Venison Denver Leg Steak w/ Prosciutto Vinaigrette & Sweet Potato Puree
Makes 2-4 Servings
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WINE PAIRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Rhone Syrah | ||
A venison Denver leg is the whole leg deboned and separated into its component muscles for easier cooking. You can use the muscles as small roasts or cut them into medallions. Despite being a leg cut, Denver legs are very tender.
Here we’ve seared and roasted a pound of Denver leg, then sliced it against the grain and served it with a tangy, rich prosciutto vinaigrette over a creamy sweet potato puree. Delicious!
INGREDIENTS
- Sweet Potato Puree
- 3 Large Sweet Potatoes, peeled & cubed
- 1 1/3 cups Chicken Stock
- ½ tsp Lemon Juice
- ¼ tsp Salt
- Prosciutto Vinaigrette
- 3oz Prosciutto, small diced
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Safflower Oil
- 1 tbsp Finely Diced (Brunoise) Shallot
- 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Honey Wine Vinegar
- 1/3 cup Low Sodium Chicken Stock
- 1oz Prosciutto, cut into strips
DIRECTIONS
1
Trim the silverskin from the leg muscle (how to remove silver skin) & cut/trim it into two pieces of similar size & relatively uniform shape.
- Make the Puree:
2
Put the sweet potato cubes in a large pot with salted water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook until knife tender (approx. 20 minutes), then drain off the water.
3
Put the sweet potato in a blender with the stock, salt and lemon juice, blending to a smooth puree.
- Make the Vinaigrette:
4
Put the safflower oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the diced prosciutto to the oil and slowly render out all the fat until it crisps up.
5
Remove the prosciutto from the pan to paper towels to drain. You should be left with about 1 tablespoon of fat left in the pan. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan along with the shallot.
6
Once the shallot has cooked a bit, add the brown sugar, stock and honey wine vinegar. Simmer until the liquid has reduced in volume by 1/3rd.
7
Remove the pan from the heat and add the prosciutto strips.
- Cook the Venison:
8
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
9
Season the venison with salt & pepper, then sear it on all sides in an oiled, oven-safe frying pan.
10
Move the pan to the oven and roast until the venison reaches an internal temp of 125-130°F (rare-medium rare).
11
Remove the venison from the pan to a clean plate to rest, loosely covered, for 10-15 minutes.
12
Add any accumulated juices from the venison resting plate to the vinaigrette. Slice the venison against the grain.
- Plate:
13
Put some of the sweet potato puree on each plate, then top it with the sliced venison.
14
Spoon the vinaigrette over the venison pieces, then top each piece with some of the crisped diced prosciutto.