Grilled Leg of Venison

[Recipes Index] [World of Chefs]

Ingredients:

For the venison:

• 1 leg of venison
• Juice and zest of 3 oranges
• Juice of 1-1/2 lemons
• 1/3 cup of bourbon whiskey
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil and additional for brushing grill rack
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries, orange slices and rosemary sprigs for garnish

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Preparation:

Rinse venison leg with cold water and pat dry. In a bowl, combine the orange juice and zest, lemon juice, whiskey, olive oil, bay leaves, rosemary and celery salt. Coat the venison leg with the marinade and refrigerate for 24 hours. Baste the leg occasionally. Allow the venison to return to room temperature before cooking the following day.

To make the sauce, combine the lemon juice, orange juice, honey, sugar and water in a saucepan. Simmer the ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. Add the blueberries, stir the mix and bring the ingredients to a boil. Reduce the heat, continue cooking until the desired consistency is reached.

Prepare the barbeque grill. Place the leg of venison on a grill rack brushed with olive oil. Before basting, sear the meat quickly on both sides over the hot coals, and then baste with the marinade. Continue cooking on both sides until the meat is cooked through, basting frequently. Garnish serving plates with fresh blueberries, orange slices and rosemary sprigs, carve the venison and serve with the sauce.

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