Northern Hearty Venison Stew Recipe (2024)

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Been hunting lately? Whether you've been out in the backwoods or getting adventurous at your local butcher, this northern-style venison stew recipe is delicious. It's a great way to transform your deer, elk, or moose venison stewing meat into an easy, delicious meal.

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The ingredients are easy to come by whether you're a backwoods hunter or an urban foodie. Look for juniper berries, maple syrup, and sage. And the venison stew requires minimal attention while simmering. In addition, venison is leaner and has more protein than beef.

As with most soups and stews, there are many substitutions for vegetables and spices. And that can make venison dinner ideas better suited to your taste buds. Or those of fussy family members.

Related: Ptarmigan Stew Recipe

Venison Stew Recipes to Serve a Crowd

Although this recipe makes eight to ten servings, you can easily stretch it out to feed a crowd. Just add extra broth and spices. Then top it with your favorite homemade dumpling recipe.

Alternatively, whip up some homemade bread,condensed milk dinner rolls, or these easy homemade soft dinner rolls.

Tip: This venison stew recipe works best when using an 8-litre cast-iron dutch oven. It's going to simmer at about 300 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 4 hours, so you want it to be in a large, sturdy pot.

You can cook venison stew recipes using a typical electric or gas oven, in a slow cooker, or on a wood stove. Even better, use a cast-iron dutch oven with legs and cook it in a campfire. Delicious!

Which Cuts of Venison to Use

When choosing your stewing meat, you don't want to use your prime cuts of meat.

Stews should be used for turning extra trimmings and less desirable cuts of meat into a tender, hearty meal. The lower part of the hindquarters provides excellent stewing meat as well as parts of the front legs.

Even if you don't usually use the shanks, start adding them to your stewing pile. Meat that has a lot of tendons, sinew, and connective tissue makes ideal cuts to use in stew preparation.

This is because as the meat cooks, the tissues dissolve into the stew, adding richness and flavor. At the same time, the meat will tenderize to a more palatable texture.

Looking for a good bread recipe to accompany your stew? Try my mom's whole grain artisan bread or her condensed milk dinner rolls!

Northern Hearty Venison Stew Recipe

Northern Hearty Venison Stew Recipe (2)

Northern Hearty Venison Stew Recipe

Yield: 15 - 20 cups

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes

This hearty northern venison stew recipe uses juniper, maple syrup and sage for a unique and delicious recipe.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds of venison stewing meat, or a comparable cut
  • ½ pound of pork bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 bunch of celery, diced into ¼ inch slices
  • 2 yellow onions, peeled and diced
  • 3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1.5 litres of beef broth/stock
  • ½ bottle of red wine (roughly 375 ml)
  • 6 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 6 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 15-20 juniper berries
  • 20-30 leaves of finely chopped fresh sage or 6 tablespoon dried
  • 20-30 sticks of finely chopped fresh thyme or 6 tablespoon dried
  • 6-12 fresh bay leaves

Instructions

Instructions for Northern Venison Stew Recipe

  1. Set oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Begin by cutting the venison into 1 - 1.5-inch pieces. Wrap the pieces in a clean dish towel. I do this with most red meats before cooking, as I find it helps to draw some of the less desirable juices from the meat and leads to a better-tasting result.
  3. Using a large cast-iron or stockpot (over 6 liters), cook the bacon pieces over medium heat until well done (I prefer using a cast iron pot, as they retain heat better and are safer for use inside an oven).
  4. Remove the cooked bacon and set aside. Leave the grease and fat, it will help offset the very lean qualities of venison.
  5. Remove the venison from the cloth, and heavily salt all pieces. Brown them in the bacon grease on medium heat.
  6. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside.
  7. Combine the celery and onion in the pot, and saute on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
  8. Add bay leaves.
  9. Sprinkle in half of the sage and half of the thyme.
  10. Add beef broth and wine.
  11. Add the browned venison and stir.
  12. Bring the stew to a low boil.
  13. Add juniper berries. I use a spice bag to hold the berries while in the stew so that it is easier to remove the berries before serving.
  14. After boiling for a few minutes, a thin foam will appear on the top of the stew. Gently skim this off with a wooden spoon or ladle and dispose of it.
  15. Cover the stew and place in the oven at 300 degrees for 2 hours.
  16. After 2 hours, add the potatoes, parsnips, and the remaining sage and thyme. Salt and pepper to taste.
  17. Return to oven for one hour.
  18. Remove lid, and place the pot on stovetop burner at medium-high heat.
  19. Add red wine vinegar and maple syrup.
  20. I personally prefer a thicker stew, so I leave the stew boiling uncovered to reduce it. If you're planning on adding dumplings, keep in mind that they need quite a bit of excess liquid in the stew, and will absorb it anyway. If you're not a fan of dumplings, you can continue boiling or use a flour/cornstarch mix to thicken. Just make sure not to overcook or burn the stew.
Nutrition Information

Yield 15 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 395Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 73mgSodium 453mgCarbohydrates 42gFiber 9gSugar 20gProtein 31g

Interested in trying out other game meat stews and recipes? Check out out our rabbit stew and drop dumplings recipe or a healthy white bean kale soup with sausage.

