Roast Venison Tenderloin with Wild-Mushroom Sauce

What American families call tradition can take many forms when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner.

 Customs vary as people marry and move to new locations.

Hunters make no small contribution to this annual ritual of sit-down, buffet, or backyard extravaganza.

While 91 percent of Americans eat turkey, others enjoy venison, duck, geese, and delicacies including oysters and crab.

You can create this eye-popping roast venison in less than an hour and no guest will miss the turkey. (Not a hunter? Get venison at a specialty meat market or butcher shop.)

Roast Venison Tenderloin with Wild-Mushroom Sauce

A 2-pound venison tenderloin

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided,

cooking spray

2 small packages fresh

shiitake mushrooms

1/4 cup minced shallots

3/4 cup port wine

1 cup beef broth\

2 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch

Venison: Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Place on a broiler rack coated with cooking spray; put a meat thermometer into the thickest part.

Bake for 20 minutes or until thermometer reaches 145 degrees (medium-rare) to 160 degrees (medium). Cover with foil; let stand 10 minutes.

Sauce: Remove and discard stems from mushrooms; slice caps. Coat a nonstick pan with cooking spray (or 1 tablespoon margarine or butter) and heat until hot. Add shallots and mushrooms; saute until tender (about 4 minutes). Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and port wine; cook 2 minutes. Whisk cornstarch with broth in a small bowl; add to skillet and bring to a boil; stir 1 minute until thick.

Place venison on serving platter; dribble with mushroom sauce. Serves 8. Recipe can be doubled. 

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