Summer Asian salad 

We keep coming back to this cold salad theme for premium meats such as lamb loin, venison and beef fillet because it is so successful in being easy to make, so darn flavoursome and even healthful if you are into that cuisine cult.

So, if you are a meat eater, it ticks all the boxes in a world gone mad with concerns over environments, diet and body weight (too much that is).

Using either lamb loin, venison or beef fillet medallions, to get the best out of our prime meat we cook the meat home-sous-vide in a domestic slow cooker (see ‘Vension so tender’ story in this issue).

As usual, we use nicely prepped venison medallions farmed from Silver Fern Farms, which are slightly gamey and very lean. This complements the clean and crunchy taste of the vegetable strips in this recipe with its dousing of Asian flavoured dressing.

What you need

500g packet of trimmed venison medallions or lamb loins
1 red onion – cut length-wise
1 carrot – cut into strips
1 red pepper – strips
1 green pepper – strips
1 small chilli pepper
200g small button mushrooms – cut in half
Bunch of coriander leaves

Mushroom marinade
½ cup soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

Salad dressing
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup sweet chilli sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 garlic cloves grated finely
Knob of ginger grated finely
2 tbsp chopped coriander
1 lime (or lemon) juice and zest
Combine all dressing ingredients into a bowl and mix thoroughly

Preparing the meat
See preparation for 'Venison so tender' or simply pan saute medallions or lamb loins till medium rare.

When cool, slice the cold medallions or loins across the grain in thin strips and put aside while preparing the salad.

The vegetable salad
Cut the little button mushrooms in half – these must be marinated in the marinade of ½ cup of soy and a tsp of sesame oil for at least an hour before adding to the vegetable salad mix.

Cut the red onion lengthways into strips.

Seed the chilli pepper and cut into strips.

Prepare and julienne carrots and bell peppers lengthways.

Preparing final salad
Add venison strips and marinated mushrooms to the vegetable salad ingredients. Pour over the dressing and mix well. Let rest for two hours before serving.

Plate as one table serving or as individual servings – either way bloody delicious or great summer food!

Summer 2012

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