Venison Carpaccio with Arugula
If you're looking for a raw steak dish that is simple, refined, and flavorful, look no further than venison carpaccio with arugula.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 8 ounces venison backstrap or tenderloin
- 1 Tablespoon stone ground mustard
- fresh ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 teaspoons capers
- ¼ cup shaved Parmesan
- ½ cup baby arugula (or arugula at your local grocery store)
- ½ lemon
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients.
- Place the venison on a large plate or cutting board and use a brush to slather the tenderloin with the mustard.
- Grind whole peppercorns and spread them on the plate or cutting board. Roll the mustard-covered venison in the freshly cracked pepper to coat the exterior.
- In a cast iron skillet over medium high heat, add 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil and the butter. Add venison and sear for 1 minute, then flip over and sear the other side for 1 minute. Remove and let rest on a cutting board for about 15 minutes.
- Wrap the venison in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, unwrap the venison and using a sharp knife, thinly slice the meat into ⅛ to ¼-inch pieces. Lay out sheets of plastic wrap and place each slice onto the plastic. Top with another piece of plastic and gently pound the meat with a meat mallet until paper thin. Repeat until all of the meat is sliced and pounded. If you are not going to serve it right away, cover and place in the refrigerator.
- When ready to serve, divide raw meat slices among four chilled plates, overlapping the meat slices slightly. Sprinkle the meat with some kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish each plate with 1 teaspoon capers, 1 Tablespoon Parmesan shavings, 2 Tablespoons baby arugula, and a drizzle of olive oil. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon just before eating. If you do it too soon, the acidity of the lemon juice will discolor the meat.
