Emeril Green
Episode: "Are You Game?"

June 7, 2010

Ingredients
Venison:
1 cup good quality bourbon
¾ cup fresh orange juice
½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
1 bunch fresh thyme
2 lbs venison loin or filet
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 whole ancho chilies
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 heads garlic, minced
1 bag cranberries (10 ounces)
1 cup orange juice
½ cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
2 whole cloves
¼ teaspoon chili powder

In a medium saucepan, combine bourbon, orange juice, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves and thyme and gently heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Cool completely. Place venison in a resealable plastic bag and cover with the marinade. Let stand in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours. Allow venison to come to room temperature before roasting.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove venison from the marinade. Season all sides of the loin with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over high heat. Sear the loin in the hot oil on all sides (1 to 2 minutes). Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. The venison will be medium-rare when it reaches 125°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the venison loin from the skillet and allow meat to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Heat a medium size sauté pan over medium heat and toast the ancho chilies for 1 ½ minutes per side or just until they become pliable and slightly fragrant. Prepare the sauce for the venison by combining the whole ancho chilies, chopped yellow onion and garlic in a medium saucepan and add just enough water to cover. Simmer the chilies for 5 minutes or until they are tender. Let cool. Pour into the bowl of a blender and puree until smooth.

In a medium saucepan combine the ancho chili puree, cranberries, orange juice, sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and chili powder. Bring cranberry sauce up to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until most of the cranberries have popped. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Serve with the venison loin.

Serves 4-6.

Emeril Lagasse and Team Planet Green