Venison Stew
- Yield 8 servings
- Prep 10 mins
- Cook 300 mins
A hearty stew for the chilliest of nights. This stew warms you up with hearty venison balanced by potatoes, fresh herbs and vegetables to sink your teeth into.
Mark Boughton Photography / styling by Teresa Blackburn
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds venison, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large yellow onions, peeled and diced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 whole bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 12 ounces hard apple cider or 1 1/2 cups apple cider
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cups reduced-sodium beef or chicken broth, divided
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 medium green or yellow bell pepper, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- Pat meat chunks dry with paper towels. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a large plastic bag. Add meat; close the bag and toss to coat the meat with flour.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, remove about half the meat from the bag, shaking off excess flour and add to pan in a single layer without crowding. Brown on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove meat and set on paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining meat. Transfer the meat to a large (5-quart) casserole.
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Add onions and carrots to oil remaining in pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to caramelize, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon and add to meat. Add garlic, bay leaves, thyme, allspice, cider, Worcestershire sauce and 2 cups broth to the casserole; stir. (The liquid should barely cover the meat.) Bring to a simmer on top of the stove; cover the pot and place in oven. Cook 2 to 3 hours, until meat is barely tender.
- Bring remaining broth to a boil. Add to stew along with potatoes and bell peppers. Stir, cover pot, and return to oven to bake about 1 hour, until meat is completely tender and potatoes are cooked.
Recipe by Greg Patent.
