Oh Deer! Venison Stew

     Ah, Christmas is over and everyone is heading back to work and school again. I hope you have had a nice holiday too. Wisconsin had some unusually beautiful weather in the 60's and not below 30's. It was nice being able to stand outside and not have snotsicles. Winter did catch up to us, but not too badly.

Evil Impalers From Winter

     Each year we pick names from a hat to reduce the amount everyone has to pay for gifts, there are 20 of us! This way we can  just concentrate on the "Person" and the little ones.We all fill out little lists beginning on Thanksgiving stating our sizes and ideas. This master list sits on Grandma's fridge so if anyone needs to refresh their memory they can take a look at the lists again. Trust me, it's the only way we can all have Christmas and not go broke. 
     
     This year my Santa was my niece, Karen. I was so excited when I pulled out my gift I nearly dropped it from the weight. Inside she gave me a huge cast iron skillet and 3 packages of venison. A roast, steaks, and chops! My niece is a vegetarian so I had to ask how she found venison since it has to be hunted or traded; you cannot buy it in stores. She fessed up to raiding her stepdad's freezer, but he was okay with it.

Bambi In The Backyard

     So now what? I have the venison and cookware that could cause brain damage to any burglar in the town. (Everything can be used as a weapon). I begin looking up recipe sites, hunter sites, and my own cookbooks. Out of all of these sources -and my experiences- I created a roast that is to die for. I was even asked for the recipe the next day by one of my husband's coworkers who only heard how good it was. <Smiles>. Without further ado, here is my recipe. 

Venison Roast (Crock Pot Edition)
Serves 4
Print Recipe

3-5 Pound Venison Roast (I added some chops to stretch it to 5 pounds for 4 people)

½ Stick of Butter

Enough Beef Broth of Water to cover the roast in the crock pot (Mine was about 3 cups)

½ Pound of Baby Carrots

1 Stalk of Celery

1 Potato per person, quartered if large

For The Marinade

1 Cup of Red Wine

1 Cup Olive Oil

1 Small Onion Chopped

4 Cloves of Garlic, minced

2 tsp. Sugar

2 tsp. Thyme

2 tsp. of Salt and Pepper

2 Tbs. of Dijon Mustard

2 Tbs. Soy Sauce

2 Tbs. of Worcestershire Sauce

¼ tsp. Allspice

Place all of the ingredients for the marinade in a zip lock bag along with the roast and let it sit overnight in the fridge. If you do not want to use plastic bags there is always the option of using a big bowl. Do not use reactive bowls such as aluminum, cast iron, and copper. The acidity of the marinade will leech into the food and could also make you ill. Instead, use glass, ceramic, or other non-reactive containers. 
After an overnight stay in the fridge, take the roast out and place roast in slow cooker. Pour in about half of the marinade along with the beef broth/water.Cut up chunks of butter and place them on the meat. Venison has little to no fat and requires the addition of a fat. (I’ve also been told that wrapping the roast in bacon is an acceptable way of adding the fat.) Cover the slow cooker and set on low for 8-10 hours. Occasionally baste the roast so the meat stays juicy and does not end up tough. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and any other vegetable you would normally use in a pot roast during the last 2 hours of cooking. When the carrots, celery, and potatoes are soft take them out with a slotted spoon. Then take the roast out and slice it against the grain. Refrigerate leftovers, if there are any left.

This was what was leftover from a 5-pound roast

     I hope you enjoy this recipe and feel free to mix it up a bit. Trade in some celery for a turnip, use a high octane wine instead of cooking wine. Add some mushrooms at then end, or just keep it as is. Just remember if the little ones are around you might not want to tell them you are cooking up Bambi.