Reindeer Roast With Game Sauce

[Quick Facts]
Main Ingredients: Reindeer, suet, full fat milk, flour, sour cream, red curant jelly, goat cheese
Time Required: 3 hours 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 5 pounds (2.27 kg) leg of reindeer
  • Strips of suet, 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick
  • 1/2 cup (1 1/4 dl) butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup (2 1/2 dl) whole milk, warm
  • 1 cup (2 1/2 dl) water
  • Sauce:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoon flour
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • 2 teaspoon red currant jelly
  • 1 slice brown goat cheese
  • Instructions:

    Roast:
    (1) Wash meat in cold water and dry well.

    (2) Trim off fat and excess skin (not the membrane that keeps muscles together).

    (3) Game meat tends to be rather dry and should be larded. With thin, sharp knife, make deep holes or pockets in meat and stuff in strips of suet.

    (4) Tie the roast, and rub with salt and pepper.

    (5) Brown butter in large, heavy pot on top of stove. An iron pot is preferred. Grease thoroughly with butter or margarine before using.

    (6) Place meat in pot, meaty side down. Brown well on all sides, adding more butter as needed. Turn with two wooden spoons to avoid pricking meat.

    (7) When brown, pour on the warm milk and water, and reduce heat. Cover, leaving lid slightly ajar allowing steam to escape. Cook slowly 2 to 2 1/2 hours, basting meat occasionally. Add more milk and water as needed to keep meat covered about two thirds. When cooking is completed, remove meat and keep warm.

    Sauce:
    (8) Brown butter, stir in flour, add drippings from roast a little at a time, stirring constantly to make a smooth, medium thin sauce (the sour cream will thicken it). Cook 5 to 8 minutes.

    (9) Stir in sour cream, currant jelly and goat cheese. Add salt if necessary. Let simmer a while, but do not boil.

    (10) Slice and arrange meat on warm serving platter. Decorate with parsley and tomatoes.

    (11) Serve sauce in separate dish. Accompanied with parsleyed, steam-dried potatoes, or small browned potatoes, and any kind if green vegetable (Brussels sprouts or peas are very good). If available, rowan berry jelly with its sharp flavor is an excellent accompaniment to any game.

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