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About Blake Culver

Blake is Sarita's son, and an avid outdoorsman. He enjoys back-country hiking, camping, and honing his wilderness survival skills. Look for Blake's posts on hunting, fishing, homesteading, foraging, and food.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Helen at the Lazy Gastronome

    Sounds like a hearty stew! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party. Have a great week.

  2. Miz Helen

    Congratulations!
    Your awesome post is featured on Full Plate Thursday,525 this week. Thanks so much for sharing with us, we are sharing it on our Features Board. Hope to see you again soon!
    Miz Helen

  3. Michele Morin

    Hunting season begins this weekend! This is a helpful recipe!

  4. Dawn W Smith

    I know several family members who would love this! I have to admit I'm not a game meat eater, I just can't deal with the taste or the smell, but my uncle was a huge hunter and would have absolutely loved this. Although my dad didn't hunt, he loved venison, so would have bugged my mom to make this for him too!

  5. Linda Carlson

    Yum. We hunt and so venison is always on the menu here and stew is one of our favorites..

  6. Nikki Gwin

    I would love to taste it! I am not a wild game food lover although I come from a family of hunters. It's just something I've never really even tried.
    Looks delicious and I do love beef stew.
    🙂 gwingal

  7. Melissa

    This looks so good! We make a venison stew here too with our deer meat.
    Thanks for sharing on Farm Fresh Tuesdays Blog Hop!
    See you next week!
    Melissa | Little Frugal Homestead

  8. Linda Carlson

    Venison is the only meat we eat other than some fish now and then and stew is one of our favorites.. I see a couple ingredients I have not tried .. will have to.

  9. Kelly

    This looks so amazing! Can't wait to try it. I have some venison in my freezer right now and the temperature is just right outside for wanting some good stew 🙂
    Thanks for sharing on the Homestead Blog Hop. Hope to see more.

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Northern Hearty Venison Stew Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my venison stew tough? ›

Venison cooks faster than beef, and when cooking it rare, it needs to only reach a temperature of 130 degrees. If venison reaches 150 degrees, it begins to toughen.

What is the best cut of venison for stew? ›

Venison Rump

The rump offers a small piece of muscle, best for pot roast and stew meat.

How do you make stew meat more flavorful? ›

Sear the meat well.

Searing meat takes a long time, and it's tempting to skip it. Don't. Searing the meat until it develops a dark brown crust and a sticky “fond” starts to glaze over the bottom of the pan are both key to creating the kind of rich, caramelized flavors that make stews irresistibly good.

How do you make venison not tough? ›

Hanging your meat, skin on, for about two weeks is the best option. Aging the meat allows the animal's natural enzymes to break down the connective tissues and mellows the flavor. Cihelka said this is the reason his venison is so tender. Hunters don't always do this.

Does venison get more tender the longer it cooks? ›

Why does my venison always come out tough? If you find that your roasts always come out sort of rubbery, dry or hard, it's likely because you're not cooking long enough and at a low enough temperature. If you're using a slow cooker you want to cook your meat on low for 8-9 hours, or until falling-apart tender.

What is the best tenderizer for venison? ›

For steaks, chops, and other thinner cuts, mechanical tenderizers are generally the best option. This includes crank or push-style cubers that use fine blades to sever the muscles into smaller lengths.

How do you thicken venison stew? ›

The flour helps to thicken a stew as it cooks. Whisk a teaspoon of flour in a little cold water to make a slurry, then stir into the stew as it's cooking. Don't add dry flour directly to the stew as it may clump. After adding the slurry, bring the stew to boil.

What herbs go well with venison? ›

Ideal flavours for venison
  • Fruits: quince, cherries, prunes, blackberries, apples.
  • Herbs: thyme, rosemary, bay, sage.
  • Spices: star anise, allspice, black pepper, cloves, juniper.
  • Alcohol: red wine (e.g. Grenache, Zinfandel), cider, ale. Other: chestnuts, celeriac, red cabbage, chocolate, mushroom.
Mar 7, 2016

What do you soak deer meat in before cooking? ›

Soaking: The most common soaking liquids are buttermilk, saltwater, white milk, vinegar, lemon juice and lime juice. While some hunters swear by certain soaking methods to take the “gamey” flavor away or bleed the meat after processing, others don't find it all that helpful.

How to make venison more tender? ›

Like any meat , Deer meat to is tenderized by beating it, by marinating it with mild acids like lemon juice, sour curd, buttermilk, vinegar etc for minimum 4 hours . The fibers need to be cut across if you cut along the fibers the meat will be tough and chewy.

How do you fix tough meat in stew? ›

Simmer in liquid. Just like for burnt meat, if your meat gets tough and dry then you can simmer it in a little bit of broth for a couple minutes. Don't allow it to overcook again but just allow the liquid to penetrate the meat.

Does stew meat get tougher the longer you cook it? ›

Don't Stew the Stew Too Long Either

It might seem that cooking your beef stew on low for 8 hours will make it even better, but that is not true at all. Your beef will be tough if you don't cook it enough and it will be tough if you cook it too much. It's just science, take it from us!

How to make stew meat soft and tender? ›

Apart from slow cooking, you can try using a meat tenderizer tool to physically break down the connective tissues before cooking. Alternatively, adding acidic ingredients like tomatoes, wine, or vinegar to your stew can help tenderize the meat.

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