Elk Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce
Pairs Well With
Ingredients
- 2 pounds elk tenderloin, cut into 1-inch-thick medallions
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- Mushroom Sauce (recipe follows)
Preparation
Remove venison from fridge and salt it liberally. Let it rest at room temperature while you make the sauce.
Once you have made the sauce, heat grapeseed oil over high heat in another pan. Pat the venison dry with a paper towel and place it in the pan. Sear it for 3-4 minutes on one side, then flip. Let it cook through to your taste on the other side without flipping again.
Lay down a pool of the sauce on the plates, then top with venison and top each steak with a half of a fresh morel. Grind some black pepper over the top and serve at once.
Mushroom Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 1 cup dried morels, soaked in water for several hours, or about 2 cups chopped fresh morels or other wild mushrooms
- 1 cup beef/veal stock
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or to taste (optional)
- Kosher salt to taste
Preparation
If using dried morels: In a small sauce pan, reduce the stock and the water you soaked the morels in over high heat until you are left with about ½ cup of liquid. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Heat butter and shallots in a pan over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Add morels and a pinch of salt and cook for about 3 minutes. Add white wine and reduce by two-thirds. Add stock (or mushroom water from previous step) and reduce on high heat for another 5 minutes. Add cream and reduce by one-third, about another 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, tarragon and salt to taste. Cover and keep warm.
