Peppercorn Venison Tenderloin
with Sherry Cream Sauce
This recipe yields a juicy meat with a velvety, peppery sauce enriched with cream and sherry. Serve it with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable of your choice for a company-worthy meal.
Serves: About 6
Time: 40 minutes
1 whole venison tenderloin (about 2 - 2½ lbs.) trimmed, silverskin removed
1 to 1 ½ Tbsp. coarse Kosher salt
3-4 Tbsp. coarsely ground / crushed black peppercorns
Coarse kosher salt
2 – 3 Tbsp. olive oil
⅓ c. dry sherry
8 oz. beef consommé
2 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature, divided
1 ½ Tbsp. flour
1 shallot, finely chopped
⅛ tsp. dried oregano
½ c. heavy cream
If time allows (at least 4 hours before, or the day before cooking) season tenderloin on all sides with Kosher salt and refrigerate until ready to prepare.
Preheat oven to 450°. Cut tenderloin in half to make two pieces of equal length. Stack pieces together so the thick end of one and the thin end of the other are on top of each other, forming an even thickness roast. Truss the pieces together using kitchen twine. (If meat was not salted earlier, salt now.) Lightly coat entire surface with crushed peppercorns. In an oven-proof sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and brown meat on all sides (see note below). Transfer pan to oven and roast until meat reaches desired doneness, testing with a meat thermometer. (Recommended temperature for medium is 135° and will take about 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the roast.) Remove meat from oven and transfer to a platter to rest at least 10 minutes.
While the meat is roasting, work the flour into one tablespoon of the butter to form a smooth paste (known as a beurre manié). Set aside.
Using paper towels absorb any remaining oil left in the pan, being careful to leave the browned bits. Return the pan to the stovetop and over medium heat, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter, add the chopped shallots and cook 2-3 minutes until transparent. Deglaze with the sherry and beef consommé, scraping to loosen the browned bits. Stir in the oregano and cream and continue to cook until reduced by half (sauce will thicken slightly). Whisk in the flour/butter paste, cook and stir until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Remove string from roast, slice thinly and serve with the sauce.
Venison is a staple in our home and the tenderloin is the star of the cuts. I always freeze them whole because I like having options. If I want medallions or butterflied pieces later it’s easy to do. The other benefit is the whole piece is less likely to dry out or get freezer burn compared to thin cuts. Even with just two of us at home we never have a problem finishing a whole tenderloin, so I don‘t worry about thawing too much meat by leaving it whole.
Trussing is a great technique to use when you have a cut of meat that’s an uneven thickness like a whole venison tenderloin. It allows you to create a uniform thickness and ensure that the roast is evenly cooked from one end to the other. A word of caution - when you sear the roast the room will get a bit smoky due to the heat of the pan and the pepper. Make sure you turn the exhaust fan on!
This Peppercorn Tenderloin was inspired by our favorite restaurant, The Bavarian Chef, in Madison, VA. They serve a peppercorn-crusted beef tenderloin that is consistently the best steak we get anywhere.