Fifth best thing I made this year: venison chops

This year I got pretty deep into a relationship with venison. I feel good about eating something that is so organic, so wholesome, and knowing exactly where it came from and how it got to my table. It doesn't hurt that the chops are lean, cook in a flash, and can stand up to a flavorful sauce.

I did my venison chops in two primary ways. Both of them involve a chop quickly seared in a screaming-hot cast iron skillet, then finished with a pan sauce. The first one was a blueberry/white wine cream sauce.

 To make the sauce, you kind of just throw everything in the same cast iron skillet and let it all bubble away. Blueberries, wine, butter, cream, a little garlic- you could slather it on a piece of construction paper and the effect would be similar. Delicious, any way you cut it. 

The second way I did my chops was with a juniper berry/red wine sauce.

I crushed the berries beforehand to let out a little more of the flavor. Juniper berries aren't like blueberries, they are dried and quite hard. Crushing them with the side of a knife or a mortar and pestle is key.

Don't shy away from venison. If you eat other kinds of red meat, the taste won't be that much of a shock to you. If you'd like me to make it for you, you can woo me with Monica's Gourmet Cookies.