Venison Eye of Round with Apple Bacon Jam
Lean and flavorful, venison eye of round gets a quick balsamic-rosemary marinade and a hot, fast cook for tender slices (keep it rare to medium-rare). A warm apple bacon jam brings smoky, tart, and lightly sweet balance.
Ingredients
For the Venison
- 2 venison eye of rounds
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp hot chili flakes
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
For the Apple Bacon Jam
- 8 ounces smoked bacon, finely chopped
- 1/2 onion, small diced
- 1 fennel bulb, cored and small diced
- 1 tsp Fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large firm fleshed apple, peeled, cored and 1/2-inch diced
- 1/2 tsp ground fennel
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Marinate the Venison
- Marinate the venison steaks. In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients together besides the steaks. Add the steaks to a freezer bag and pour the marinade over the venison. Marinate for 2 to 4 hours.
Make the Apple Bacon Chutney
- In a large pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until browned and crisp (about 8 Minutes). Transfer the bacon onto a paper towel while reserving about two tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan. Lower the heat to medium low and add the onion, fennel, garlic, apple, ground fennel and rosemary to the pan.
- Cover and cook for about 6-8 minutes (or until soft) while stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat. Stir in the bacon, remaining ingredients and season to taste. Can be made two days ahead.
Grill the Venison
- Remove the excess marinade from the steaks and let them come to room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Brush with oil, season with salt and pepper. Cook to an internal temperature between rare and medium-rare.
NOTES
- Marinate it only briefly. Two to 4 hours is enough for eye of round, because the balsamic marinade can start to work too hard on the outside if it sits much longer.
- Make the jam before grilling. The apple bacon jam can be made up to 2 days ahead, and it is easier to have it warm and ready before the venison hits the grill.
- Cook the bacon fully first. Brown it until crisp, then hold back about 2 tablespoons of the fat for the onion, fennel, garlic, apple, and rosemary. That is what builds the base flavor for the jam.
- Pat the venison very dry. After marinating, remove the excess marinade, let the meat sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, then brush it with oil and season with salt and pepper before cooking. This helps it brown better rather than steam.
- Cook it rare to medium-rare. Eye of round is lean, so pull it between rare and medium-rare for the best texture.
- Slice it thin across the grain. Thin slices are part of what makes the eye of round more tender after a hot, fast cook.
- Reheat leftovers very fast. The post recommends using sliced leftovers cold in sandwiches or giving them only a quick flash in a hot pan so they do not overcook.
Nutrition
Calories: 1399kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 102g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 60g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 907mg | Potassium: 1434mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 57g | Vitamin A: 556IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 123mg | Iron: 7mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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