¼ c vegetable oil through a food mill or rubbed
6 six-ounce venison loin chops, cut through a fine sieve with the back
about 1 inch thick of a spoon
½ c finely chopped onions ¼ c strained fresh lemon juice
1 tsp finely chopped garlic ¼ c Worcestershire sauce
3 medium-sized firm ripe tomatoes, 1 tsp crumbled dried basil
coarsely chopped and puréed 1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
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Preheat the oven to 400°. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat the oil
over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. Pat the venison chops
completely dry with paper towels. Then brown them in the oil, 2 or 3 at a
time, turning the chops frequently with tongs and regulating the heat so
that they color richly and evenly without burning. As they brown, arrange
the chops side by side in a shallow baking-serving dish large enough to hold
them in one layer.To prepare the barbecue sauce, add the onions and garlic to the fat remaining in the skillet. Stirring frequently, cook over moderate heat for about 5 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent but not brown. Stir in the puréed tomatoes, lemon juice, Worcestershire, basil, salt and a few grindings of pepper.
Bring the sauce to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly and scraping in any brown particles clinging to the bottom and sides of the skillet. Taste for seasoning and pour the sauce evenly over the chops.
Bake uncovered in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the chops show no resistance when pierced deeply with the point of a small, sharp knife. Serve at once, directly from the baking dish. Serves 6.
