Marinade:
2 cloves garlic, smashed
8 juniper berries
2 bay leaves
6-8 sprigs fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1-750 ml bottle full bodied red wine
Roast:
1/4 C. squash seed oil or other flavorful oil
6-8 cloves garlic, sliced into slivers
2 tablespoons minced sage
1 C. red wine, stock or water
8-10 strips of bacon, optional
1 venison roast
1 lb. sliced mushrooms
1-2 T. butter
Marinade:
Combine the garlic, juniper berries, bay leaves, thyme, black pepper, olive oil, salt and red wine. Marinade the roast for 1-3 days.
Roasting:
Remove the roast from the marinade and pat dry, reserving marinade. Let come to room temp, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450.
Cut slits in the roast and fill with slivers of garlic. Rub over with oil. Place in a roasting pan and add red wine, stock or water to the bottom of the pan to just cover (not too much or it will steam the roast). Roast until the outside is nicely browned, no more than 20-25 minutes.
Remove roast from oven and reduce temp to 350. Sprinkle roast with sage and black pepper, to taste. Cover with strips of bacon if desired or rub in additional oil.
Place roast back in oven and cook until temp reaches 125-130, typically about 20 minutes per pound at 350. Remove roast when desired temperature is reached and let rest loosely covered with foil for 20 minutes.
While roast is resting, brown mushroom with butter in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add reserved marinade and reduce by half.
Slice roast and serve with mushroom mixture spooned over.