Moroccan-style venison roast

This recipe will knock your taste buds into orbit!      
The combination of cilantro, garlic, olives and salt-preserved lemons is a refined combination of delicacy, punch, and something unusual.  Serve with a crusty bread and herbed couscous, and make rhubarb clafoutis for dessert.  Although there are numerous steps, this is actually a fairly uncomplicated recipe.  Try it once, and you'll definitely make it again!


INGREDIENTS

• ~2-3 lbs. meat, fresh or thawed* 
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro (minced)
• 3-4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 large onion (minced)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lemon (or 6 T lemon juice)
• Ground black pepper & salt (to taste)
• Olive oil
• 8-12 plain green olives (without pimento or other stuffings)
• 1 preserved lemon (See this post for instructions on how to make your own!)
• Cooking string (to tie roast together after stuffing)

PREPARATION

• For venison, thaw 1 day in advance.
• Brine for ~12-24 hours, depending on desired level of saltiness.
• Pre-heat oven (or toaster oven - we love ours!) to 350 °F.
• Turn roast "upside down" and cut approximately 1/2 way into meat.  
• Fill cavity with cilantro, garlic, a dash of salt, and enough lemon juice to make a paste.
• Roll roast back together, tie with string, and set right-side up in a baking dish (ideally one with a lid).
• Drizzle surface of meat with olive oil and fresh-ground pepper.
• Cover with minced onion.
• Fill baking dish up ~1/2 way (or more) with hot water.  
• Put on the lid, place in the oven, and cook for ~45 minutes-1 hour.
• Remove from oven, and remove most of the liquid to a pot.  Simmer to reduce juices.
• Place green olives and preserved lemon in baking dish.  
• Return to oven without the lid until meat reaches 120 °F (for rare-medium rare venison), which is approximately 15-20 minutes more.
• Use a meat thermometer to determine when the meat is cooked to your taste.

NOTES

• *Venison, chicken or fish are well complimented by the spices.  
• Adjust cooking time according to type of meat, and desired degree of "done-ness".
• Serve with a cold dry white wine.  We had this with a 2008 Columbia Valley semillon, which complimented the citrus and cilantro punch. 

SOURCE NOTES

• Couscous from Marché Label Terre (385 Rue Soumande)
• Venison was wild-harvested.  Yes, we hunt.  I'll be posting soon with more information about wild-harvested meat.
• If a reader knows where to purchase preserved lemons locally, please let me know.