It was a couple of weeks before Christmas when I heard that my grandfather had shot a gigantic buck and would be giving me the loins! My imagination set in motion with thoughts of hosting a 12-person dinner party in Cambridge with this lovely loot. When the loin arrived, I saw I was allotted a single loin (and neither tenderloin) – my grandfather had judiciously decided to save these cuts for his table. So, instead, I set out to cook a simpler dinner for 6 my immediate family in Hummelstown, PA. Note that this loin was still huge in proportions, weighing in at 38 oz. The deer was older than most that produce venison that would be acquired at a restaurant, so I was also anticipating some strong, almost smoky and gamey flavors in the dish.

I chose a Friuli dish because it could be made with relative ease compared to some preparations (see the excellent venison dish in Nopi). It was also particularly striking in terms of presentation and color on the table. Overall, the flavor was not quite as gamey as I was expecting, and the dish was not the knockout that some of the other preparations I made have been. My family in particular remembers a venison preparation from “Everyone Eats Well in Belgium” as one of the best meals I’ve ever made for them. The pears and onions caramelized in venison juices were a favorite part of mine. The zuf (polenta with squash) turned out pretty, if a bit less luxurious that I would ideally pair with a deer loin.

Cooking Notes: make sure you get very coarse polenta. It will improve the dish. Don’t under-season the zuf. Use butternut squash instead of pumpkin next time (I needed to add butter and brown sugar when I blended it to get it up to snuff, a practice I’d recommend for this dish.) I wrapped the roast carefully with butchers twine – just ask the butcher at the supermarket for a favor of a yard or two of twine. Take care not to overcook the venison. For this 38oz loin, I had to finish it in the oven for the last 10 minutes (35 minutes total), but this came out a bit over (I rescued it by slicing before it rested, so it probably ended up less juicy than it otherwise would have.) Pull it out when the center averages around 125F. I had to hold up one end of the loin with tongs for most of the 20 minutes on the stove to get it to cook evenly, which worked! Those fresh chives are important; don’t substitute dried or anything.

Joe’s Rating: 6.5
Difficulty: 5