Venison Curry

Method

1. To begin, prepare your deer tenderloin by trimming off any silver skin. In a large bowl, combine the plain yogurt, garam masala, turmeric, garlic, salt, and pepper. Coat the tenderloin with the yogurt mixture, ensuring it's thoroughly covered. Place the tenderloin in a Ziploc bag, ensuring all air is removed, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours.

2. When you would like to cook the venison, preheat a water bath to 120°F (49°C) using your sous vide. Submerge the bag with the marinated venison in the water bath, and let it cook for 4 hours.

3. With 30 minutes left on the meat, prepare the curry base. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds, and cook until golden brown and sizzling, about 3 minutes. Add the onion, tomatoes, cilantro stems, and ginger to the pan, and sauté until the mixture becomes soft and fragrant, about 5 to 7 minutes. Then, add minced garlic and cook for another minute.

4. Remove the venison from the water bath (at this point it should have cooked for 4 hours total and should read 120°F (49°C) at its thickest point). Discard the plastic bag and pat the meat dry with paper towels. Cut the tenderloin into bite-sized pieces. In a separate pan, heat oil over high heat and sear the venison pieces on all sides until a brown crust forms, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

5. Add the venison to the pan with the curry mixture and stir well to combine. Turn the heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes, giving the flavors time to meld together. Remove from the heat and ladle into bowls. Garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges. Serve with your choice of bread, roti, or rice.