Dear Me, Deer Meat...the other, other, non-white meat!

Dear Me, Deer Meat!

Deer meat, the other, other non-white meat... 

by True Foodie Sound Bites

Seriously good eats. Deer meat is by far one of the most healthy meats available today. Low in fat, calories, cholesterol, high in protein. The way the meat will taste depends on the preparation you put into it prior to cooking.




INGREDIENTS

Deer Meat
Sugar
Water
Sriracha (Asian chili paste)

Flour (enough to coat all pieces of deer meat)
Salt
Garlic Salt
Paprika
Red Pepper Flakes
Onion Powder
Fresh ground Pepper
Rosemary

Bacon Fat- 1 1/2 Tablespoons
Olive Oil-    2 Tablespoons
Chicken or Beef Broth 1/2 Cup
Red Wine 1/2 Cup (use a good one such as cabernet or malbec, not grocery store wine vinegar)

DIRECTIONS

First, place rinsed deer meat in gallon sized plastic bag with equal parts sugar & water and one part Sriracha. Slowly push as much of the air out of the bag as the bag is being sealed (this helps the marinade to fully cover the meat). Marinate 24 hours to at least eight hours or overnight.    
Now, you're ready to cook, so remove the deer meat from the plastic bag marinade, rinse well, and pat dry. Mix the flour and all the dry ingredients together, add the deer meat and toss till fully coated. 
Heat a fry pan on high, melt the bacon fat and olive oil together. As soon as the oil is hot, slowly lay all the pieces of deer meat into the pan and brown (about 3 minutes), then turn once and brown on the other side (about 2 minutes). Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth and 1/4 cup of wine, making sure the deer meat is NOT completely immersed. It should only cover the meat a quarter to almost half way from the bottom, this is called braising. Bring the liquid to boil then VERY quickly, turn down heat to low. 
When the sauce reduces significantly, add the remainder 1/4 cup of chicken broth and let the liquid reduce and thicken a bit, then add the remainder of the 1/4 cup of wine. 
The meat should not braise in the sauce more than 10 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan and let the sauce thicken and reduce to your liking (add more red wine if needed or to your liking as sauce thickens). 
Let the deer meat rest at least 5 to 7 minutes before slicing...trust me, that makes all the difference on how juicy it remains.  Once the meat has rested and the sauce has thickened, you're ready to plate. Slice meat over risotto, fried or mashed potatoes or pureed cauliflower, whatever you like then drizzle sauce over it. Some roasted brussel sprouts with a starch of your choice would do this deer meat recipe justice. A nice pinot noir, cabernet or malbec would pair nicely.
Enoy! Bon Appetit! Buon Appetito! Buen provecho!