Tournament of Champions ™
Baker:
Season:
Week:
Challenge Type:
Spiced, Citrus Venison with Cucumber Asparagus Kimchi
Gochujang and Lemon Glazed Venison Chop with Cucumber Asparagus Kimchi
Kevin Lee built a Korean-American plate channeling his Oklahoma roots through bold gochujang and layered citrus.
Kevin: "Gochujang lemon glazed venison chop. So I'm gonna get this thing marinated first to get that gaminess out." The venison was seasoned, blade tenderized, and remarinated so the flavors penetrated deeply.
Kevin: "I'm going to take the blade tenderizer and really pound down the venison chop to really infuse all those flavors into the meat."
A gochujang-lemon glaze was made using citrus as the thinning agent: Kevin: "Instead of using soy sauce to thin it out, I'm using the citrus, the lemon juice."
The blade tenderizer was also used on the asparagus to simulate fermentation in competition time: Kevin: "No time to actually ferment a kimchi. But using this tenderizer to penetrate it, I think it's going to mimic the natural cellular breakdown that happens and allow for a quicker absorption of those ingredients."
An asparagus yogurt puree provided a creamy, acidic base: Kevin: "Next thing I'll need to work on is this asparagus yogurt puree. Add a nice funk of acid from the yogurt."
The venison chop was grilled, glazed, and plated over the yogurt sauce with citrusy cucumber and asparagus kimchi and lemon zest confetti on top.
Voiceover (Justin Warner): "Judges, this is a gochujang and lemon glazed venison chop accompanied by a citrusy cucumber and asparagus kimchi. The venison chops were marinated slightly, then tenderized and remarinated. For the asparagus, it was tenderized using the blade tenderizer to further enhance that kimchi effect, lactic acid in the yogurt beneath it. That yogurt was combined with lemon zest and asparagus in the blender. We have lemon juice in every liquid and lemon zest in every solid."
{Judge}: "I think very highly of the chef who cooked this venison. This is basically impossible to do in a fine dining restaurant setting, much less in a competition with limited time. It's tender, it's juicy, it's not overcooked."
{Judge}: "The use of the tenderizer on the asparagus, pretty amazing, right? I was hoping someone would do something completely illogical and use it on the vegetable instead of the meat. A lovely result."
{Judge}: "I think all of this lemon is so perfectly welcomed, especially with the savoriness and the umami of this venison."
{Judge}: "Kimchi, I thought, was so smart. It's the use of the yogurt that I think is the most well played here. It's bright and sort of acidic on its own. Just lends to the entire dish being citrusy. Not only was it a great choice, but it was, like, incredible gameplay."
{Judge}: "This is such a well-constructed dish. I'm super impressed. This venison is perfectly cooked. If I had to criticize anything, maybe use another type of citrus as well as lemon. You had a whole pantry full of citrus."
Final Score: 90. WINNER.
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