In Season: How To Make A Venison Rib Roast
Don't say "farm to table" unless you really mean it! For those who practice the age-old survival methods of foraging and hunting (now vastly more fun as a hobby than as a matter of life and death), there is food writer Susan L. Ebert's new cookbook. If you're looking to discover your inner outdoorsy side, pick a recipe and a gun, rod or sturdy pair of gardening gloves, and get ready to cook from scratch.
I developed this recipe for an Axis deer, classified as an exotic species, as are fallow deer
and other non-native cervids; they are legal game throughout the year. They are also incredibly tasty. The key to this roast — as it is with prime beef — is the dry-aging process.
In Season: How To Make A Venison Rib Roast
Prep Time
30
minutes
Cook Time
35
minutes
Servings
4
Total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 (8-rib) venison roast
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 6 to 8 ribs celery
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 6 cloves garlic
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 jalapeño peppers
- 1/2 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup tightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup tightly packed fresh oregano leaves
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Two days before cooking, thaw a frozen rib roast in the refrigerator.
- The next day, pat the roast dry with paper towels, place it on a rack over a small pan to catch the drips, and return to the refrigerator, uncovered, to dry-age for at least 24 hours.
- One hour prior to cooking, remove the roast from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.
- Make the chimichurri sauce: Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, and process until somewhat smooth, but retaining a bit of texture. Transfer to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you begin roasting the meat. Serve at room temperature. Yields about 2 cups.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly coat the rib roast with a bit of oil, and salt and pepper it. In a cast-iron skillet large enough that the roast doesn’t touch the sides, over medium-high heat, lightly sear all surfaces, using tongs to turn the meat and to hold it in place while searing.
- Remove the meat from the skillet and set aside. Fashion a rack with the celery ribs in the skillet, to hold the roast, so that no part of the meat is touching the cast iron.
- Place the skillet in the oven and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of the roast reads 125°F. Transfer the roast to a carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Carve into two rib sections, and serve with the chimichurri sauce.