Nothing is warm’s the soul on a chilly fall or winter afternoon more than great soup or a hearty stew. In this case, a Venison Stew!
I became a fan of venison while skiing and hiking on the South Island of New Zealand. There, you’ll find venison on most menus and find deer raised on farms. Stateside, farmed venison is more uncommon and most venison meat comes from local hunters.
Deer are plentiful in Central Oregon and especially in my backyard, where they usually visit each morning.
For non-hunters, there are several providers to high-quality purchase venison online.
Where to Buy Venison
The health benefits of wild venison are numerous. Venison is lower in calories and fat than beef and richer in thiamine and riboflavin. Most importantly, wild deer eat a natural grass diet and are free of chemicals, hormones, and antibiotic injections. While fans of the movie Bambi might be leery of eating venison, hunting helps control heard populations and maintain local eco-systems.
Quick Instructions for Hunters Venison Stew
- Slowly sweat garlic to release oils and flavor.
- In same pot, brown venison.
- Slowly braise venison with vegetables in red wine, beef stock and herbs.
- Stir in fresh peas.
- Enjoy with a slice of crusty fresh loaf or fresh biscuit.
This recipe is a family favorite and full of fun variations. Sub out the red potatoes to serve over egg noodles. We have even had it for Christmas dinner served over mashed potatoes.
If this stew isn’t of interest to you, check out my other wild game recipes such as Venison Eggs Benedict with Adobo Hollandaise Sauce or Grilled Venison Chops and Fried Polenta with Wild Mushroom Sauce.
Hunter’s Stew with Venison
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 10 cloves garlic smashed
- 2 lbs venison meat
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 cup red wine
- 3 carrots peeled and corsely chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme chopped
- 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups red potatoes cut into large pieces
- 1 cup peas
Instructions
- Slowly heat oil in Dutch oven over low heat. Add garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside. Add fuel to fire to increase heat to medium.
- Add venison to Dutch oven. Cook for 5-8 minutes until meat is browned on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Pour wine into pot and bring to simmer. Re-add garlic and venison and other ingredients from carrots through potatoes. Simmer on low heat for 1 hour 45 min. Add peas and cook for another 15 miniutes.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @bewildeats on Instagram and hashtag it #bewildeats.
any suggestion for meat other then venison?
If you are not into venison, beef definitely would work for this recipe. Just remember it has a high-fat content so you should definitely skim the fat before serving.
Deliciousness!