Smoked Venison Tataki

Cervena Venison Loin, Rutabaga-Wasabi Purée, Chanterelles, Pickled Rutabaga

Chef Brandon Rice of Ernest | San Francisco

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Adapted by StarChefs | november 2022 | Photo: Andria Lo

INGREDIENTS:

Ponzu:
500 grams yuzu juice
500 grams soy sauce
500 grams mirin
250 grams rice vinegar
One 5-inch square kombu
½ cup bonito flakes
4 sheets gold leaf gelatin, bloomed

Pickled Rutabaga:
10 grams celery
5 grams garlic
15 grams fresh dill
1 gram Italian chile flakes
2 grams allspice
2 grams star anise
3 grams Tellicherry peppercorns
3 grams yellow mustard seeds
2 grams coriander seeds
250 grams distilled white vinegar
57 grams salt
100 grams sugar
1 cup brunoise rutabaga

Rutabaga-Wasabi Pureé:
1 pound rutabaga, peeled and diced
1 quart whole milk
250 grams unsalted butter
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
Wasabi oil
Salt

Smoked Venison:
Cervena venison loin, saddle and silver skin removed

To Assemble and Serve:
Chanterelle mushrooms
Clarified butter
Finishing salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Chives

METHOD:

For the Ponzu: 
In a non-reactive container, combine all ingredients. Refrigerate overnight. The following day, strain through a chinois. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add half of the strained mixture and heat until it reaches 140°F. Fold in bloomed gelatin and stir until gelatin is fully melted. Combine gelatin mixture with the remaining half of the strained ponzu. Refrigerate 4 hours.

For the Pickled Rutabaga:
Add rutabaga to a large mixing bowl and set aside. Make a sachet with celery, garlic, dill, chile flake, allspice, star anise, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, and coriander. In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine sachet, vinegar, salt, sugar, and 1000 grams water. Bring to a boil. Pour pickling liquid over the rutabaga and let cool over an ice bath. Reserve.

For the Rutabaga-Wasabi Pureé:
In a large pot over high heat, add rutabaga and milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the rutabaga is soft, stirring often to prevent scorching. Once cooked, transfer to a Vitamix blender. Add butter and xanthan gum and purée until smooth. Transfer to a large mixing bowl set over an ice bath. Season with salt and wasabi oil and let cool. Transfer to a squeeze bottle and reserve.

For the Smoked Venison:
Cut venison into 3 to 4 evenly sized portions. In a large cast iron pan over high heat, add venison and sear all the sides, approximately 20 seconds per side. Transfer to a wire rack set over a sheet tray. Refrigerate 2 hours. Prepare a smoker with hickory wood chips at 225°F. Smoke venison 20 minutes, being careful not to cook the venison. Open the smoker every 5 minutes to turn the meat so it doesn’t rest on the same side for too long. Remove venison from the smoker and refrigerate 2 hours.

To Assemble and Serve:
In a sautépan over medium-high heat, add chanterelle mushrooms and clarified butter. Sauté until tender. Transfer to a sheet tray and let cool to room temperature. Slice Smoked Venison into 6 to 8 thin slices. Season with finishing salt and pepper. Place Smoked Venison in the center of a serving bowl. Spoon 2 to 4 tablespoons Ponzu over Smoked Venison. Spoon 1 tablespoon Pickled Rutabaga, then carefully place 10 small dots of Rutabaga-Wasabi Pureé. Garnish with sautéed mushrooms and chives.

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