I use venison backstrap or pounded heart cutlets for this normally, but cutlets made from grouse, duck, goose, wild hog or bear loin are all great options.
1to 1 1/2 pounds mixed fresh mushrooms,cleaned and roughly chopped
1/2yellow onion,roughly chopped
1/4cupbacon fat,lard or butter, divided
Flour for dusting(optional)
2tablespoonsflour
1cupvenison stock(or duck or beef stock)
2to 4 tablespoons cream
Black pepper to taste
Instructions
Place the meat between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Do this firmly, but don't wail on the meat or you will tear it. Trim the cutlets to an even shape if you want.
Set a large sauté pan over high heat for 1 minute, then add the mushrooms to the hot, dry pan. Shake them around so they don't stick too much and cook the mushrooms until they give up their water, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat and onions and stir-fry everything until the onions begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and onions and set aside.
Dust the cutlets in flour if you want to. Add the remaining bacon fat to the sauté pan and let it heat up over medium-high heat. Do not let it smoke. Sear the cutlets for 90 seconds on the first side. Keep them from curling up with a spatula or bacon press. Flip the cutlets and sear another 90 seconds for medium doneness. Remove the cutlets to a plate. (If you have a lot of them, set the plate in the oven and set it to "warm.")
Add the 2 tablespoons flour and mix with the fat in the pan. Turn the heat to medium and let the flour-and-fat mixture cook until it is the color of coffee-with-cream. Slowly pour in the stock, plus any juices that have come off the cutlets while they rest. You should have a thick gravy. If it is thin, let this boil down a minute or two. If it is really thick, turn off the heat, wait for the sauce to stop bubbling and stir in the cream. Add the mushrooms and onions back to the pan and toss to coat in the sauce. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Pour this over the cutlets and serve at once.
Notes
If you want the meat to still be pink in the center, make sure you keep it cold. Salt it, then let it sweat a little, then dust in flour, then set the cutlets back in the fridge until you fry them.