Hearty venison loin

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 venison saddle (about 1 1/4 kg)
• ¾ liter water, salted
• 2 carrots
• 1 root(s) parsley
• 1 small celeriac
• 2 onions
• 6 juniper berries
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp thyme, dried
• 1 tsp marjoram, dried
• 8 grains of black pepper
• 5 cup(s) Bock beer
• 200 g smoked bacon
• Salt
• 50 g margarine
• 250 ml sour cream
• Spice grains, as desired

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest period approx. 2 days; Total time approx. 2 days 1 hour

Wash, dry, and skin the venison loin. For the marinade: finely chop the cleaned and washed carrots, parsley root, and celery root, bring to a boil in salted water. Dice the onions, add them, and simmer the vegetables for about 30 minutes. Add the spices, juniper berries, bay leaf, thyme, marjoram, and peppercorns. Pour in the bock beer. Bring the marinade to a boil briefly, then let it cool. Place the venison loin in a deep bowl, pour the marinade over it, cover, and let the meat marinate for 2-3 days (in a cool place), turning occasionally. Remove the venison loin from the marinade, dry it, and rub it with salt and pepper. Cut the bacon into thin strips. Heat the margarine, fry the bacon for 5 minutes, add the venison loin, and sear it all over. Remove the vegetables from the marinade, add them to the meat, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Place the roasting pan in the preheated oven and cook the venison saddle for about 1 hour at 180°C, basting occasionally with the meat juices and a little of the strained marinade. Remove the cooked meat from the bones, cut lengthwise into diagonal slices, arrange on a platter, and keep warm. Boil the meat juices with 3-4 tablespoons of marinade or water, strain through a sieve, stir in the sour cream, and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Serve with mashed potatoes or croquettes and cranberries on steamed apple slices.