Smoked Springbok served with pickled walnuts and Creamed Cabbage

Ingredients:

• For the Springbok:
  • 1.3 kg Springbok loin
  • 150g smoking chips
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Rosemary sprig and thyme sprig
  • Unsalted butter
  • Olive oil
• For the Sauce:
  • ¾ cup port
  • ¾ cup red wine
  • 4 juniper berries
  • 1 tbsp cranberry jelly
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 100g cold unsalted butter.
  • Orange rind
• Pickled walnuts:
  • 2 cups Walnuts
  • 1 tbsp Honey
  • ¼ cup Rosendal Vinegar
• For Side dish: Creamed Cabbage
  • Creamed Cabbage
  • 1 head baby green cabbage, chopped
  • 230 ml thick cream
  • 30 g butter
  • 2 tablespoon mixture of carrot, celery, onion, leek
  • 1 tablespoon fine blocks pancetta

Method:

1. Springbok:
   1. Put some oak wood chips into a foil lined oven pan and cover it with a grid.
   2. Place the pan over medium high heat and get the wood chips smoking.
   3. Add some fresh rosemary sprigs to the pan and top with the springbok loins.
   4. Cover the pan tightly with foil or a tight fitting lid.
   5. Remove the pan form the heat and place it into another pan that’s filled with ice and water.
   6. This is to cool down the pan. As long as the smoke is contained in the pan it will lightly smoke the meat but not cook it in the process. After 30 minutes, remove the smoked springbok from the pan and season with salt and pepper.
   7. Heat butter and olive oil in a pan together with thyme and a clove of garlic.
   8. Seal the meat on all sides until nice browned.
   9. Remove the meat from the pan and keep aside.
2. The sauce:
   1. Add the port, red wine and juniper berries into a sauce pot and reduce until it starts to go syrupy.
   2. Add the beef stock and reduce down by half.
   3. Now add the cranberry jelly, orange rind and heat until the jelly is melted.
   4. Add the cold butter and whisk until its well incorporated into the sauce.
   5. Set aside.
3. Pickled walnuts:
   1. Take a pan and over medium heat add the walnuts.
   2. Roast until it starts to colour.
   3. Add some honey and fry for about 2 minutes.
   4. Then add vinegar and cook for another 2 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken.
   5. Remove from heat.
4. For the Side dish: Creamed Cabbage
   1. Take a pot and over medium heat, add the cream and bring to the boil.
   2. Reduce till half.
   3. Remove from the heat and keep it aside.
   4. Now take a pan and over medium heat, melt the butter
   5. Add the cabbage
   6. And fry it until it is cooked.
   7. Remove the cabbage from the pan and set aside.
   8. Now add the vegetables and pancetta to the pan
   9. Cook until soft.
   10. Add the cabbage and cream.
   11. Mix well and set aside.