Farmed venison is lean, clean and unforgiving. Take it past medium-rare and you have wasted your money. Coffee and cocoa suit it the way they suit no other meat, dark and slightly bitter against something that already tastes of the bush. Sear hard, rest longer than feels sensible, slice thin.
30 mins. Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 600g Venison backstrap, trimmed
- 2 dessertspoons Plateit Café Mocha Rub
- 1 tbsp Neutral oil
- 30g Butter
- 4 sprigs Thyme
- 400g Beetroot, roasted, to serve
- Flaky salt, a pinch
Method
- Take the venison out of the fridge 30 mins ahead. Pat dry, then rub 2 dessertspoons of Plateit Café Mocha Rub over the whole piece.
- Heavy pan, oil, high heat until it just smokes. Backstrap in.
- Two mins a side, four sides. The sugar in the rub will darken fast, so keep it moving.
- Butter and thyme in for the last minute. Baste, then out at 52C internal.
- Rest 10 mins under foil. Slice against the grain, salt the cut faces, beetroot alongside.
Swap it: Same rub, same timing on venison medallions. Cut the sear to 90 seconds a side.
