Blackened Venison Roast

Keith's Recipes

Cajun Venison Roast

So, watching a venison roast thaw and trying to figure out what to do with it can lead to a lot of ideas. On this particular occasion, I decided I wanted something spicy, because I didn't know what deer this roast was from, so I didn't know if it was going to be gamy or not. I figured blackening it would be enough to compensate for any gamy flavor, if there was any, but would still be nice if the roast was really good...

Blackened Venison Roast

Serves about 4

• 2-3 lb. venison roast
• 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 large lime
• 1 medium lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. softened butter
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. white pepper
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 medium yellow onion

Part 1; Marinate

Juice the lime and lemon together, add the Worcestershire sauce and the soy sauce. Stir in the chopped garlic. Put over the venison roast and allow to marinate for about 24 hours, refrigerated. periodically turn, shake, or stir while marinating.

Take roast out of refrigerator about an hour before you plan to begin to cook it.

Part 2; Blackening

Mix paprika, sugar, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme, basil, mustard powder, garlic powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside for a minute.

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Remove roast from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Try to get the roast as dry as you can. Dispose of marinade.

Carefully butter the entire surface of the roast. This is similar to greasing a pan to bake, but with the opposite intent. You don't want the roast buttery, just sticky with the butter.

Pour the spice mixture onto a large plate, and press the buttered roast into the spices. Turn the roast and season each side, just pressing the roast into the spices. Make sure every surface of the roast is covered with the spice mixture. Don't forget the ends.

Heat a heavy skillet or heavy frying pan until it's good and hot. This will take a few minutes, and a little longer the heaver the pan. Without oil in the pan, you want to get the pan hot enough that a water droplet will dance.

Now, for actually blackening the roast. (Warning, this will be smokey, you'll want some ventilation.)

Put the roast in the pan. Cook for abut 3 minutes per side. Again, remember the ends. You may need to use tongs to hold the roast up while it cooks. The spice coating will be a dark, brownish-red color when you're done.

Part 3; Roasting

Transfer the roast to a roasting pan or dutch oven. Keep the roast on a rack so it's off the bottom of the pan.

Wash and peel the onion. Slice the onion into four thick slices. Use toothpicks to hold the slices onto the top of the roast as sort of a cover.

Cover the roasting pan or dutch oven and put in the oven. Bake to an internal temperature of 170°-180°F.

Part 4; Serving

Let the roast cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing. If you slice the roast thick, people who don't care for the spiciness will have an easier time removing the blackening rub for a milder flavor.

I like to serve this with baked potato and a sweet or sweetened vegetable.

This same concept should be good with beef, lamb, pork, elk, bison, or other roasts, as well as venison.