VENISON SLOPPY JOES

Homemade venison sloppy joes are the ultimate comfort food for deer hunters and outdoorsmen.

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What some people refer to as the traditional sloppy joe or "Manwich", is usually made with ground deer burger and a delicious canned mystery sauce. While this is one of my favorite meals from childhood, it can be improved by using fresher ingredients and bolder flavors.

By using whole muscles like venison shoulders, you can slow cook the meat for hours and achieve even greater depths of flavor. I don’t grind a lot of my venison, so it's all the easier to skip the grinding process and braise or slow cook instead.

Cuts of Venison to Use?

Deer shoulders, boneless venison necks, or venison shanks work well here. You can even use shanks that have been into disks, like for venison osso buco. This recipe will also work with ground venison.

You can also substitute beef for the venison. Boneless chuck works great, as do most red meats labeled as "stew meat."

Make Ahead and Storage

Refrigerate: Properly stored in a container with a tight-fitting lid, sloppy joe will last for 4 to 5 days in the fridge. It is one of those dishes that gets better the next day.

Freezing: Once the mixture has cooled, you can freeze it in freezer bags or another airtight container for up to 2 months.

Reheating: The best way to reheat this recipe is to use low heat on the stovetop or microwave. Be sure to use a loose fitting lid to prevent splattering.

Want a Thicker Homemade Sauce?

After the deer meat is fork tender, you can remove it from the sauce. Then, reduce the sauce to a thicker consistency using a slow simmer-. Place the meat back into the sauce and stir to combine. 

Serving Ideas:

Hand Pies: If you want to try something a little outside of the box, try stuffing this mixture inside of pie dough and baking them.

Sandwiches: You can never go wrong with serving them on hamburger buns with some slaw and a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.

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

Venison Pozole

Chinese Red Venison Shoulder

Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Venison Shanks

Lastly, if you make this Venison Sloppy Joe 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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HOMEMADE VENISON SLOPPY JOES

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cooking Time: 8 Hours

Servings: 4 to 6

Author: Larry White

INGREDIENTS

• 4 pounds boneless venison, cut into 1 to 2 inch cubes

• ¼ cup olive oil

• Kosher salt

• 1 large onion, sliced

• 5 cloves of garlic, chopped

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon allspice

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (Mexican cinnamon works great here)

• 1 tablespoon ground coriander

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin

• 1 tablespoon chipotle or ancho chili powder

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 1 (750 ml) bottle of dry red wine

• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 2 cups crushed tomatoes

• 1 cup ketchup ( I prefer Heinz Ketchup)

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• Venison stock or water as needed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. If using a slow cooker, preheat it on the low setting.

2. Add the olive oil to a heavy-bottomed pot and heat over medium-high heat. Season the venison with kosher salt to your liking. When the oil is hot and starts to shimmer, add the venison, working in batches if necessary to achieve a crust on the meat. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside. Reserve the oil that's in the pan.

3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and garlic. If the pan looks dry, add more olive oil as needed. Cook the onions and garlic for around 2 minutes while stirring. Add the chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, allspice, paprika, dried thyme, and tomato paste. Cook while stirring for 1 minute.

4. Deglaze the pot by adding about one cup of the red wine. Stir with a sturdy spoon or spatula while scraping up any brown bits in the pot. This will take about one minute.

5. If using a crock pot, pour this mixture and the venison into your slow cooker. If using a pot, add the venison to the pot with the wine mixture.

6. Add the remaining red wine, tomatoes, vinegar, mustard, ketchup, and sugar.

7. For the crockpot method, cover it with the lid and cook it on the low setting for around 7 to 8 hours or until tender. For the stovetop method, cover the pot with a lid and bring to a slow simmer. Cook gently until fork tender. This can take between 2 and 4 hours, depending on what cut of meat you are using. Stir around every 45 minutes to prevent the bottom from burning.

8. Shred the meat and season with salt and pepper as needed.
   

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