Elk Stew Bourguignon Recipes

A CLASSIC FRENCH VENISON STEW RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Put the venison on one side of a large baking dish. Put the onions, carrots, and celery on the opposite side. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and the dried herbs evenly over the meat and vegetables.
• Combine the beef stock and red wine. Pour the mixture over the meat and vegetables. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or up to overnight.
• Remove the meat and vegetables from the marinade to separate bowls. Reserve the marinade for use later in this recipe.
• In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot, add the bacon and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it crisps.
• Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
• Pat the venison dry with paper towels. Toss the meat chunks with the flour. Brown the meat in the bacon grease over medium-high heat in batches if necessary, until golden. Replenish the pan with vegetable oil if needed.
• Return all the meat to the pot. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring continually until the meat and paste are combined, about 1 minute.
• Add the mushrooms, marinated vegetables, crisped bacon, and the reserved marinade to the pot.
• Cook the mixture, covered, on low heat until the meat and vegetables are tender, and the sauce has thickened, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve warm.

VENISON BOURGUIGNON (VENISON STEW)

Steps:

• Sauté meat cubes in bacon dripping until all sides are browned.
• Remove meat and sauté onion and carrot. When cooked, set vegetables aside, drain fat, and return meat to pan and toss with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle flour evenly over mixture and toss to coat.
• Place uncovered casserole on middle rack of preheated 450 degree oven for 5 minutes, to lightly crust meat. Remove casserole from oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees.
• Stir in wine and enough stock so that the meat is covered. Add tomato paste, garlic and herbs. Bring to a simmer, on top of stove. Toss cooked vegetables in casserole. Cover casserole and return to oven. Cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours until meat is tender.
• While meat is cooking, sauté mushrooms and baby onions in butter and beef stock. Set aside until needed.
• When meat is ready, pour contents of casserole in large sieve set over a sauce pan. Remove meat pieces and return to casserole. Add the mushroom and baby onion mixture to casserole.
• Simmer broth in saucepan for a minute or two, skimming fat as it rises. You should have at least 2 ½ cups of sauce. Taste for seasoning. Pour sauce over mixture.
• Enjoy.

ELK STEW BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Cut meat into 1" cubes and pat dry. Mix flour, salt and pepper in a bowl or plastic bag. Add meat cubes, a few at a time to coat. Shake off excess flour and reserve.
• Heat a large heavy pot over medium-high heat and fry bacon until crisp. Remove, blot excess fat, chop and reserve. Note; this can be done in advance.
• Heat olive oil in the same pot and quickly brown meat in batches on all sides. Transfer to a large bowl and reserve.
• Reduce heat to medium, add onions, carrots, celery and potatoes. Cook, stirring until onions are softened.
• Stir in tomato paste, juniper, thyme and bay leaf, then add wine and wine vinegar. Bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from the bottom.
• Add stock and reserved meat with juices to the pot. Return to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally until meat is tender. Add additional flour to thicken or water to thin to desired gravy consistency. Stir in bacon.