Blueberry Shitake Tenderloin

Earthy mushrooms and fresh blueberries make great complements to self-harvested venison tenderloin. Simply sear a whole tenderloin (or part of it) in a pan of butter and olive oil, then make the sauce from the yummy drippings left behind. 

We opted to use wine in our sauce, but you can also use juice. We found that the wine left the blueberry-shitake sauce a tad bit tart, so you may want to add a little sugar to balance the flavors out. Not only was this dish delicious, it was also quick to make!

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 20-30 minutes

Ingredients:

- venison tenderloin, kept whole (amount depends on how much you want to eat)

- kosher salt, to taste

- freshly ground black pepper, to taste

- 4 tbs. butter

- 2 tbs. olive oil

- 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries (or frozen), slightly crushed

- 1/3 cup of fresh shitake mushrooms (or your favorite) , stems removed and sliced

- 1/2 cup of elderberry wine (or your choice of berry fruit juice)

-  sugar (optional), to taste

We used shitake mushrooms but white button mushrooms will work just as fine. Stick to mushrooms that are more mild in flavor. 

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Remove all silver skin and fat from venison tenderloin. Dab dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Make sure you let the tenderloin come to room temperature before you go to cook it.

2. In a pan, heat 2 tbs. of butter and 2 tbs. of olive oil over medium-high heat.  When the pan is hot, quickly sear the venison on both sides until you get a nice brown color-- about 2 minutes each side. 

Move the tenderloin to an ovenproof dish. Put it in the oven to allow it to keep warm and continue to cook to medium- rare. DO NOT OVERCOOK.

3. Lower the heat to medium, and add sliced mushrooms to the same pan with the venison drippings.

And the blueberries... saute until the mushrooms are soft and the blueberries start to break down, stirring often.

4. Then add the wine or juice, scraping all the tasty bits from the bottom of the pan.

5. Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Then add the remaining 2 tbs. of butter. 

 Mmmm.... doesn't that look yummy?

Stir in some salt and sugar, if desired. You want a balance between sweetness, tartness and a little saltiness. 

And during this whole time, make sure you don't forget the tenderloin in the oven. Internal temperature for medium-rare should be 125-130 degrees F.  

Slice tenderloin into medallions.

Drizzle blueberry-shitake sauce over the medallions. Serve with your favorite sides!

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