VENISON CHEESESTEAK WITH CHEDDAR AIOLI
Makes 4-6 Servings
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WINE PAIRING | |
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A crisp lager, fruity cider, or lively zinfandel. |
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Our rendition of Philly’s classic sandwich uses lean, flavorful venison flank steak in place of beef. This recipe has several parts, but we promise they add up to a whole lot of deliciousness. The cheddar aioli alone is so amazing you’ll want to put it on everything. We suggest making extra and storing it in a squeeze bottle in the fridge to keep it handy.
INGREDIENTS
- 2lbs Venison flank steak
- unsalted butter
- loaf of rustic bread
- 1 cup red-wine demi-glace
- heirloom tomatoes, to garnish
- Sweety Drop peppers, to garnish
- For the marinade:
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp chopped oregano
- ¼ tsp Aleppo chili flake
- 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup pomace or olive oil
- For the aioli:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane
- 2 tbsp cheddar cheese powder
- 1 tsp lemon juice
DIRECTIONS
1
Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl or zipper-sealed plastic bag. Add the meat. Marinate for 2 hours.
2
Mix all the aioli ingredients in a blender and set aside.
3
4
Remove the meat from the marinade and season with salt. Heat a cast iron or heavy non-stick pan until smoking hot. Sear the meat with silver skin side facing up for 2 minutes. Flip and continue cooking. Add a tablespoon or two of butter to the pan and baste until the meat’s internal temperature reaches 125° F. Allow the meat to rest covered on a clean plate. Carryover cooking will raise the temperature further. Venison is best served at an internal temperature of 135°-145°F.
5
Cut bread into thick slices and remove crust. Cut the slices into rectangles. Toast and butter the bread. (You can toast the bread in the same pan you cooked the meat in, letting the pieces soak up the remains of the buttery pan juices.)
6
To assemble and serve: Cut thin slices of venison and arrange them atop the toasted bread. Drizzle with aioli and red wine demi-glace. Garnish with heirloom tomatoes and Sweety Drop peppers.