The venison stew I made this past week was remarkable; venison can truly be a tricky meat to cook, as it is so lean. It tends to dry out easily, making the meat tough and less appetizing. However, this recipe will stay in a regular rotation for us, especially during the cold winter nights!

Hearty for a cold night

Note: I call this a stew, but mine was more of a soup because I decided to add more liquid than I normally would; see below for ways to make it a soup versus a stew! 2 recipes for the price of one! Also, generally, this recipe calls for a dutch oven to place in the oven, but I did not have one on hand in our rental, so I just used a large pot and cooked the whole stew on the stove.

Ingredients: 

  • Venison – I used two venison steaks, totaling about 1 lb. – cut into inch size chunks
  • Butter/Olive oil for cooking
  • 6 strips bacon, chopped
  • 1/2 C flour
  • 1 C pinot noir (stew); 1.5 C pinot noir (soup)
  • 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 2 C beef broth (stew); 4 C beef broth (soup)
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 8 oz. fingerling potatoes
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. In a large pot (or dutch oven), saute bacon until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, place bacon on a separate bowl or plate. Keep bacon grease in the pot.
  2. While bacon is cooking, pat dry room temperature venison and place into a bowl. Season with 1 TBSP. salt and 2 tsp. pepper. Add flour and mix well to evenly coat. Place first batch of venison into hot bacon fat and cook over medium-high heat, until meat is browned. Transfer cooked meat to bacon plate and put in next batch. Add butter if necessary. Remove all venison from the pot when done. Cook venison in at least two batches to ensure it sears correctly. 
  3. Add cups of pinot noir and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom to deglaze the pot. Add mushrooms and simmer over medium heat about 10 minutes. Return bacon and venison to pot.
  4. In the meantime, heat a large, non-stick large pan over medium-high heat and add 2 TBSP. olive oil. Add carrots, onion, and garlic – saute about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook one more minute. Transfer veggies to pot.
  5. Add beef broth, bay leaves, thyme, and 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a low boil.
  6. Add potatoes; make sure they are submerged in liquid, then cover. If using a regular pot for stove, put on low heat and simmer for about 1 hour, or until meat is tender.
  7. If using dutch oven, cover and place in 325 degree oven for one hour and 35 minutes, or until meat is tender.

Bon appetit!