I’ve posted about Maui Nui Axis deer before here. In short it’s a delicious and densely nutrient and protein packed meat that is sustainably “raised” (since it is mostly wild) and harvested on the island of Maui, Hawaii. The leg roast is consistently my favorite cut due to its versatility and -relative to other cuts- affordability.
Impatient? Skip to the recipe.
I’ve made a version of Lebanese Shawarma with it a couple of times and it’s always a big hit with the family. The marinade and cooking can be adapted to beef, lamb or even pork with little to no changes except maybe for some of the cooking time. You can of course use this for chicken, but it is not the traditional flavor profile for chicken shawarma. I will post about that one at a later time.
To make it the venison is trimmed and flattened a bit to have an even thickness. I also like to score it to allow for more of the seasoning to get in more nooks and crannies. The deep slashes also provide more surface area for the fire to give me those tasty darker browned portions.
Venison Roast, Lebanese Shawarma Style
Servings: 4 – 5
Shawarma
- 1000 Venison roast (or lamb leg, for beef use sirloin or ribeye), preferably leg
- 12 gr Salt
- 2 – 3 Roma tomatoes, grated coarsely
- Small chopped onion
- 120 gr (½ Cup) Red Wine
- 120 gr (½ Cup) Vinegar (Distilled white is fine)
- 1 Tbsp ground black pepper
- 1.5 tsp ground cardamom
- 1.5 tsp ground cumin
- 60 ml (¼ Cup) Olive oil
- ½ tsp ground Allspice
- 2 – 3 Bay leaves, crumbled
Suggested Accompaniment
- Hummus (recipe here)
- Tahini sauce aka taratoor (recipe here)
- Yogurt-garlic-cucumber sauce (like tzatziki)
- Pita/Pocket flat bread
- Chopped lettuce, Tomatoes and Pickles
- Chopped Italian parsley mixed with thinly sliced red onions and sumac
- Basmati rice pilaf
- Butterfly and even out the thickness of the roast. You should have a rough rectangle of about 1.5 inches thick or so. Remove any gristle or silverskin.
- Season the meat with salt all over.
- Mix together the remainder of the ingredients and smear all over the meat.
- Place it in a dish, cover and let marinate for at least 4 hours, but 8 to 12 hours is better.
- Grill over hot charcoal to desired doneness. I like to shoot for a medium, pink in the center, about 135 F.
- Alternatively you can roast in a 450F oven, and in this case scatter some extra sliced tomatoes and onions on top for moisture and more flavor.
- Slice and serve as desired.