Slow Cooker Venison Shoulder
This slow cooker venison shoulder braises a bone-in shoulder in soy sauce, rice wine, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, chilies, scallions, and warm spices until it is tender enough to shred.
Ingredients
- one bone-in venison shoulder (neck or shanks)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons cooking oil or bacon fat
- 2 cups onion, roughly chopped
- 1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped
- 2 two-inch pieces of fresh ginger, sliced
- 2 three-inch long cinnamon sticks
- 3 pieces star anise
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 3/4 cups Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
- 1/2 cup natural soy sauce (dark variety if you can find it)
- 3-5 dried whole hot chilies (Chinese, Thai or Mexican variety)
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup light or sodium-free chicken stock (or venison stock)
- 2 teaspoons annatto powder for red color (optional)
- 1 bunch scallions (cut in half)
Instructions
Optional Step for Maximum Flavor (or skip to set 2):
- Heat a pot over medium-high heat and add the cooking oil. Add the onions and saute for around 3 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, cinnamon, star anise, and dried whole chilies. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes while stirring often. Pour in the stock (or water), soy sauce, wine, oyster sauce, brown sugar, and annatto if using. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute and turn off the heat.
- Place the venison shoulder in the slow cooker. Pour the ingredients from the pot over the venison shoulder. If you skipped step 1, simply pour all of the remaining ingredients over the venison. You want the liquid to cover between 1/2 to 3/4 of the meat. Add more stock if needed.
- Cover the crockpot with the lid and cook on the low setting between 7 to 9 hours. If you have the option to flip the meat over during the cook, it will aid in keeping the meat moist. Keep in mind that venison will cook differently from animal to animal. You may need to adjust the cooking time as you see fit to render tender results. Once tender, shred and eat at once, or skip to step 4.
Optional Step:
- Let the meat rest in the cooking liquid until it comes to room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. Strain out the cooking liquid and pour it into a pot. Bring to a slow simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced to the consistency of a glaze. It should be able to coat a spoon. Shred the venison shoulder and add the sauce as you like.
NOTES
- Use a large slow cooker. An 8-quart slow cooker or larger works best for a bone-in shoulder. Venison neck, bone-in or boneless shanks, and boneless shoulder meat also work with this method.
- Cover only partway. Add enough liquid to cover about one-half to three-quarters of the meat, not all the way over the top. This keeps it braised instead of watered down.
- Cook until fork-tender. Plan on about 7 to 9 hours on low, but go by texture more than the clock because venison can vary from animal to animal.
- Flip once if possible. Turning the shoulder during the cook helps keep the exposed side moist and braising evenly.
- Build the flavor first. If you have time, sauté the onion first, then the ginger, garlic, cinnamon, star anise, and dried chiles before adding the liquids. That optional step gives the braising liquid a deeper flavor.
- Reduce the sauce after cooking. Let the meat cool in the braising liquid, then strain the liquid and simmer it until it coats a spoon if you want a stronger glaze-like finish.
- Rest overnight if wanted. This is one of those dishes that gets better the next day, and the post specifically notes that letting it rest overnight in the liquid works well.
- Store leftovers tightly covered. Refrigerate leftovers for about 4 to 5 days or freeze them for a couple of months if stored properly.
Nutrition
Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 1899mg | Potassium: 384mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 138IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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