We are going to finish off my Dall's sheep hunt of 2004 by cooking the backstrap tomorrow night.

PAN-SEARED BACKSTRAP WITH ROSEMARY & DRIED CHERRIES

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 large garlic clove
1 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound Dall's Sheep Backstrap
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup dried tart cherries
3/4 cup fat-free beef broth
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoon black-currant jelly

(We are going to double up since we have two pounds of backstrap.)

Grind 1 teaspoon rosemary, coriander seeds and garlic into a paste, then stir in 1/2 teaspoon of oil.

Pat meat dry and put in a bowl, then rub with paste. Season well with pepper, cover and chill for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over high heat until hot, then add remaining oil, tilting the skillet to coat evenly. Season meat well with salt, then brown, turning once, about six minutes total.

Transfer skillet to middle of the oven and roast backstrap until an instant-read thermometer inserted diagonally into the center registers 120 to 125 degrees F. (7 to 10 minutes). Transfer meat to a plate and cover tightly with foil.

Add wine and cherries to skillet and deglaze by boiling over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits.

Stir together broth, water, cornstarch, and remaining rosemary in a bowl, then add to skillet. Simmer, stirring, until mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in jelly and salt & pepper to taste.

Cut meat into 1/4" to 1/2" slices and serve with sauce.

It says four servings with one pound of meat. We hope to get five servings out of two pounds of meat. My wife tried this on elk backstrap in Venezuela a few years ago and it blew everyone away. Hopefully the Dall's sheep will come out as well. She is never able to find all the ingredients but makes substitutions. It's the end result that counts.