This recipe isn't for everyone. Not because of culinary skill but because this recipe is meant for someone who spends a lot of time in the woods and works diligently to preserve their harvest. This recipe is for someone who spends their spring picking (or cutting) morels, summer picking huckleberries and fall hunting deer. More specifically this recipe is for a hunter who lives in the West.
Ingredients:
Beef knuckle bones
Huckleberries
Dried Morels
Venison Tenderloin
Sea salt
White Vinegar
Sugar
Shallot
Bay Leaf
Whole Cloves
Whole Allspice
Juniper Berries
Dried Rosemary
Smoked Sea Salt
Ground Coriander
Black Pepper
Onion Powder
Parsnips
Milk
Micro Greens or Baby Arugula
The day before:
First step is to dissolve 1 tsp salt in a cup of water and soak the knuckle bones for 12 hours (at least one bone per person).
Next in a mason jar (or another sealable container) add 1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup water, 2 tbs sugar and 1 tbs salt. Seal and shake until dissolved. Then add 1 diced shallot, 1 dried bay leaf, 2 whole cloves, 1 whole allspice berry. Add 1/2 cup frozen huckleberries and set in the refrigerator overnight.
Next create the dry rub. Take 8-9 juniper berries, 1/4 tsp dried rosemary and grind finely with a pestal and mortar or a spice grinder. Then add 1 tsp smoked salt, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp onion powder.
Day of:
Dice 1 lb of parnsips and place in sauce pan, cover with enough milk to cover, about a cup. Bring to a simmer and cover. Cook for 15 min or until the parnsips are soft. Mix with a blender, food processor or hand mixer until smooth. If you want a smoother puree feel free to pass the mix through a sieve. Add a pinch of salt. When ready to eat just reheat over low heat.
Rehydrate morels (3-4 per person) with enough water to cover and add 1/2 tsp salt. Warm over low heat.
Set oven to 450 and roast marrow for 20 min in a 12 inch cast iron skillet. When finished remove skillet from oven (leave oven on) and set marrow bones aside. (Some of the marrow fat will have rendered out into the skillet which is what the venison will be cooked in) Place the skillet on a large burner on med high heat. Rub the venison tenderloin with the spice blend and place in skillet. Sear one minute per side turning 4 times. Then place skillet back into oven and cook until you reach desired doneness. Check internal temperature with a meat probe (remember there will be a bit of carry over). Let meat rest for 5 min.
Serve bone marrow as an appetizer with some bread or plate as a side dish. Cut tenderloin into 1/4-1/2 inch rounds and place venison, morels and pickled huckleberries over the parsnip puree. Finish with a side salad with some more pickled huckleberries and a pinch of sea salt for the venison.
Pairings for Music and Wine
Dark and Stormy by Hot Chip
Dwinell Country Ales Dusty Trail or
Everybody's Brewing Hoedown Brown
Syncline Winery Carignan Grenache or
Cor Cellars Cabernet Franc
