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Sliced pan seared venison loin with glossy blackberry jus on a dark slate plate, garnished with fresh thyme

Pan Seared Venison with Blackberry Jus

Pan seared venison loin served with a fast blackberry jus made directly in the searing pan. Bold, lean, and built for cooks who want restaurant results at home.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 340
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Venison
  • 4 pieces, each approx 170 g venison loin steaks about 2.5 cm thick, trimmed of sinew
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil avocado or grapeseed oil
  • 1 tsp flaky sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly cracked
Blackberry Jus
  • 150 g fresh or thawed frozen blackberries about 1 cup
  • 120 ml dry red wine Merlot or Pinot Noir
  • 240 ml beef stock good quality, low sodium
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 3 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 2 garlic cloves lightly crushed
  • 1 medium shallot finely diced
  • 30 g unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes
  • 1 tsp honey optional, to balance acidity

Method
 

Prepare the venison
  1. Remove venison steaks from the fridge 20 minutes before cooking and pat completely dry with paper towel.
  2. Season generously on both sides with flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper just before cooking.
Sear the venison
  1. Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet over high heat for 2 minutes until smoking. Add the oil and swirl to coat.
  2. Add two venison steaks at a time. Sear for 2 to 2.5 minutes per side until deeply brown and crusted. Do not move them during searing.
  3. Check internal temperature - pull at 52 C / 125 F for medium-rare. Transfer to a warm plate, loosely cover with foil, and rest for 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining steaks.
Build the blackberry jus
  1. Reduce the skillet heat to medium. Add the shallot and garlic to the pan drippings and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until softened and lightly golden.
  2. Pour in the red wine and scrape up all the browned bits from the pan. Let it bubble and reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add the blackberries, beef stock, red wine vinegar, and thyme sprigs. Stir and crush the blackberries lightly with the back of the spoon.
  4. Simmer over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes until the jus has reduced by about a third and coats the back of a spoon.
  5. Remove the thyme sprigs and garlic. Strain the jus through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan, pressing the solids to extract all the liquid.
  6. Return the saucepan to low heat. Taste and add honey if needed. Remove from heat and whisk in the cold butter cubes one at a time until the jus is glossy and silky.
Serve
  1. Slice each venison steak against the grain into 3 to 4 pieces or serve whole. Spoon the blackberry jus over the meat and serve immediately.

Notes

For the cleanest jus, strain it twice if your sieve is coarse - blackberry seeds are small and a few can slip through. A second pass gives you a sauce with a noticeably smoother texture.