Ingredients
Elk Loin:
2 8-oz Elk Strip Loin Steaks in Cryovac Bags
2 oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cook at 132 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 hours
Mushroom Powder:
5# of mixed mushrooms
¼ C. butter
2 T fresh thyme
Salt to taste
Jalapeno Apple Butter:
2 Apples
½ # jalapenos, seeded and gills removed
½ C. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 cup water
Sugar as needed
Pinch cinnamon
Pinch salt
Juice of a half a lemon
Oat Risotto:
1 # steel cut oats
1 shallot, finely chopped
Beef stock
½ t. fresh thyme leaves
3 T. pickled cherries
3 each figs
Parsnip and Celeriac Puree:
2# Parsnip, peeled
2# Celeriac, peeled
4oz butter
Heavy cream
Salt
White pepper
Braised Fall Greens:
2# kale
1# carrot tops
1# beet greens
Butter
Garlic shaved
Sugar
White wine
Method of Preparation:
Cook mushrooms over high heat in the butter until light brown and liquid from mushrooms has cooked off. Add thyme and salt to mushrooms. Lay on a sheet tray and bake for 4-6 hours at 150 degrees Fahrenheit or until mushrooms are dry and crumbly. Pulse in a food processor until powder like.
Cook apples, jalapenos, vinegar and water over medium heat for 20 minutes. Puree with a hand blender until smooth and pass through a fine strainer. For every cup of apple mixture, add a ½ cup of sugar and the remaining ingredients. Return to the heat and cook for 45-60 minutes. Mixture should be thick.
In a large pan, sweat the shallots in butter until translucent. Turn the heat up to medium and toast the oats with the shallots. Once toasted, slowly start incorporating the beef stock in small increments and stirring constantly. Continue this process for 30 minutes or until the oats are just cooked through. Pickle the cherries in equal parts red wine vinegar and sugar. Place the whole figs over the open flame until beginning to char and turn black. Chop the cherries and figs into bite sized pieces. Combine the cherries and figs into the oats for service.
Boil the parsnips and celeriac in salted water until just fork tender or for about 15-20 minutes. Send the parsnips and celeriac through a ricer. Fold the butter into the mixture and add just enough heavy cream to make a smooth whipped potato like consistency. Season with salt and white pepper.
Clean the greens off of their stems and slice into thin ribbons. With a small pad of butter, sauté the garlic and the greens until wilted and soft. Season with a small amount of sugar, just to help remove the bitter flavor and finish with white wine and another pad of butter.
Plating:
Remove the elk loin from the bag and pat dry. Sear in a hot pan over high heat on all sides just to form a crust. Lightly brush the jalapeno apple butter onto the outside of the loin and roll lightly in the mushroom powder. Spread some of the parsnip and celeriac puree onto the plate into an eye pleasing design. Try and squeeze out some of the liquid from the greens and place on the plate along with the oats. Cut the elk so you can see the interior of the elk loin and place on top of the oats and greens. Place some small amounts of the remaining apple butter on the plate and garnish with micro greens.