Beautiful Sous Vide Antelope on Zucchini Cakes

One of my favorite things is when people challenge me with food. Just a short while ago, I had a friend tell me that he had some wild antelope from North Oklahoma. Never having cooked antelope before, I was feeling challenged, but up for the opportunity. After doing some research, I came up with a suitable dish — a beautiful antelope on zucchini cake. So, I grabbed my Anova Precision Cooker and fired her up, excited at the possibility of a gorgeous deep color that I knew antelope was famous for. With minimal effort, thanks to my precision cooker, I created a perfect medium rare antelope, paired with a nice, savory zucchini cake and crema. Top it with a few herbs and you're good to go.

Author

Mike Castaneda

Christian. Disabled veteran. Father. Named "One of the 10 best cooks in America" by Food Network, World Food Championship Qualified.

Prep Time: 00:40

Recipe Time: 02:00

Temperature : 120F / 48.9C

Ingredients

• 1 (2-pound) antelope tenderloin
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 zucchini, grated on the large holes of a box grater
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 2 teaspoons water
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Chopped lettuce, for serving

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 120ºF (48ºC).
2. Season the tenderloin with salt and pepper. Place in a large zipper lock or vacuum seal bag. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique or a vacuum sealer on the moist setting. Place in the water bath and set the timer for 2 hours, or up to 4 hours.
3. About 30 minutes before the tenderloin is finished, prepare the zucchini cakes: Place the grated zucchini in the middle of a clean kitchen towel. Bring the edges of the towel together into a sack. Wring the towel tightly to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Transfer zucchini to a large bowl.
4. Add the egg, flour, and cornstarch. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Shape the zucchini mixture into small cakes, using about 2 tablespoons in each cake. Transfer to a plate.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add zucchini cakes to fill the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium low and fry until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining zucchini cakes.
6. Make the sour cream sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, chives, water, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath. Remove the tenderloin from the bag and pat very dry with paper towels. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. When the oil is shimmering, add the tenderloin and sear until well-browned on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into thin slices across the grain.
3. To assemble, top each zucchini cake with a few slices of antelope. Top antelope with a tablespoon of the sour cream sauce. Garnish with chopped lettuce. Serve.