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venison dry brine recipe

Dry Brined Venison With Blueberry Sauce

Author: Larry White
Savory blueberry sauce for venison made with dried blueberries and tart cherries reduced with apple/cherry juice, finished with cider (or fruity balsamic), thyme, and fresh basil. It's bright and balanced for the dry-brined venison.
5 from 3 votes
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Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Dry Brine Time8 hours
Servings: 2 People

Ingredients 

For the Venison

  • 2 (8 ounce) venison backstrap portions
  • 3 tablespoons high smoke point cooking oil (avocado, canola or peanut oil)
  • Kosher salt

For the Dry Brine

  • 4 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons ground fennel
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons mild chili powder (Ancho works Great)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the Blueberry Sauce

  • 3/4 cup dried blueberries
  • 1/2 cup dried tart cherries
  • 1 cup real apple juice
  • 2 cups cherry juice
  • 1 3/4 cups water
  • 1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar or a fruity Balsamic vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
  • kosher salt to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Make the Blueberry Sauce:

  • Combine the blueberries, apple juice and black cherry juice to a pot. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the water and vinegar, simmer uncovered for another 20 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by half.
  • Remove the sauce from the heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer. Pour the sauce back into the pot, add the dried cherries and simmer until soft, about 10 minutes or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the fresh basil. Season with salt as needed.

Make the Dry Brine.

  • Place the coriander, black peppercorns, fennel seeds and cumin seeds in a large skillet and toast over medium low heat until they are fragrant. This will take about 5 minutes. Let the spices cool completely and then grind in a spice or coffee grinder.

Dry brine the Venison:

  • Rub the spice mixture all over the venison. Place the meat onto a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. If you don’t have a wire rack, the baking sheet or a plate will work fine. Place in the refrigerator uncovered overnight.

Cook the Venison:

  • In a heavy-bottomed skillet set over medium-high heat, add the cooking oil. When the oil starts to lightly smoke, add the backstraps. Cook on all sides until golden brown, rotating frequently to prevent the meat from burning. Add more cooking oil as needed to prevent the pan from drying out.
  • Cook the venison until you reach a rare to medium-rare internal temperature.
  • Let the meat rest for around 10 minutes. Slice against the grain, season with kosher salt, and serve with the blueberry sauce.

NOTES

  • Built for venison: This savory blueberry sauce for venison balances lean backstrap/loin—deep berry, bright acid, clean herb finish.
  • Reduce until it coats a spoon: Simmer until it coats the back of a spoon; strain for smoothness, then fold in cherries for texture. If it tightens later, loosen with water.
  • Season taste season: Add vinegar gradually; salt at the end so it stays bright, not sweet.
  • Dry brine = better crust: Chill steaks uncovered on a rack overnight for airflow and faster browning.
  • Sear properly: Heavy pan (cast iron), medium-high, rotate often. Grills can scorch rubs. Cook to rare–medium-rare, rest 10 min, slice across the grain.
  • Make-ahead: Sauce holds 1 week refrigerated; reheat gently on low/warm. Dry-brine mix keeps up to 6 months in an airtight container.
  • Serve with: Backstrap or round steaks; wild rice, creamy grits, or grilled corn.
 
 
Make this recipe?Mention @Larry__White or tag #WildGameGourmet!