A takeout staple of every Asian restaurant, Mongolian beef, pork, chicken, you name it is a play on sweet and spicy, savory and sticky. Here is the Huntavore twist with venison.
The Cut: Eye Round
From the hind quarter, and tucked in between the top round and the bottom round is the eye, or inside round as some call it. This cut is tender enough that it can be made fork tender without much effort, yet toothy enough to hold itself together and not disintegrate in the sauce.
Cut cross grain, ¼” thick. Then using a mallet or backside of your cast iron skillet, pound each piece to ⅛” but still leaving the piece intact.
Ingredients: 2 venison eye rounds, olive oil, Soy Sauce,¼ cup beef or venison stock, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, ½ teaspoon minced ginger, ½ teaspoon chili flake or dried chilis, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, 1 sliced bell pepper, 1 sliced onion, half a can of baby corn, half a can of water chestnuts
Directions:
- Marinade the prepared venison eye round pieces in a zip top bag with; 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Seal the bag, roll the mixture around in the meat, let the marinade work for an hour.
- Prepare the sauce by mixing the beef stock or venison stock, brown sugar (2 tablespoons for savory, 3 tablespoons for more sweet), ⅛ cup of soy sauce, ⅛ cup of water (I filled a ¼ cup with half soy sauce and half water). 30 seconds in the microwave and stir again so all sugar is dissolved.
- Heat a skillet on high with some oil, lay each piece of marinated venison flat in a clockwise fashion careful to not over crowd. After 45 seconds or so, check your first piece for sear and flip. Do this all the way around the skillet, and pull pieces when both sides have a nice sear, and set on a plate or cookie sheet to rest.
- With the empty pan, add oil, minced ginger, and chili flakes or dried chilies for 15 seconds to infuse the oil, next add minced garlic, careful to not burn any of the ingredients. Also spice does go a long way.
- Add the pre-mixed sauce and use a non metal spatula or spoon to scrape and deglaze the bottom of the pan. Bring it to a simmer and add a mixed slurry of 1 to 1 water and cornstarch. As the sauce begins to thicken, add the meat and juices, add your favorite veggies. Mine happen to be sliced bell pepper, sliced onions, baby corns, and water chestnuts. Mix thoroughly, coating every bit in sauce. Keep cooking if the sauce seems thin and wont coat. If coating too quickly, add a splash of water to thin.
- Serve with rice or flour tortilla
