Spice Bread-Crusted Venison and Braised Beef Cheeks
Recipe courtesy of William Rogers, CEC, CCA, WCEC, FMP, Executive Chef of Cosmos Club (Washington, DC)
Ingredients
- Venison
- venison saddle loin - 3 oz.
- allspice - 2 gms., toasted and grounded
- nutmeg - 1 gm.
- cinnamon - 1 gm., microplaned
- Beef Cheek
- beef cheek - 4 oz., after trim
- port wine - 1 cup
- red wine - 1 cup
- thyme - 1 sprig
- rosemary - 1/2 sprig
- veal stock / demi - 4 oz.
- carrot - 1 oz., peeled and chopped
- yellow onion - 1/4 ea., chopped
- tomato paste - 1 oz.
- Chevre Grits
- stone ground yellow grits - 1 oz.
- whole milk - 4 oz.
- chevre goat cheese - 3 oz.
- parmesan - 2 oz., grated
- Fried Leeks
- leeks - 1/2 oz., fine julienne (green and white, no stem)
- Maderia Truffle Sauce
- liquid from the beef cheek
- chives - 3 gms., finely cut
- black truffles (fresh but canned is acceptable) - 2 gms.
- whole butter - 3 gms.
- Winter Vegetables
- chef's choice but bias-cut baby carrots peeled
- butter - 1 oz.
- vegetable stock - 1/2 oz.
Instructions
Procedure for Venison:
- Clean the saddle loin. Save scraps to make the sauce.
- Roll portion in the spice mix, salt and black pepper. Sous vide 130°F for 90 minutes.
- At service, sear with additional sliced shallots, garlic, thyme and butter. Rest for 15 minutes, slice to order.
Procedure for Beef Cheek:
- After butchering the cheek, sear in hot rondeau on both sides. Remove the cheek, sweat the onions and carrots in existing fat—or add a little olive oil to caramelize the onions and carrots.
- Add tomato paste, stir in for 1 minute and caramelized the paste. Add port, red wine, rosemary and thyme.
- Reduce by 50%, add demi and veal cheeks back inside the liquid. Cover and place in 350°F oven for approximately 3 hours until the cheek is fork tender.
- Let the cheek rest in the liquid for 60 minutes before removing and straining the liquid through chinois.
- Skim the fat from the sauce and reduce until nape. Glaze the cheek with the sauce at pick up, coating the cheek.
- At service, fold in cold butter, chives and truffles.
Procedure for Grits:
- Bring milk up to a simmer with salt. Add grits, stir constantly for 45 minutes or until the grits are tender.
- Fold in goat cheese, parmesan and adjust seasoning. The grits will tighten up within an hour, ready for service.
Procedure for Fried Leeks:
- Blanch the leeks in salted water (1% ratio) and shock in ice bath.
- Pat the leeks very dry.
- In a pot or deep fryer, fry the leeks in new oil at 275°F. Fry until crispy. Leeks should not be brown and stay white and green.
- Season with salt. Add sea salt or smoked salt to the sliced venison or beef cheek at service.
