INGREDIENTS
Meat and Marinade
1 full venison back strap/loin
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Garlic
Cinnamon (small amount otherwise it will become over powering)
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup red wine of your preference
Sauce
1 bottle of red wine (personal preference)
1 box of fresh blackberries
1 stick of butter
Rosemary
Garlic
1/4 cup raw honey
Cornstarch (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Slice the back strap/loin into steak sized slices. Place into marinade for 2 to 24 hours.
Roughly 45 minutes to an hour before you are ready to cook your steak, remove from the refrigerator and let the meat come to room temperature.
I prefer to cook my steak in a cast iron, but it’s purely up to your personal preference.
Add a tablespoon of butter to a large skillet and heat on high until the butter crackles. I prefer a cast iron skillet, but any skillet can be used. Pat the steak dry and place into skillet one at a time and press the meat with a spatula to get an even sear. Don't press too hard so that you squeeze the juices out! The idea isn’t to cook your meat but to get a nice crunchy sear with a delicious buttery flavor.
Heat the oven to 475 degrees and place a pan inside the oven so when you transfer the meat it won’t be going into a cold pan. After searing for 1-3 minutes in the skillet, transfer the meat to the oven in the already hot pan. Cook for 5-6 minutes and flip once during that time.
Check the steaks with a meat thermometer to make sure it is cooked to your desired doneness, medium or medium rare is preferred for venison, which is about 125 degrees. Allow your steak to rest 5-10 minutes for the most tender meat.
Now for the sauce! This is the easiest and most flavorful sauce I’ve ever created. Pour about 2 cups of red wine in a pan, add the blackberries and all spices. Allow it to simmer, then add honey, mush the blackberries and if it’s too thin you can add a little bit of corn starch mixed with water to thicken.
Slice your steak, (you can leave it whole if you’d like) add your desired amount of sauce and enjoy!
I served my steak with mashed sweet potatoes, green beans, a slice of homemade bread and some goat cheese on top of the steak.