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These little New York steaks are usually among the first to get eaten in my household, after a successful hunt. However, the last couple of years I have made sure to save at least one package of steaks through the winter, and well into the spring. There is only one reason for this delaying of gratification... Morels!
Fried morels are probably everyone's favorite way to consume these delectable morsels, but I have come up with a recipe that blends the taste of the fall, with this delicacy of the spring, to create a wonderful dish that melts in your mouth like candy.
I like to serve the recipe below with the following: Diced and boiled, parsleyed, new, red potatoes; and
steamed asparagus in garlic butter.
If you have the willpower to save your backstraps for over six months, this recipe makes it worth the wait.
Ingredients
- Flour
- 1/2 lb. Morel mushrooms
- 1 lb. Venison backstrap cutlets
- 1 clove garlic
- Salt and pepper
- Currant jelly
- Olive oil
- 1 1/2 cup sherry
- 3 strips bacon
- 4 tbsp. butter
Directions:
After procuring a few morels, I usually soak them in a dish of saltwater for an hour or so. This allows all of the little bugs and other critters a chance to escape before cooking, and seems to firm them up a little. After soaking, remove them from the water and pat them dry with a paper towel. After they are dry, slice the morels into quarters and set aside. At this time, unwrap the thawed steaks and pat them dry. Once dry, sprinkle the meat lightly with salt and pepper.
Place a twelve-inch skillet over a medium flame and heat until it is hot to the touch, and then add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. As the oil is heating, lightly flour both sides of the cutlets, shaking loose any excess flour, and lay them into the skillet. Cook for only a couple minutes on one side, then flip them with a pair of tongs and cook the other side the same amount the time. After this brief stay in the skillet, they will be lightly browned but still rare on the inside (the best way to eat venison). Now they can be removed to a 200-degree pre-heated dish and oven, while the sauce is prepared.
Reduce heat to low and add bacon that has been cut into 1/8 x 1-inch strips. Saute until brown and crispy, and then remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-covered plate. Once bacon has been removed, increase heat again to medium and add morels. Stir and saute them for five to ten minutes, or until they start to brown. Using a tablespoon, add a big dollop of currant jelly, a minced clove of garlic, and the cooked bacon pieces. Stir until the jelly dissolves, about a minute, then remove from heat. Now add the sherry.
Return the skillet to high heat and simmer vigorously, while stirring, until the mixture reduces and becomes somewhat syrupy.
Remove from heat again and stir in the butter until it melts, one tablespoon at a time.
Now it is time to retrieve the steaks from the oven and place them on a serving dish, they have probably progressed to medium rare while they waited. Pour the sauce mixture over the steaks and serve while hot. I also like to add a sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley for color and a little variety of taste. Enjoy!
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