Grilled Rack of Venison with Salsa Verde One of my favorite dishes, this came to grace the menu at Public thanks to my good friend and chef de cuisine of Double Crown, Chris Rendell. His salsa verde is good on almost anything—even bread—but I’m particularly partial to the way it works with venison. New Zealand venison, or other lean farmed version, is well worth the effort in finding, as long as you don’t overcook it and keep it toward rare/medium rare. This recipe uses the rack, but you can just as easily substitute the loin, tenderloin, or even a cut called leg loin, which is exceptional on the plate and easy on the wallet.
1 8-rib rack of venison (about 2 pounds), cleaned of all sinew, preferably New Zealand or farmed venison, 2 smallest ribs removed Olive oil Sea salt Freshly ground pepper
Salsa Verde 1 tablespoon cabernet sauvignon vinegar 2 ounces (about ¼ cup) stale sourdough, crusts removed and diced 1/ cup finely chopped parsley 3 ½ cup picked finely chopped basil 2 boquerones (marinated white anchovy), do NOT substitute salted anchovy 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon drained capers 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
For the salsa, pour the vinegar over the bread and allow it to soak for 15 minutes. Then combine all of the salsa ingredients except the olive oil with the soaked sourdough bread. Place the mixture in a food processor or high-speed blender with about one-third of the oil. Place the blender on high speed to puree the ingredients as quickly as possible. It is VERY important that the ingredients are mixed at high speed and just until they become a nice puree. Processing at a low speed will make the mix stringy and may turn the herbs brown. Add enough of the remaining olive oil to get a nice sauce consistency. Refrigerate until needed. Lightly oil and season the meat with salt and pepper. Preheat the grill and cook the venison to rare to medium rare, 10 to 18 minutes, depending on meat and grill temperature. Internal temperature measured with a meat thermometer should be 130°F for medium rare. Test frequently to keep meat from overcooking. Remove the meat and place it on a warm tray or plate to rest for 5 minutes. Internal temperature will increase about 5°F. Carve the rack of venison so that there are 6 equal portions, each with one rib attached. Top with a dollop of room-temperature salsa verde and serve. Serves 6
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