Tim Wagner hunts and enjoys cooking venison for his family. This is his recipe for Venison with Bourbon Cream Sauce, which is sort of like stroganoff, or venison with rice. Or potatoes. It’s one of those things that can go with several options. Wagner sometimes chooses roasted potatoes with garlic and rosemary, but also serves it with spaetzle — the delicious German dumpling — and a nice wine or cold beer. Enjoy.

INGREDIENTS

Venison backstrap (as much as you desire)

Salt

Coarse-ground black pepper

Garlic powder

Butter

Bourbon

Small onion (optional)

Sliced mushrooms

Heavy cream or cream of mushroom soup (thinned with milk)

DIRECTIONS

Season the backstrap(s) with salt, coarse-ground black pepper and garlic powder — light on the garlic powder, but heavy on the black pepper. Heat a large cast iron pan to medium hot and throw in a couple of chunks of butter. Saute backstraps until rare to medium rare, remove to warming dish and place in 250-degree oven. Saute sliced onion (if desired) adding a little butter if needed. Add mushrooms and immediately deglaze pan so mushrooms absorb the flavor — simmer until alcohol is evaporated and mushrooms are done. Add heavy cream (or cream of mushroom soup thinned with enough milk to make it drip off a spoon, but not runny) until you’ve got enough sauce for however much venison you cooked — plus enough to spoon for rice or mashed potatoes or spaetzle, if you want. Stir well so pan juices, mushrooms and cream are mixed thoroughly. Remove venison from the oven and pour the juices into the sauce. Mix thoroughly and heat sauce throughout. Add venison back into sauce, or plate venison and spoon sauce on top.