Molokai Recipes

All recipes are created by Chef Mike Lofaro.

MOLOKAI VENISON WITH MIKE'S SALSA VERDE FOR VENISON
1/2 cup mint
1/2 cup thyme
1/2 cup parsley
1 cup carrot tops
1/2 cup lemon juice
Juice of 1 lime
10 peeled garlic cloves
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili flakes
1 cup olive oil
about 3 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Place all ingredients in a blender, vitamix or mortar and pestle.  Blend.  Adjust seasoning to taste. 
Place venison backstrap (loin) or tenderloin in a large ziplock bag, pour contents of blender into the bag.  Seal and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours. Grill (Mike likes it medium rare). Salt to taste.

TERIYAKI VENISON WITH A TWIST
1 cup shoyu
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
5 calamansi limes
1/4 cup cacao nibs
Place teri sauce in a pot and boil for 1 or 2 minutes until sugar is dissolved.  Add calamansi juice, cacao nibs, freshly grated ginger of about a 1 inch piece, 2 large cloves of garlic.
Pour half the teri sauce into a large ziplock bag with the venison.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.  Reserve the other half of the teri sauce for basting the venison on the grill. After marinading, salt the venison and grill until medium rare, basting while on the grill.  After cooked, cut venison into 1/2 inch slices.  Add a pinch of Hawaiian salt and top with teri glaze.

VENISON TARTAR
3 cups finely chopped venison backstrap and/or tenderloin
2 Tbsp cup finely chopped mint
1/2 cup diced green apple
1/3 cup finely minced garlic
1/4 cup finely minced jalapeño
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup chopped maui onions
1/2 cup chopped green onion
2 egg yolks
1/8 cup sesame oil
1 tbsp. Korean chili flakes
2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients well and adjust seasoning to taste.