin making layers with the mushrooms, ricotta mixture and noodles. Repeat until you place the last layer of noodles. Cover the top layer of noodles with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. Cover loaf pan with foil and place in a 375°F oven for 45 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. Remove foil and let brown for 15 more minutes.
- Char the onions:
6
Cut the sweet yellow onions in half and sear in a dry hot sauté pan. Weight them down with another pan on top to ensure consistent contact. Place both pans and onions in a 400° oven for 15 minutes. Onions should be tender but still have a bite. Season with salt and pepper. (Onions can be made ahead and held at room temp. Warm before serving, if desired.)
- When ready to serve:
7
Remove the steaks from the marinade. Season with salt and sear on both sides in a large pan over medium high heat. Work in two batches, if necessary, so as not to crowd the pan. Add butter and baste while continuing to cook until the steaks reach an internal temperature of 125°F. Remove the steaks to clean plate, cover and allow to rest and carry to medium rare.
8
Cut the lasagna into the number of portions needed. Separate the onions into rings. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Cut each steak into thick slices and arrange on individual serving plates with a slice of lasagna, some onions rings, cherry tomatoes, and basil sprigs. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve.