Sunday Morning Breakfast

My wife is not in the habit of having or preparing what most of us would consider a "light breakfast". She actually doesn't know what a light meal of any kind is! This dovetails perfectly with my preferences actually, so we enjoy meals that are varied, fulfilling and delicious, albeit perhaps not typical fare in most American households. We both view food as one of life's truest pleasures, far more than just a required periodic routine to keep oneself alive and sustained.

One of our favorites for Sunday morning is fried rice served alongside my Honey Mustard Venison. She is a Filipina and makes the most incredible fried rice. It is usually concocted of whatever we have for leftover meat and vegetable scrids in the fridge, chopped and sauteed with garlic, salt and pepper literally stir fried with freshly steamed rice. She throws in an egg or two in the final frying and there you have it. No real formal need for a recipe here, it is more akin to "use it as you find it".

I usually build the Honey Mustard Venison (pork or beef tenderloin is a very nice substitute if you don't happen to have the Bambi in your freezer). I did not fill my deer tag this year, but fortunately have quite a pile of venison from a vehicular road impact as well as a good charge of "mercy meat" from hunter friends who have a good memory for what it is like when they have gone "deerless", too!

So, I give you a very simple, quick recipe for making your own with my sincere hopes that you find it as delicious as we do!

*Peel and slice up two or three onions (we love them, so we usually use three large ones)

*In a preheated cast iron skillet, add two tablespoons (or so) of olive oil and dump in the onions for a good high heat saute. Allow them to start to brown and caramelize while stirring and turning them frequently.

*Between stirring the onions, mix about 4 oz. of Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard with 3 to 4 oz. of honey in a suitably sized bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, about 1/2 to one teaspoon of black pepper (I grind my own fresh from whole peppercorns), a bit of dried parsley to preference (I use about a teaspoon), one tablespoon of olive oil and mix thoroughly with a whisk. Taste the mixture to check for suitability to your palate. I usually add a small amount of hot sauce (I have many kinds, but about five drops of 'Dave's Gourmet Insanity Sauce' does the trick for me). I also usually shake in about a teaspoon of dried, minced onion. The big advantage here is that you get to taste the mixture and adjust until it is to your liking.

*Remove the sauteed, caramelized onions from there heat and scrape into the sauce mixture. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

*Return to hot skillet to the stove and use medium high heat and a bit more olive oil if needed while adding the meat. Carefully sear the meat and turn it over to sear the second side. Once both sides of the meat are browned, reduce heat to medium low and add the sauce and onions. Simmer the meat until it is cooked to the desired inner finish when slicing a thick, test piece.

That's it! You can alternate other types of mustard to vary the taste... I find that the coarse, stone ground mustards are exceptional. The same can be said of the sweet side of the equation... I have used maple syrup, dark brown sugar and even molasses (very rich!). Garlic can also be used, although I don't. Not because we don't LOVE garlic, but because we like the taste of the venison with only the onion flavoring.



It takes only a few minutes and will yield a most delightful, rich complimenting taste that is sweet and at the same time tangy. Add some steaming hot coffee, a warm woodstove, good wife, good dogs and an early Sunday sunrise!





How much nicer could it get? Enjoy!