Venison Stew / Pot Roast Style

Call it a stew.  Call it a pot roast.  Call it a hearty cassoulet. Call it what you wish, but you won’t have to call your family the second time you serve this delicious venison dish.

The inspiration for this Sunday Dinner came when my friend Wayne sent me some venison from Coleman, Texas.  He acquired it in the “manly way”, during deer season.  Wayne brought a pound of venison sausage and a pound of course ground venison, ground the consistency that would be appropriate for chili.  You don’t know Wayne?  OK, you may substitute 1 1/2 pounds of lean beef, cubed, and 1/2 pound of pork sausage if you do not have a source for venison.

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound – Venison Sausage
• 1 Pound – Ground Venison
• 1 Tablespoon – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Large Onion
• 1/2 Stalk – Celery, chopped into 3/4″ lengths (this means 1/2 of the bunch, depending on where you are reading this from)
• 1 Pound – Carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4″ lengths
• 5 Small – Potatoes, cut into 3/4″ cubes
• 1/4 Cup – Fresh Chopped Parsley
• 5 Tablespoons – All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Teaspoon – Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon – Ground Black Pepper
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons –  Lee & Perrin’s Worcestershore Sauce
• 2/3 Cup –  Water
• 1 Small Can –  Corn
• 1 Small Can – Green Beans (Optional)

Preparation

1. Begin by browning the meat in a the olive oil in a large dutch oven or very large skillet, on medium heat, stirring regularly.
2. Add Onions and cook for an additional 15 minutes on low heat.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the potatoes.  So add the Celery, Carrots, Parsley, All-Purpose Flour, Salt, Pepper, Worcestershore Sauce, Water and Corn.
4. Cover and cook on LOW heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. LOW would mean WARM to most cooktops or LOW on a crockpot. Depending on how well your lid seals and retains moisture, you may need to add-back any loss liquid (water) during this stage.
5. Add the potatoes and cook for an additional 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

This will serve eight (8) adults and a bunch of kids.

Sides:

Combine with Mashed Potatoes, topped with grated cheddar cheese and Baked Asparagus & Young Carrots.

Simple Prep for the Asparagus & Young Carrots

1. Place veggies in glass casserole pan.
2. Combine 1 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil with the juice of 1/2 Lemon and 1 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning.
3. Coat the vegetables with the mixture.  This is a fun cooking opportunity for your younger chefs.
4. Wash those little hands.
5. Cover casserole pan with foil.
6. Cook in oven for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Enjoy this meal and enjoy your family.  Don’t forget to let me know how this works for you and  your family.  Wayne will appreciate hearing from you too.