A great venison sandwich rarely gets the credit it deserves. Such a concept is overshadowed by grilled backstrap or smoked inner loins, perhaps even homemade jerky. But if you’re the kind of sandwich connoisseur who would travel great distances for a quality deli sub before you’d ever darken the doors of a Jimmy John’s or Subway, this one is for you.
Additionally, below I share the roast-and-reverse-sear method for venison roasts. Your best roasts for this recipe (and most recipes, in general) come from the hindquarters (e.g., the top round, bottom round, sirloin tip). So if you don’t want to turn venison roasts into sandwiches, you can put this technique to use for something as simple as “Roast of Venison.”
In regard to equipment, it’s easier to slice meat into sandwich-size slices using a meat slicer. Same goes for your vegetables like onions (I still use a knife for tomatoes). MEAT! (meatyourmaker.com) has a decent selection of slicers at direct-to-consumer prices. You can certainly use a very sharp fillet or chef knife to slice, too. To make the spread, you’ll want a food processor, but most any blender will do. Also, and I’ve said this several times across many articles, pick up a pepper mill and whole black peppercorns. Freshly cracked pepper makes a huge difference versus boxed ground black pepper.
The spread is basically a spin-off of the spinach-artichoke dips you’ll see at parties, but with horseradish instead of mayonnaise and no cheese other than the cream cheese. You’re welcome to substitute any spread, but I do recommend a quality brioche bun for this sandwich. (Or whatever bread you prefer for a quality sandwich.)
Ingredients (makes four servings):
- 1¾ pounds of venison roast (perhaps football roast)
- Kosher salt, freshly cracked pepper and granulated garlic
- Olive oil
- Brioche buns
Spread:
- 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach
- One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped garlic
- 1/4 cup creamy horseradish
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Topping suggestions:
- Sliced tomatoes
- Green leaf lettuce
- Sliced red onions
- Dill pickle slices
To roast venison, thaw and trim roast of all silver skin and fascia. Liberally salt and pepper all sides with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper (get yourself a pepper mill if you don’t have one, and whole black peppercorns, to do this). Also dust all sides with granulated garlic.
After dusting roast with spices, allow roast to sit outside fridge for 2 hours to come to room temperature.
Lightly coat roast in olive oil and roast at 200 degrees Fahrenheit in oven until internal temperature reads 110 degrees (this takes 1½ hours in my oven). Check after an hour, and every 15 minutes after that so as not to overcook.
Once internal temperature hits 110, pull roast, and in a piping-hot cast-iron skillet or over a fire heated between 600 and 700 degrees, reverse-sear all sides for a hearty crust.
After thoroughly reverse-searing all sides, remove roast and allow to rest for 45 minutes to an hour prior to slicing.
To make spread, remove cream cheese from wrapper and place on microwave-safe plate and zap for 20–30 seconds to soften. Drain artichoke can of all water.
Rinse spinach and add to food processor along with all spread ingredients. Thoroughly puree.
Once venison has rested, slice against the grain to approximate 1/8-inch-thick slices. Apply spinach artichoke spread to both sides of a brioche bun and add your favorite toppings: sliced tomatoes, sliced red onions, green leaf lettuce, dill pickle slices or anything else (jalapeños anyone?)
Pile on the roasted venison and enjoy!
Reach out to me on Instagram (@WildGameJack) with any questions or comments.
Try another one of Jack’s recipes:
