Venison Tenderloin Salad with Butternut Squash and Cranberries
Squash, cranberries, and a vinaigrette featuring fresh rosemary fill this salad with traditional fall flavors. The combination of ingredients hits all the right sweet, salty, savory notes.
Serves: 4 (2 oz. tenderloin and about 1½ c. salad)
Time: 45 minutes
1 12-oz. butternut squash, peeled and diced into ½” cubes
6 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
¾ tsp. Kosher salt, divided
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 8-oz. venison tenderloin
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. finely minced fresh rosemary
5 oz. fresh baby kale, baby spinach, or mixture
¼ c. dried cranberries
¼ c. toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (about ¼ c.)
Preheat oven to 425°. In a large bowl, toss squash with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, ¼ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. black pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast 15-25 minutes until tender, stirring halfway through.
In a small bowl combine ¼ tsp. salt, 3 Tbsp. olive oil, vinegar and rosemary, stirring with a whisk to thoroughly combine. Set aside.
Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and coat pan with remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil (or preheat grill). Sprinkle tenderloin with ¼ tsp. kosher salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Add meat to pan (or grill), cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness (medium-rare is recommended at 135°-140°). Place steak on a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.
While meat rests, heat a skillet over medium-high heat, melt unsalted butter, add squash and cook, tossing to re-heat and brown; add cranberries and toss just until warmed.
Thinly slice meat. Arrange kale on a platter. Top with squash, cranberries, and sliced meat. Sprinkle with pecans and shallot. Drizzle vinegar mixture over top and finish with cheese.
Original recipe by Hannah Klinger, September 2017, https://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/steak-salad-butternut-squash-cranberries, modified by Wendy Hyde, November 2019