One of the great hunting traditions is sharing a harvest meal with your hunting friends and their partners. Tenderloin is the meat of choice for this meal, but traditional grilling means the host isn’t able to join in the pre-meal festivities. This recipe solves that problem, and does it in a way everyone loves.
Prep time: 10 minutes (plus 4 hours soaking) | Cook time: about 4 hours | Serves: about 4
Double the recipe for each additional four people; it scales really well.
Ingredients
1 game tenderloin, about 2 pounds, cut into 1-inch-thick steaks
6 small portabella mushrooms, chopped into ¼-inch pieces and soaked in boiling water
Butter for browning
1 cup Roma tomatoes, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
¾ cup burgundy wine
½ cup vegetable broth
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp herbes de Provence
1 tsp juniper berries
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried sage, crumbled
1 tsp each salt and pepper
1 Tbsp cornstarch
Preparation
Soak the tenderloin in salt water for at least four hours to remove the blood. Rinse and pat dry.
In a skillet, melt butter and sear the tenderloin until lightly browned on both sides.
Place the tenderloin in the crockpot and add the mushrooms (including their water), tomatoes, green onions, wine, balsamic vinegar, vegetable broth, garlic and the herbs and spices. The liquid should just cover the meat.
Cook on low for three hours. Then stir 1 Tbsp cornstarch into 3 Tbsp water, add it to the pot, and continue cooking for about one hour, until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens.
Serving
I like to serve this over a bed of brown and wild rice. Place the meat on the rice and smother it with sauce from the crockpot. Steamed carrots or green beans go well with this, along with a fresh salad.