RECIPE: Venison Rib Racks with Spiced Molasses-Soy Drizzle
Perfectly cooked Venison Rib Rack- or as we like to say Venison Lollipops! Easily pan-seared and finished in the oven or grilled over the fire- drizzled with a bold, sweet, and tangy syrupy sauce. And yes, it’s as delicious as it looks!
Mark Cockcroft
Ingredients
- 2 packs Maui Nui venison rib racks
- 6 tbsp molasses
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 6 strips of orange zest, from about ¾ of an orange
- 8 sprigs of fresh thyme or 2 large rosemary sprig
- 1 1/2 tsp lightly crushed cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl mix the molasses, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, orange zest, thyme, cumin, and black pepper. Arrange each piece of rib chop to lay flat in a large zip lock bag.
Then pour the molasses mixture into the bag and gently press as much air out of the bag as you can and then seal the bag.
Gently massage the bag to make sure the marinade covers all the meat. Set in a container in case of leaks and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours (overnight is the best), flipping the bag a few times to make sure the marinade is evenly distributed.
When ready to cook, remove the rib racks carefully from the bag, pat gently dry, and set aside.
Pour the marinade into a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat until reduced and begins to get syrupy (it will thicken up a bit more as it cools, so don’t let it reduce too much on the stove).
Then pass through a fine-mesh strainer into a container and discard the solids. You should have about 1/3 cup of the finished product.
Cook the rib racks using your preferred method – they can be grilled or pan-seared and finished in the oven.
To grill, set up a 2 zone fire with charcoal or burners (turned up high) on one side of the grill and a safe zone with no heat source on the other side. Rub the racks with the oil and cook, flipping every few minutes, on the hot side of the grill until richly browned all over. Move to the safe zone and cover the grill (leave some venting open on a charcoal grill).
To pan sear and roast, preheat your oven to 400F. Set a large, heavy oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Rub the racks with the oil and then sear all over the pan until richly browned. Place the pan with the racks in the oven.
For both methods, cook to your desired degree of doneness – my preference is about 125F for medium-rare – for about 8 to 12 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes, then carve into chops through the ribs, plate, and drizzle with a little of the spiced molasses-soy mixture. Enjoy!