Marinated steak rolls with sautéed veggies

Steak hasn't always been a staple in my repertoire, 

but ever since my husband got his first deer last November, 

our freezer has been stuffed with this lean, 

tender meat and I have had a great time trying out different steak recipes.

The whole family has embraced the venison and 

I'm pleased with the meals that have come together over the last few months.  

Lots of soups, even a risotto, 

last night was a crowd-pleaser for the hearty appetite of the men in my family.

So, starting with some venison strip steaks, 

probably a little thicker than the usually prescribed flank steaks, 

but I'm crazy like that...always willing to change things up, improvise and go with what I've got.

It is worth noting that it is uber important for venison or any wild game to be cooked thoroughly.  So please keep that in mind!  

The marinade was a simple sprinkling of salt and pepper,

followed by a 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 

that had an hour or so to hang out and get acquainted with one another. 

While the marinade was doing it's thing, 

I took an inventory of the veggies in the fridge and started chopping. 

A few stalks of celery, 

red and green bell peppers, shredded carrots (will work in a pinch) and 

green onions, cut the long way, 

will make for the perfect combination of flavors and textures inside this steak roll.  

Chopping is very therapeutic for me…

few thing are more relaxing for me than a knife, cutting board and some fresh produce 

(accompanied by a glass of a red never hurts either!)

This bottle was a recent find as I seek out the best values in wine.

 It was full-bodied yet smooth, great pair for the venison as well as the prep. 

Before sautéing the veggies, I started the balsamic glaze reduction.  

Reductions have always been a little intimidating for me and 

easily the first thing I would skip if time were tight.  

However, they are almost always worth the time and 

not nearly as much hassle as they may seem at first. 

Start with melting 2 tbsp of butter in a sauté pan, 

then add 1 chopped shallot, which I actually had on hand, 

otherwise, I'd use some onions, just the same.  

Once the shallots were cooked, I added a half cup of balsamic vinegar and a half cup of beef broth (if I don't have broth on hand, I just use a bouillon cube to achieve a similar effect). 

After the glaze had reduced down and thickened to a syrup consistency, 

I poured it into the measuring cup for use later. 

I tossed all of the chopped veggies into the same pan with some hot oil 

to soften a bit prior to rolling into the steaks.  

The next time I make this, 

I would not sauté the green onions, 

the texture of the raw green onion would have been a nice touch in the finished dish.

  

Finally, the veggies were laid in the middle of the steaks and the meat was rolled up around it,

 being secured by a toothpick before going into the pan for some heat of its own.  

Once there was some nice crust formed on both sides of the steaks, 

I put a cover on the pan to help cook the meat thoroughly.  

Pour the glaze and serve…

many thumbs ups, kudos and even knucks were awarded over the delight of this meal. 

Hope your family enjoys as well!

RECIPE:

Marinade Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

4 venison strip steaks

salt and pepper - to taste

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

3 stalks celery

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

Carrots

Green onions

2 tbsp butter

1 shallot - minced

1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar 

1/2 cup of beef broth

Directions:

Marinade steaks with salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce, allow to sit for 1 hour. 

Chop up veggies into strips for stuffing .

Make reduction by melting butter and sautéing shallots. 

Then add vinegar and broth, simmer until thickened and set aside. 

Lightly sautee the veggies, excluding the green onion. 

Place all of the veggies on the marinated steaks and roll up, securing with toothpick. 

Start cooking the steak rolls over medium-high heat to sear the meat and form a crust, cook each side for 4-6 minutes. 

Then, reduce the heat, cover and allow the steaks to cook thoroughly, turning as necessary. 

Finally, top with the balsamic reduction and serve.