Makes 8 servings. When hunting season arrives, my dad puts on his camo gear, gathers his hunting supplies, and sets off for North Mississippi to bring home some prized venison. A low-fat, high-protein red meat, venison can’t be bought in the grocery store. For our first family supper last fall, we cooked a lean and tender venison roast. It’s one of the first venison recipes I learned to cook from my mom. This version highlights the juicy tenderness of the meat with complementary spices. If you aren’t a hunter, I hope you have a generous friend who is.
2 tablespoons fine sea salt
½ tablespoon chopped dried sage
1 teaspoon chopped dried tarragon
1 teaspoon chopped dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire powder
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (5-pound) venison roast
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 cup water
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a small bowl mix together the salt, sage, tarragon, thyme, cloves, Worcestershire powder, black pepper, and garlic.
Place the venison roast in a 9 × 13-inch glass baking dish. Massage the spice mixture all over the venison. Turn the venison fat side up. Place onion slices on top. Pour the water in the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees F and bake for 4 ½ hours. Remove the venison from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Thinly slice or pull the meat apart with 2 forks. Serve warm with the pan juices.
Makes 8 servings.
Note: Worcestershire powder can be found online and at specialty kitchen and spice stores.