CHILE BRAISED VENISON with HOMINY PORRIDGE

Most people are familiar with hominy in the classic Mexican dish "pozole". Here the texture is smooth and the flavor is similar but with a more pronounced hominy flavor. I like to serve this dish with a little crunchy topping of toasted pumpkin seeds or fried green plantains.

Venison shanks and necks are my top choice for braised dishes. But the shoulders will work just fine, too. This simple yet flavorful dish lets the venison shine for what it is.

Looking for venison recipes? These are a few of my favorites:

The Best Venison Summer Sausage

Fried Cube Venison Steaks

The Ultimate Venison Recipe Collection

Lastly, if you try this chili braised venison recipe, be sure to leave a comment or tag me on Instagram! I thoroughly enjoy hearing feedback and checking out the photos of recipes that you've made.

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CHILI BRAISED VENISON WITH HOMINY

INGREDIENTS

For the Shanks

• 2 pounds venison, shanks, neck or shoulder

• 3 tablespoons high smoke point cooking oil

• 1 large onion, diced

• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 roma tomatoes, diced

• 1 cup dry red white wine

• 1 quart stock (venison, chicken or beef)

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 2 ancho chilis, seeded

• 1 morita chili, seeded

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 bay leaf

• salt and pepper

For the Hominy Porridge

(double the recipe if you're hungry)

• one 25 ounce can of hominy, drained and rinsed

• 1 quart chicken stock

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Braise the venison. Preheat your oven to 330 degrees F. In a large Dutch oven, heat the cooking oil over medium-high heat. Season the shanks with salt and pepper. Add the venison once the pan is hot and the oil is just starting to smoke. Cook on all sides until the meat is nice and golden brown. Work in batches if needed. Set the meat to the side on a plate.

2. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are translucent. Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and cook in the preheated oven for about 3 hours, or until tender. The shanks need to be about 3/4 of the way covered with cooking liquid. If you do not have enough, add a bit more stock.

3. Make the hominy porridge. In a medium-sized pot, add the hominy, stock, and bay leaf. Bring to a slow simmer, cover halfway with a lid, and cook slowly until the hominy is tender, about 45 minutes. Reserve the liquid, drain the hominy, and discard the bay leaf. Place the drained hominy into a blender with the butter, lemon juice, and 1 cup of stock. Start pureeing the hominy and add more cooking liquid until you reach a porridge consistency. You want it to be able to coat the back of the spoon. Add the butter, season with salt and pepper and puree again. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

4. It's time to plate up. I like to top mine off with fresh cilantro, basil, and toasted pumpkin seeds.