Volume 12, Issue 039 - February 22, 2007

Greetings Chef,

Tips for Cooking Cervena Venison:

• Remove the venison from the packaging and allow it to breathe. The mildly funky odor is natural and will dispel in minutes, and the meat will regain its rosy red hue.
• Always pre-heat the cooking surface. Cervena should be cooked fast over high heat due to its low fat content. Brush or spray the grill or pan with oil before cooking; the added fat helps prevent sticking and drying out.
• We suggest Cervena be served medium rare to medium for optimum flavor and texture.
• Cervena needs no marinating. It benefits from having its delicate flavors enhanced with seasonings, so marinate only if you want flavor variety.
• Because of its high protein and low fat levels, Cervena will continue to cook for a while after it is removed from the heat. Allow the meat to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Use this chart as a guide only—pan and grill temperatures vary. The below cooking times are based on a preheated pan, grill or oven.

Source: Cervena.com

Natural Tender Venison from the Open Farmlands of New Zealand. Resources, Cooking Guides, Who's Using Cervena, Recipes and More!

Coconut and Tea Smoked Cervena Venison with Mango Salad

Refreshing tropical flavors paired with cold-smoked Cervena - perfect for hot climates year round.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

Cervena:

1 pound Cervena loin or fillet
1 cup shredded coconut
small handful black or jasmine tea leaves
2 handfuls wood shavings

Marinade:

1 cup salt
1 cup rock sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 chopped chiles
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon chopped ginger root
5 pieces star anise

Mango Salad:

1 green mango, peeled and cheeks removed from pit and sliced into matchsticks
1/2 small red onion, sliced very thinly
1 teaspoon thinly sliced julienne of green ginger
1 lime, juiced, and zest
handful fresh coriander leaves
few drops sesame oil

Preparation:

For the mango salad, combine all ingredients and chill for an hour.

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together until the sugar has dissolved. Add the Cervena to the marinade and cover with plastic.

Marinate the meat in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours. Remove the venison from the liquid and allow to dry for 1 hour.

Add the tea leaves and coconut to a smoker and place the Cervena on top. Smoke the meat as cool as possible for as long as there is smoke.

Remove the meat from the smoker and on a hot grill or in a sauté pan, quickly sear the outside to a nice brown. Cool thoroughly and then slice the meat thinly.

To Serve:

Place the salad on top of some sliced Cervena and garnish with fresh chopped coriander. Serve with a light shoyu sauce on the side.

Recipe by: Chef Graham Brown, Cervena of New Zealand

CAVIARetc.com is a specialty foods Web boutique. Find a range of gourmet foods, including caviar, cheese, specialty meats, truffles, salmon, premium oils and vinegars, chocolates and more. Browse our selection of gourmet gifts and baskets!

Suggested Cooking Times:

Cervena has a naturally deep red color that is much darker than beef, so you cannot rely on the color of the meat to judge its doneness. Cervena will look incredibly rare when it is actually medium, and if it looks a pink "medium" color, it is actually well done.

Internal Cooking Temperatures:

Cervena, being a naturally lean meat, is best served rare or medium rare, then rested to ensure maximum juiciness and tenderness. If overcooked, it becomes tough and dry.

Note: Temperatures taken after resting to allow the juices to disperse evenly.

As with all meats, Cervena should be served immediately if cooked at internal temperatures of below 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) to reduce the level of bacteria growth.

Reheating:

Cervena is best eaten freshly cooked, however pre-prepared dishes (e.g. casseroles) must be reheated thoroughly to 181 degrees F (83 degrees C). Reheat casseroles only once.

Source: Cervena.com

Prairie Harvest ships game meats to professional chefs, home chefs, resorts and restaurants.

Cervena Tenderloin with Grilled Pears and Fresh Walnuts
Rocket Salad with Gorgonzola Dressing

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 tenderloins, silver-skin removed
whole grain mustard
salt and cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon oil
2 rashers of smoky bacon
2 pears
bunch of well washed rocket or water cress or a mixture of both
handful of fresh walnut halves

Dressing:

1 tablespoon red wine or tarragon vinegar
1 egg
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
4 tablespoons walnut oil
80g (2.8 ounces) gorgonzola or your favourite tasty blue crumbled with a fork
2 tablespoons chopped chives
salt and pepper

Preparation:

Coat tenderloins liberally with the mustard. Season with salt and pepper and place on a hot bar-b-que brushed with oil.

Sear until nicely brown and remove off the direct heat to the side of the hotplate and continue to cook for 7 minutes. Cover and rest.

Salad:

Cut bacon into thin match sticks and fry on the hot plate until crispy.

Core and slice pears top to bottom into 8 pieces. Bar-b-que on hotplate until lightly coloured.

Vinaigrette:

Whisk the vinegar with egg and mustard. Add the oil slowly and blend well. Add the remaining ingredients.

To Serve:

Slice each tenderloin thinly across the grain. Gently mix venison slices with salad, bacon and pears on a platter, and drizzle with the dressing immediately before serving.

Recipe by: Chef Graham Brown, Cervena of New Zealand