Fallow Deer Loin with Port Wine

MEAT PREPARATION

• 1
  Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
• 2
  Blend bay leaves, allspice, and juniper into a powder.
• 3
  Windsor meat is already free of membranes and sinews, so there's no need to trim them. Simply season the meat thoroughly with salt and pepper on all sides and sprinkle with the prepared spices.
• 4
  In a pan over high heat, heat the oil and sear the meat on all sides until golden brown. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 6-8 minutes, so the meat remains pink inside. Remove the meat and keep it in a warm place.
• 5
  Place the pan back on the stove over medium heat. Add the tomato paste and stir for half a minute. Add the sugar and let it dissolve. Pour in the cognac and red wine and mix. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid in the pan by half. Add the port wine and bring to a boil. Add the mustard, mix, reduce the heat to one-third, and cook for 1 minute.
• 6
  Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a saucepan. Season with salt to taste. Bring it almost to a boil and remove from heat. Gradually whisk in the chilled butter cut into cubes.
• 7
  Slice the rested meat against the grain into 2 cm thick slices. Pour the sauce onto a plate, place the meat, pears with cranberry marmalade, and salsify. This way, the color of the cooked meat will stand out.

PEAR PREPARATION

• 1
  Peel the pears, halve them lengthwise, and remove the core.
• 2
  In a deep pan over medium heat, pour in the sugar, add 80 ml of water, stir, and let it caramelize gradually. Once the caramel is golden, pour in all the wine at once. Dissolve the hardened caramel again.
• 3
  Add cinnamon, star anise, and pears, reduce the heat to one-third, and cook for 5-10 minutes until semi-soft. This depends on the type and ripeness of the pear. Then remove the pan from the heat and let the pears rest for 3-5 minutes to finish cooking and absorb the spices. Serve with a spoonful of cranberry marmalade.