I received samples of balsamic vinegar from Devo Olive Oil. Any opinions are my own.
The Food Blogger’s Challenge food this week is beef. I must admit that we really don’t eat beef around here. What we do eat is venison and if you ask me it’s close enough. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I cooked beef….
I had just received my Devo Olive Oil samples for the month and one of the vinegars they sent was Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar. I thought this would work well in a marinade for the venison - and so it did.
Dark Chocolate Balsamic and Cinnamon Marinated Venison Steak
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1 lb venison backstrap steaks
1/4 cup Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup strong coffee
2 TBS bourbon
2 cinnamon sticks broken in half
salt
Mix the balsamic, coffee, bourbon and cinnamon sticks in a bowl. Add the backstrap and let the steaks marinate for at least an hour, turning them halfway through.
Heat a grill or grill pan.
Remove the steaks from the marinade and pat dry. Salt them on both sides.
Place the steaks on the hot grill pan and grill for 2 1/2 minutes on one side and 3 minutes on the other.
While the steaks are grilling add the marinade to a small sauce pan and reduce until a thick syrup is present.
When the steaks are done grilling set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
I served these with mashed potatoes and green beans. A little bit of the sauce on top of the steaks. The marinade gave the steaks a lovely flavor; the chocolate and coffee were delicious together and the cinnamon was a perfect complement.
You can find the Dark Chocolate Balsamic at Devo Olive Oil.
Be sure to check out the other beef recipes from the Food Bloggers:
