Venison in Wine Sauce

 Ingredients: 1 kg game meat Marinade for aging (vinegar + water + salt + spices) 1 onion 2-4 cloves of garlic 1-2 peppers Carrot Zucchini Potatoes Oil Salt, pepper Cornmeal, butter Carrot salad (with orange juice and honey)

It would have sounded better if instead of deer I had had bear or, as I often do in the cauldron, old beef. Therefore, when we have game or beef past its prime, the first thing we need to do is to marinate the meat for at least 24 hours in a brine. This can be of various types, but we definitely start with a combination of vinegar and water in equal parts, salt, and various spices. I choose to add pepper, bay leaves, and garlic for a deeper flavor. In the case of rabbit, I prefer to add slices of onion and carrot, but a wide variety of combinations can be made, the essential thing being to use vinegar.

When dealing with old beef, I choose to place slices of kiwi directly on the piece of meat for a minimum of 12 hours, after which I immerse it in the corresponding brine. This way of marinating game is not the only one, but I use it more often than the method with just salt and slices of apple. The advantage of this brine is that I no longer have to soak the meat for a few more hours, and the result is an incredible tenderness of the most stubborn meat. After the mandatory 24 hours (it can be kept longer for tenderness), we take the meat out and can prepare it in any way we want, as it becomes soft and docile.

Personally, I was tempted to cook something in the cauldron, so I prepared the meat in it, but it can be cooked in any thick-bottomed pot. The essential condition is that the food should be cooked over low heat for about 2 hours. The oven is also an option if it’s more convenient for us. We portion the meat, clean and chop all the vegetables we want alongside it, generously grease the pot with oil, and either sauté the meat and vegetables (I did not sauté them). Then, we pour in red wine until the ingredients are covered and simmer over low heat for about 2 hours. If you add potatoes, as I did, or zucchini, add the potatoes after an hour and a half of cooking, and the zucchini (which sweetens the dish) near the end, and the marinated eggs at the very end.

Regarding the eggs, I chose to marinate them in a mixture of brine, pepper, hot pepper, a sprig of thyme, one of celery, and one of tarragon. I can proudly say that the eggs lasted two weeks, being the first time I preserved eggs. After two hours of cooking, the meat becomes simply buttery. If you decide to make polenta, it must be boiled in water with butter, as the meat of ruminants demands a touch of butter. If I hadn't cooked it in wine, I would have definitely fried it in butter first.

As for the salad, it should be sweet, contrasting with the wild food. I prepared a carrot salad, using a grated carrot, the juice of an orange, a teaspoon of honey, and a pinch of salt, this being the ideal proportion. Now that I've made myself hungry, I wish you all a good appetite!

 Tags:  garlic pepper zucchini cream honey oranges christmas and new year's recipes pasta recipes