Recipe: Venison Carpaccio Toast

SERVES: 2-4 | PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES | COOK TIME: 5 MINUTES

Classic meals or fancy appetizers — those are the two most common requests I get for wild game cooking advice. Finger food, toasts, and charcuterie platters are all a big part of my diet, and this is one of my favorite ways to consume backstrap.

In Italy, carpaccio is traditionally made with beef fillet, pounded thin and tender, drizzled with olive oil, capers, salt and pepper, and served with a lemon wedge for the table. It’s also served as more of a salad with arugula and thinly shaved parmesan cheese. The acid in the lemon cooks the meat and turns it brown/grey, so leave that for later. If you’re worried about the safety of raw meat, using a cut from the deep freeze versus fresh should help reduce any issues (if you took care of your end of the deal while butchering the animal).

This version I propose has a thick slab of crusty bread, but you could forgo that in favor of just plating up the ingredients. I’m a sucker for grilled bread and it’s a fantastic way to infuse some flavor and introduce crunch to the meal or snack. Get the best bread you can find, hit the olive bar (if you have a fancy grocer), and do your best Salt Bae impression. Who knows where the dinner party will go after trying a new but exciting preparation of wild game.

Of course, there’s something about raw meat or fish that offers a richness and purity of flavor that changes once cooked. My version of this recipe has strong, sharp notes to balance the richness of raw backstrap. The wife and I found a good source at our local fancy grocer for salmon roe — otherwise known as caviar. I add that into the mix alongside dill to make this a memorable surf-and-turf presentation. (Make sure you point your pinkie when you take that first crunchy bite.)

The horseradish mayo delivers a bright decadence that holds the whole ship together. My German grandfather used to grow a row of horseradish every year by his shop, and it’s a core food memory for me. It’s a wildly underutilized ingredient and pairs extremely well with red meat and fish. There’s reason every sushi plate all over the world leverages wasabi with the raw fish. My advice is to buy extra-hot horseradish, or really any version with as few extra additives as possible. If you have access to fresh, grate it and add vinegar to soak overnight. Nothing more is needed.

This recipe takes longer to shop for than to cook. It’s a quick assembly on top of crusty bread but the sharpness of your knife is everything here. So, pick some good steel and freshen up that edge. Slice the venison into 1/4-inch slices, then pound it thin. If you don’t have a specific tool to do so, put it between two pieces of plastic wrap, or even a thin plastic grocery sack. Then, flatten it with a skillet. (It’s what I do to save myself from buying another kitchen gadget.)

Finally, some people sear the outside of a loin quickly to add a crust for texture. You might even cold smoke the meat for 20 minutes if you want, but that’s extra work. So, proceed to experiment as you wish, but be careful to not cook the inside. It’d become a totally different thing. Still delicious, just not carpaccio. Normally, I’d salt the meat directly, but this recipe has capers, aged cheese, olives, and caviar, which are all salty, negating the need for more.

INGREDIENTS

• Crusty rustic bread
• 8-10 oz. frozen venison backstrap (deer, elk, moose, or antelope will do)
• 3-4 tablespoons mayo
• 2 tablespoons horseradish
• 3 oz. Manchego or other aged cheese (sheep milk works best, but an aged cheddar works, too)
• 1 lemon for juice
• Capers
• Green olives
• Bundle of fresh dill
• Preserved red peppers (pequin or roasted bell, if not available)
• Salmon roe or real caviar if you’re balling out

DETAILED STEPS

Prep

1. Slice meat into ⅛-inch slices across the grain (once mostly thawed).
2. Lay slices between two layers of plastic wrap and pound thin with a pan or meat hammer.
3. Put into fridge to keep cold until assembly.
4. Slice the bread. (A slice or two per person, depending on appetite, and if it’s an appetizer or your main snack.)
5. Spread a thin scrape of mayo on each side of bread and toast each side in a cast iron skillet or griddle until almost charred. A little dark is good. Also, grill the bread for extra flavor.
6. Mix a heaping spoon, or two tablespoons, of horseradish into the remaining mayonnaise.
7. Chop half your dill finely, squeeze half a lemon, and add to mayo for the sauce.
8. Smash olives and chop roughly.
9. Slice cheese thinly.

Assembly

1. Spread horseradish dill mayo on bread slices.
2. Fold pieces of thin venison across bread.
3. Slide a few triangles of cheese under some venison (with part of it sticking out for looks).
4. Tuck in your dill garnish, caviar, peppers, and olives.
5. Optionally, cut the toast smaller or just eat it whole.

Once finished, it’s time to enjoy the fine meal to come. The work is done. It’s time to feast.

Recipe: Mango Venison Flatbread

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