Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [85]
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup Fresh Herb Rub
⅓ cup olive oil
4 beefalo rib-eye steaks, 1 to 1½ inches thick
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons minced shallots
2 ounces wild mushrooms, such as morels, porcini, cremini, and chanterelles, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dry white wine
½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the herb rub and oil. Pat the steaks dry and coat all over with the herb mixture. Let stand at room temperature for 1½ hours.
Light a grill for bilevel high/low heat, about 500+/275°F.
Melt 1 teaspoon of the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. When the butter foams, add the shallots and cook until soft, about 1 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until lightly browned and mostly dry, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the white wine and thyme and simmer until the mixture is dry, 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool almost to room temperature. When cool, stir in the remaining butter, and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Grill the steaks directly over high heat until nicely grill-marked, about 3 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to low on a gas grill or move the steaks to the low heat on a charcoal or wood grill. Cover and cook to an internal temperature of 125 to 135°F for rare to medium-rare, about 3 minutes more.
Transfer to plates and let rest 5 minutes. Top each steak with about a tablespoon of the mushroom butter.
ELK FILLET STEAK
Grilled Fillet Steak of Elk with Spicy Green Tea Pesto
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Roasted green tea (hojicha in Japanese) has deep umami and savory flavors that pair well with big game like elk. It’s also much lower in caffeine than raw green tea, so in Japan it’s preferred for consumption with evening meals. Look for roasted green tea in health food stores and well-stocked supermarkets. Here we use it to enhance the flavor of cilantro and basil pesto, which makes an unusually satisfying sauce for grilled elk steaks.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Green Tea Brine
8 elk or deer tenderloin steaks, about ½ to ¾ inch thick
Spicy Green Tea Pesto:
2 tablespoons roasted green tea (hojicha)
1 large garlic clove, coarsely chopped
3 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves and small stems
2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves and small stems, preferably cinnamon basil
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
⅓ cup pumpkin seeds or pine nuts
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1 to 2 teaspoons wasabi paste
1 to 2 teaspoons green hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco jalapeño
⅓ cup walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup toasted sesame oil
Oil for coating steaks
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the brine and elk in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Press out the air, seal, and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.
For the pesto: Grind the roasted green tea with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder until powdered. In a food processor or blender, combine the powdered roasted green tea, garlic, cilantro, basil, cheese, pine nuts, salt, wasabi paste, and hot sauce. Blend until finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides, add the oil, and blend until fairly smooth. If too thick, thin the pesto with a little more oil or added water.
Light a grill for direct medium-high heat, about 450°F. Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Remove the elk from the brine, and discard the brine. Pat the meat dry, and coat with oil. Grill directly over the heat for 2 to 4 minutes per side for rare to medium-rare (about 130 to 135°F on an instant-read thermometer). Remove from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with the pesto.
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KEEP IT SIMPLE:
Instead of grinding the tea leaves, use roasted-green-tea bags. Open the tea bags and measure out 1½ tablespoons.
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GROUND VENISON
Venison Burgers with Caramelized Onions and Bourbon BBQ Sauce
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
As with other