Pasta With Venison and Porcini

Back around the time the earth cooled, there was a restaurant, Giordano’s, on West 39th Street near the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel. Craig Claiborne gave it three stars in his 1968 “New York Times Guide to Dining Out in New York.”Among the specialties was sautéed beef tenderloin, unusual because its sauce depended on white wine, not red. When I asked the chef about it, he said it was lighter that way.I had not made it in many years but as we tasted the 2004 Barolos and everyone’s appetite was whetted for pasta with a beef ragù and truffles, I thought of it. I decided to try it with venison and porcini to serve with fresh pasta. You’ll need some last-minute stove work before you can put it on the table and pour that Barolo.

Ingredients

• 1 venison tenderloin, 8 to 9 ounces, in 1-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• black pepper
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 ounce dried porcini
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 teaspoons purple Brive mustard, or Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, or half unsalted, half black truffle butter
• 6 ounces fresh fettuccine or pappardelle

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

    870 calories; 50 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 25 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 64 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 36 grams protein; 179 milligrams cholesterol; 148 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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2 servings

Preparation

1. Place venison in a bowl, add 2 tablespoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and leaves from 4 sprigs thyme. Mix well and set aside. Place porcini in a bowl, add 2/3 cup warm water and set aside. Wait 30 minutes.
2. In a bowl, mix wine and mustard together. Place a fine strainer over bowl and place porcini in it. Press out as much liquid as possible. Mix mushroom liquid with wine mixture. Dry porcini on paper towel and chop.
3. Heat remaining oil in a 12-inch skillet. Add shallots and chopped porcini and sauté over medium heat until tender and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for pasta.
4. Heat 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter in skillet on medium-high, add venison and quickly sear on all sides. Remove from pan. Return shallots and porcini to pan and add reserved liquid. Simmer until somewhat reduced. Stir in remaining butter or truffle butter. Remove from heat.
5. Boil pasta about 4 minutes, drain and add to skillet. Simmer contents of skillet briefly, tossing ingredients together, until heated through. Check seasoning. Add venison, toss again and serve garnished with thyme sprigs.

30 minutes