Roasted Venison Backstrap With Cherry-Peppercorn Sauce

Instructions

1. 1

   A day before cooking, put the venison into food storage bags with all the marinade ingredients. Refrigerate until cooking time.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the venison from the marinating bag and shake off the excess marinade. Salt and pepper the loins. Strain the marinade into a bowl or cup and hold aside.

3. 3

   In a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 Tbs. of the butter until it bubbles. Add the venison to the skillet and brown it all over. When browned, move the venison to a roasting rack in the preheated 350-degree oven.

4. 4

   Add the shallots to the pan and sauté for a few seconds. Add the strained marinade to the pan and bring to a boil, whisking it to dislodge the browned meat juices and bits on the pan. Reduce the marinade to about 2/3 cup.

5. 5

   Stir in the jam and steak sauce. Continue cooking until the jam is dissolved.

6. 6

   Strain the sauce again into a clean, small saucepan and return to a simmer. Taste and adjust salt and pepper levels. You can also reduce it some more to get a thicker sauce. Remove from the heat and whisk in 1 Tbs. butter.

7. 7

   The venison is medium-rare when it registers 145 on a meat thermometer. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Slice into 1/2-inch discs, and nap with the sauce.