We spotted a beautiful venison tenderloin at our butcher and immediately knew what we wanted to do with it. This is one of those cuts that doesn’t need much fuss. The meat is already tender and full of character, so you can keep things simple and still serve a dish that really stands out when you have guests over.
Venison works exceptionally well with slightly sweet flavours, which is why we paired it with a blackberry sauce. Both venison and blackberries belong in the forest, and that natural connection translates perfectly onto the plate. The sauce adds just enough freshness and depth without overpowering the meat.
These are two venison tenderloins. Venison is naturally very tender, but the tenderloin is exceptionally soft. The meat has a deep, dark red colour, which is usually a good sign that the flavour will be just as good. Venison is, of course, game meat and has that distinctive character, but the tenderloin itself is much milder than other cuts because it’s leaner.
We simply season the meat with salt and pepper and place it in the refrigerator. One to two hours is more than enough.
While the meat rests, we fire up the grill to start working on the blackberry sauce. We use a small cast-iron saucepan, just large enough for this sauce. Cast iron also helps keep the sauce warm when it’s time to serve.
If you happen to be cooking during blackberry season, fresh blackberries are perfect. Otherwise, frozen blackberries work just as well and are just as easy to use.
Once the blackberries have completely broken down, add a few sprigs of thyme to the sauce. As it continues to simmer, the thyme releases a subtle, fresh aroma.
When the blackberries are fully cooked, move the pan to the side and let the sauce reduce slightly.
Venison is grilled straight from the refrigerator over direct heat. Let the tenderloins sit for about one minute, then turn them. This way, they cook evenly on all sides until just below medium-rare.
We stay on the safe side and grill them to no more than 52°C (126°F). Venison tends to dry out quickly if overcooked, and that would be a shame.
The sauce gets a quick spin in the blender to make it smooth and even. We keep a few whole blackberries aside for serving, so it’s immediately clear what kind of sauce you’re dealing with.
If you decide to make this venison tenderloin yourself, let us know in the comments. Or even better, take a photo and share it on social media. Tag @bbqhelden so we can see what you’ve made.
Ingredients
- Venison tenderloin
- Salt and pepper
For the blackberry sauce
- 50 ml balsamic vinegar
- 100 ml red wine
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 2 juniper berries, lightly crushed
- 250 g frozen blackberries
- A few sprigs of thyme
Instructions
- Remove the silver skin from the venison tenderloins and season them generously with salt and pepper. Place them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
- Prepare your grill for two-zone cooking with a kettle temperature of about 250°C (480°F).
- Place a small saucepan over the heat and add the balsamic vinegar and red wine. Stir in the sugar and the crushed juniper berries.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, add the blackberries. When the blackberries start to soften, add the fresh thyme. When the blackberries have fully broken down, move the pan to the side and let the sauce reduce slightly.
- Grill the venison tenderloins over direct heat, turning regularly, until they reach an internal temperature of about 52°C (126°F). Remove the meat from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes.
- Remove the woody thyme stems from the sauce and blend it until smooth.
- Slice the venison tenderloins into neat slices about 1 cm thick and serve them with the blackberry sauce.
