Bones_ Recipes, History, and Lore - Jennifer McLagan [107]
If you can’t find Cape gooseberries, cook the venison as directed and serve with Poivrade Sauce (page 211). Both these sauces are excellent with the roast rack or leg, or with a simple grilled venison chop. The number of chops in your rack will depend on the type of venison you have; those from smaller deer will probably have about 8, while one from elk might have only 4 chops. And although the elk and venison racks might be the same weight, elk is thicker and can take longer to cook.
1 rack of venison, frenched (see page 108), about 3 pounds (1.35 kg)
Olive Oil Marinade (page 212)
One 3½-ounce (100-g) basket Cape gooseberries (about 20)
1 cup (250 ml) Game Stock (page 204)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons port or sweet sherry
2 teaspoons arrowroot
1. The day before you roast the venison, pat it dry and place it bone side down in a shallow dish. Pour over the marinade and turn over the meat to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
2. One hour before cooking, remove the venison rack from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
3. Set 4 gooseberries with the husks aside for garnish, if you like. Discard the husks from the remaining Cape gooseberries, rinse the berries, and cut them in half. Bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan and add the halved gooseberries, then remove from the heat, cover, and let stand until cool.
4. Strain the Cape gooseberries from the stock, and set both berries and stock aside.
5. Place the venison rack in a roasting pan, bone side down, and pour over any remaining marinade. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and roast for another 30 to 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers 130°F (54°C) for rare, or 135°F (57°C) for medium-rare, on an instant-read thermometer. (Estimate 12 to 13 minutes per pound [450 g].) Transfer the rack on a warmed serving platter and let it rest, loosely covered with aluminum foil, for 15 minutes. The internal temperature of the roast will rise 5°F (2°C) as it rests.
6. Discard the fat from the roasting pan, add the strained game stock, and bring to a boil, deglazing the pan by scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Strain the stock into a small saucepan and add the cooked Cape gooseberries. Mix the port and arrowroot together, add the sauce, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
7. Serve the venison with the sauce, and the gooseberries for garnish, if you reserved them.
ANTLERS
Antlers are unique bones designed to take plenty of abuse. Although they are no stronger than other bones, they are more flexible because of a lower proportion of calcium phosphate. This makes them ideal as digging tools and spear throwers. A spear thrower is a piece of wood or bone that in effect lengthens the hunter’s arm, enabling him to throw his spear faster and farther; made from antlers, these tools were far more durable than when made from wood. Antlers, like other bones, were crafted into needles, awls, fish hooks, and arrow and harpoon heads.
The supple quality of antlers also made them a popular material for combs. The Vikings, skillful craftsmen, are known for their particularly beautiful antler combs, and many examples have been excavated from sites near the city of York in the England.
Coriander-and-Orange-Braised Elk Ribs
Venison ribs are excellent for braising, but they can be difficult to find because of the lack of demand, so order them ahead. Big, meaty elk ribs are perfect for this dish. My ribs were cut into strips 2 inches (5 cm) wide. If your ribs are smaller, adjust the cooking time as necessary,