Venison Steak with Red Wine Jus and Caramelized Eschalots

I have had venison on three different continents and on each occasion it has tasted completely different from the last. Apart from the obvious reasons for these differences such as whether the meat is farmed or wild, there are many other reasons.

For example, the climate the animal lives in, the age of the animal and even the geography it lives in. For example a very hilly and sparsely vegetated landscape will produce a very different animal to one that has grown up in a fertile well-vegetated valley or prairie.

Each of these different varieties of venison has its own redeeming qualities and should not be compared to the other; venison is a meat that should be enjoyed for its uniqueness. As many types of venison that are out there, there would have to be 10 fold as many ways to prepare it, and this one would have to be my personal favorite.

The leanness of this particular cut of venison lends itself particularly well to the simplicity of this recipe.

Venison Steak with Red Wine Jus and Caramelized Eschalots

Paul Hegeman

Venison is a meat that should be enjoyed for its uniqueness. The leanness of this particular cut of venison lends itself particularly well to the simplicity of this recipe. 

4.92 from 50 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine French

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 4 venison steaks Denver leg cut, approx 2.5-3cm thick (1-1¼ inch)
• 8 French shallots pelled
• 1 cup red wine
• 3 cups thick veal stock
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• sea salt
• black pepper freshly ground
• butter
• vegetable oil

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 180 Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).
• Remove venison from the fridge approx 1-2 hrs before cooking.
• Blanche the peeled shallots in boiling salted water for 5 minutes and drain.
• Roll the shallots gently in the brown sugar, season lightly with salt and pepper and sauté in a bit of butter until they are golden brown and soft to the centre.
• Meanwhile in a medium saucepan reduce the wine over medium heat until 3/4’s reduced, add the veal stock and reduce again by half.
• Season the venison steaks with a little salt and pepper on the top and bottom (on the end grain).
• Sear the steaks in a little butter and oil in a hot pan (approx 2 minutes per side).
• Place the seared steaks on a lightly oiled oven pan and cook in the oven for approx 6-7 minutes (the steaks will be rare to medium-rare when served, which is the best way to have such a lean cut).
• Remove from the oven and allow the steaks to rest approx 10 minutes.
• Serve on a bed of mash potato, with some wilted spinach to the side, a couple of shallots next to the steak and finish by pouring the red wine jus over the steak and shallots.

Notes

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Paul Hegeman

Paul was a personal chef to exclusive clients in Sydney, Australia and worked at every level of professional kitchens, from the deep fryer in a local burger joint to Head Chef in five-star hotels. Born in the Netherlands, Paul moved to Canada at a very young age. Experience with traditional European meals at home and the diverse multicultural influence of Canadian cuisine gave him a great appreciation for different culinary styles. His recipes emphasize natural, uncomplicated flavors and fresh ingredients, inspired by Mediterranean and Southeast Asian cuisines. Paul is also the founder of Chef's Pencil, though he is no longer affiliated with the magazine.