The Most Delicious Mushroom and Deer Steak Crostini
Learn how to make Mushroom and Deer Steak Crostini - my idea of indulgence when I make them for clients who want to introduce their guests to wild game for the first time. Rich, refined, and full of flavor, steak crostini are a perfect addition to your next special occasion, holiday party, or game day menu. Delicious pan-seared deer steak over Mascarpone cheese and sauteed spinach, then finished with truffle oil and chopped chives. These hors d'oeuvres are sure to be a big hit with your family and friends. WHAT IS CROSTINI?Is your house the kind of place where friends and neighbors stop by for surprise visits? Or maybe you just love to have people over. If you find yourself entertaining a lot and are looking for quick, no-fuss ways to feed your guests, there's nothing easier than crostini. At its simplest form, crostini are small toasts generally made from a baguette that you can top with anything you like. The possibilities are truly endless. Crostini make a great canvas for a variety of toppings, including hummus, bruschetta, honey-drizzled ricotta with berries, and more. I used to serve a similar version using beef flank steak when I had my catering business. They were always a huge hit! Any venison steak (elk, antelope, or deer) will work just as well here as long as you take the time to tenderize the steak with a Jaccard meat tenderizer, cook it to medium rare, and slice it thin. You can find the shimeji mushrooms I used in this recipe at your local Asian market. If they don't have them, substitute seafood mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, or baby bellas.If you love venison steak as much as we do, you can also check out Our 15 Best Venison Steak recipes!HOW TO MAKE CROSTINI1. Place the steak on a cutting board and tenderize using a Jaccard meat tenderizer. 2. Season the steak with salt and pepper. Let it sit out on the cutting board at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This will help it cook more evenly.3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.4. In a small bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese, ¼ teaspoon salt, and lemon juice and mix well. Set aside.5. Pour ¼ cup of the olive oil onto a small plate. Then dip each side of each baguette slice in the olive oil, then place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Once all the baguette slices are on the baking sheet, season each of them with a small sprinkle of salt.6. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, pat the steak dry with a paper towel and carefully lay it in the skillet. Sear the steak, turning only once, until it has reached an internal temperature of 125-130 degrees F when you check it with an instant read meat thermometer. Remove the steak from the skillet and place it on a cutting board to rest for about 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the dish.7. Place the baguettes in the oven and toast them for 10 minutes, turning them after 5 minutes.8. In the same skillet you used to cook the steak, add the butter and mushrooms and sauté over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove them from the skillet and transfer to a plate.9. In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and spinach and sauté over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.10. On a cutting board, slice the steak thin, and season again with a little salt and pepper.11. Remove the baguettes from the oven and spread 1 teaspoon of the lemon-mascarpone cheese on each slice. Then add a spoonful of cooked spinach and garlic. Add a slice of steak, then top with a mushroom and some chopped chives.12. Drizzle each baguette with a teaspoon of truffle oil and serve immediately.DEER STEAK APPETIZERSI hope you will try this Mushroom and Deer Steak Crostini and my Deer Backstrap and Potato Stacks the next time you have to come up hors d'oeuvres for hungry guests. Be sure and check out all of my venison recipes the next time you need some dinner inspiration.If you are headed our way for North Dakota deer season, check out the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here.CONNECT WITH ME AND JOIN OUR WILD GAME COOKING COMMUNITYIf you make this Mushroom and Deer Steak Crostini, I’d love for you to join our community and connect with me so we can all see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #wildgameandfishDid you enjoy this Mushroom and Deer Steak Crostini Recipe? Be sure to leave a 5-star rating RIGHT HERE!
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound venison steak, 1-inch thick
- salt
- black pepper
- ¼ cup Mascarpone cheese
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 French baguette (6 ounces), sliced ½-inch thick
- ⅓ cup olive oil (divided)
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2 ounces shimeji mushrooms
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- chopped fresh chives
- 3 Tablespoons truffle oil
Instructions
- Place the steak on a cutting board and tenderize using a Jaccard meat tenderizer.
- Season the steak with salt and pepper. Let it sit out on the cutting board at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This will help it cook more evenly.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese, ¼ teaspoon salt, and lemon juice and mix well. Set aside.
- Pour ¼ cup of the olive oil onto a small plate. Then dip each side of each baguette slice in the olive oil, then place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Once all the baguette slices are on the baking sheet, season each of them with a small sprinkle of salt.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, pat the steak dry with a paper towel and carefully lay it in the skillet. Sear the steak, turning only once, until it has reached an internal temperature of 125-130 degrees F when you check it with an instant read meat thermometer. Remove the steak from the skillet and place it on a cutting board to rest for about 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the dish.
- Place the baguettes in the oven and toast them for 10 minutes, turning them after 5 minutes.
- In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and spinach and sauté over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.
- On a cutting board, slice the steak thin, and season again with a little salt and pepper.
- Remove the baguettes from the oven and spread 1 teaspoon of the lemon-mascarpone cheese on each slice. Then add a spoonful of cooked spinach and garlic. Add a slice of steak, then top with a mushroom and some chopped chives.
- Drizzle each baguette with a teaspoon of truffle oil and serve immediately.
