They say you eat with your eyes first.

They’re not wrong.

This sous-vide venison chop recipe is a simple way to add complexity (both in taste and appearance) to a near-perfect cut of venison without overpowering or masking the natural flavor of the meat. The intense mushroom flavor profile of the dried porcini, paired with the dark earthiness of black garlic, is the perfect complement to venison, done exactly medium rare.

Black Garlic & Porcini Crusted Venison Rack

As noted in our carpaccio post, black garlic is becoming increasingly available in many grocery stores, but can be purchased online. The cook temperature will be up to your personal preference, but no matter which you choose, the cook time will remain the same.

Prep time: 1 hour

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 rack venison chops or backstrap

2 tbsp black garlic powder

2 tbsp dried porcini mushroom, ground

1 tbsp neutral oil

Sous vide device, water bath recommended at 129F

Season the venison with salt and pepper, place in vacuum bag with oil, seal and place in sous vide set at 129F (or your preferred temperature) for 90 minutes. Remove venison from water bath, remove from bag and allow to drain. Pat dry.

Preheat cast iron or saute pan to medium-high heat. Rub mix of porcini and black garlic powder all over the venison. Add oil to pan and sear all sides of venison, about 1 minute per side. Use tongs to sear ends. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting.

We served ours with a roasted parsnip puree and olive oil roasted cippolini onions and carrots. A finish of demi glace is real nice too.