By Chase Dreilich, MWF Recreational Angling Coordinator
Venison is one of the most accessible wild meats for hunters in Manitoba! Here’s a great summer recipe that will be a crowd favourite.
Serves 4-5 people.
The Salsa
This is a simple and fresh way to bring life to your taco’s. When I think about this salsa it screams “SUMMER” to me. Many of the ingredients can be substituted to personal preference. I start out by halving the peaches, drizzling with olive oil, and seasoning with some salt. Get those on the grill (or fire) for 5-10 minutes, depending on the temperature. The goal here is to get the peaches heated up and have some of those natural sugars caramelize and to capture some of that smoky flavour from your grill or pit. While the peaches are cooking, dice up the rest of your ingredients for the salsa. Once the peaches are done and they have a bit of char on them, dice them up and add them to the salsa mix. Then add 3 tbs of olive oil, the juice from one lime, 2 tbs of salt and 1 tbs of fresh cracked pepper. Mix it up and let the flavours merge while you cook your meat.
The Meat
There are many versatile cuts of meat on a deer. You can use anything from a round roast (inside, bottom, or top), backstrap, sirloin steaks, or tenderloin. Take your favourite Mexican spice mix (see below for my picks) and coat the meat liberally with the spices. Once your pan is nice and hot, add oil and drop in your meat. Cook until its medium rare or however you desire. 2 minutes before the meat is done, toss in 4 tbs of butter, 2 pieces of crushed garlic and a spring of thyme and oregano. Baste the meat with the melted herb butter. Once you’ve reached the desired wellness, remove the meat, and let it rest for 5 minutes. It will continue to cook a bit after removed from the heat. After the 5 minutes are up, slice thinly.
Finale
Make sure you warm up your soft-shell tortillas! Once warm, I hit them with some siracha but, if you don’t like it spicy some plain Greek yogurt is a great alternative. Place your meat, then some soft white cheese. Queso fresco would be the natural choice here, but I used ricotta, and it was a great substitute. After the cheese add that salsa (make sure you give it a good stir to get all that flavour) and then top with fresh cilantro and enjoy!
Ingredients
Salsa
2 peaches (can use nectarines or pineapple)
2 Jalapeños
1 bell pepper (red, orange, or yellow)
½ white onion
4 tbs olive oil
2 tbs salt
1 tbs fresh cracked pepper
Spice Mix
1 tbs oregano
1 tbs cumin
½ tbs chilli powder
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tbs chipotle powder
2 tbs salt
½ tbs fresh cracked pepper
Extra’s
2 lb venison roast or steaks
Soft shell tacos
Fresh cilantro
Siracha
Soft white cheese (Queso fresco or ricotta)
