Hearty Venison Stew
A hearty stew with venison, carrots, potatoes, and a broth finished with soy, white wine, and cider vinegar. This recipe is simple, light, and comforting.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless venison, cut into 2 inch pieces
- Venison stock or beef broth (as needed to cover the meat)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup sweet onion, small dice
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced small
- 2 cups potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon real apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine or sherry
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup green onions, (optional for garnish)
Instructions
Cook the Venison First
- In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the venison with salt and black pepper. When the oil shimmers, add the venison. Sear on all sides until nicely browned.
- Pour in enough venison stock or beef broth to just cover the meat. Cover and simmer until tender, about 3 to 4 hours. Check the liquid periodically and add more stock as needed to keep the meat covered.
- When the meat is fork tender, remove it from the pot. Reserve 4 cups of the cooking liquid for Step 5. Shred the venison and set aside.
Cook the Vegetables and Aromatics
- Heat a clean pot over medium heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion and cook 5 to 6 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes, stirring to prevent burning.
- Add the reserved cooking liquid, soy sauce, white wine or sherry, cider vinegar, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, carrots, and potatoes. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the potatoes are just fork-tender, about 12 minutes.
Add the Cooked Venison
- Add the shredded venison and sugar. Simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes to let the flavors blend together.
Season and Garnish
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Garnish with sliced green onions.
NOTES
- Serving: I like to eat this with warm fried cornbread.
- Use collagen-rich cuts. Neck, shoulder, and shank work best because they turn tender and give the broth more body. Hindquarter stew meat will work, but it usually cooks faster and will not make the stew as rich.
- Brown the meat in batches. Do not crowd the pot or the venison will steam instead of sear. You want real color on the meat and fond on the bottom before the stock goes in.
- Cover the meat only. Add just enough venison stock or beef broth to cover the meat and keep it at a gentle simmer. Check it now and then and add more liquid if needed so it does not cook dry.
- Cook meat and vegetables separately. Simmer the venison until fork-tender first, then pull it out and cook the potatoes and carrots in the reserved broth. This keeps the vegetables from turning soft before the meat is ready.
- Plan on a long simmer. Neck, shoulder, or shank usually needs about 3 to 4 hours on the stove. Smaller stew meat cubes can finish in closer to 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Finish the stew at the end. Once the potatoes are just fork-tender, add the shredded venison back in with the sugar and simmer only 5 to 10 minutes more. Then adjust the salt and black pepper before serving.
- Make ahead if needed. You can cook the venison 2 to 3 days ahead and chill it in its cooking liquid before finishing the stew later.
- Reheat it gently. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Warm over low heat with a splash of stock or water if needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 507kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 193mg | Sodium: 651mg | Potassium: 1344mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 5424IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 9mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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