12990 Serves 8 Wed Aug 06 08:16:14 -0700 2008 Thu Feb 05 18:21:33 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/12990 Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:21:33 GMT One of the favored game animals in Laos is known as barking deer (fahn), a small forest deer of the species Muntiakus muntjak. Laotians also hunt a larger type of deer known as kuoang and a small (2- to 5-pound [900-g to 2.3-kg]) mouse deer called a kaiy. You won't find these at your local market, but you should be able to obtain New Zealand stag or axis venison year-round. Venison packages, a common method of using edible wrappers, can be prerolled for table service, or the ingredients may be arranged on a platter for guests to assemble to their own liking.

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Combine the venison and salt and pepper and the minced garlic and mix well. Place in a resealable plastic bag and marinate overnight.

Combine all of the sauce ingredients, except the chicken stock or water, in the workbowl of a food processor and blend to form a smooth paste. Add chicken stock or water to make the sauce thick but pourable. Reserve. (The dipping sauce can be made 1 day in advance.)

Heat the butter and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and the broth and bring to a boil while stirring. Reserve. (The tomato sauce can be made 1 day in advance.)

Arrange all of the salad ingredients in small piles on a tray or cookie sheet. Cover with plastic film or a damp towel and refrigerate. (The salad can be prepared several hours in advance.)

Place a tightly woven wire rack over a wood fire or char-broiler. Quickly grill the slices of venison, slightly charring the exterior while keeping the interior rare to medium rare.

Allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes. Slice into bite-size pieces, pour the tomato sauce over the meat, and reserve for assembly.

Top a lettuce leaf with small strips of rice vermicelli. Add 1½-ounce [40-g] portions of the venison in tomato sauce.

Add some watercress, mint, scallions, pickled garlic, star fruit, tomato, cucumber, and banana. Roll up to form a bundle and place seam side down.

Using lengths of blanched scallion or Chinese leek, tie the bundle to secure. Serve 2 bundles per person accompanied by the dipping sauce.

Just before service, sprinkle the bundles lightly with the chopped peanuts and garnish the dipping sauce with cilantro leaves.

]]> http://www.chow.com Arthur L. Meyer 50 Main 1½ pounds [675 g] venison loin or tenderloin, cut into slices 3 inches [8 cm] long by ½ inch [1 cm] thick, pounded to tenderize

]]> Salt and pepper to taste

]]> 5 garlic cloves, minced

]]> 7 shallots, minced

]]> 1 heaping tablespoon [20 mL] garlic, minced

]]> 1 tablespoon [15 mL] toasted sesame seeds, finely ground

]]> 1 tablespoon [15 mL] toasted peanuts, finely ground

]]> 3 dried shrimp, pounded with mortar and pestle until fluffy

]]> 12 small dried red chiles, seeded and soaked in water to soften

]]> 1 tablespoon [15 mL] sugar

]]> Pinch of salt

]]> 1 tablespoon [15 mL] fish sauce

]]> Chicken stock or water, as needed

]]> 1 tablespoon [15 mL] butter

]]> 1 small onion, minced

]]> 1 garlic clove, minced

]]> 2 tablespoons [30 mL] tomato paste

]]> 2 tablespoons [30 mL] venison or beef broth

]]> 2 heads butter lettuce, large outer leaves reserved

]]> 4 ounces [110 g] rice vermicelli, soaked in warm water 15 minutes, then briefly boiled, drained, and rinsed

]]> ½ cup [120 mL] watercress leaves

]]> ½ cup [120 mL] mint leaves

]]> 4 scallions, cut in half lengthwise and julienned

]]> ¼ cup [60 mL] Asian pickled garlic cloves

]]> 2 star fruit, very thinly sliced

]]> 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

]]> 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced

]]> 1 semiripe banana, cut in half crosswise and thinly sliced lengthwise

]]> Scallion greens or Chinese leek, blanched and softened, for tying bundles

]]> Dry-roasted peanuts, chopped, for garnish

]]> Cilantro leaves, chopped, for garnish

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