This recipe is inspired by a lunchtime meal I had at a pub in England, on the edge of Dartmoor. It was a typically cold and rainy British day, and when I sat down to eat this pie, it warmed my soul. This recipe takes a long time, but it’s worth it in the end – everything will reduce to a beautifully hearty, tangy stew. Adapted from several websites, including Country Skill Blog, Jamie Oliver, and Cook Sister.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs stewing venison, cut into chunks
- 1 bottle of not-too-fancy red wine
- 2 T brandy
- bouquet garni consisting of bay leaf, thyme, and parsley
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- salt and pepper
- 100 g streaky bacon or pancetta, cut into cubes
- 1 carrot, diced
- 2 sticks celery, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2-3 cups beef stock
- a few T all purpose flour
- large handful of dried apricots, roughly chopped
- a few T olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Inspect the venison – make sure it does not have any grisly bits or deer hairs.
- In a large bowl, combine the venison with brandy, bouquet garni, 1 T olive oil, and a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- Add red wine until the meat is fully covered. Let sit for a few hours or overnight in the fridge.
- Once the meat is done marinading, drain the meat in a colander, reserving the liquid.
- Pat the meat dry and coat with flour.
- Heat the oven to 350 F.
- In a large pan, fry off the bacon over medium heat until it starts to brown, and produces a pool of bacon fat. Remove the bacon slices, place them on a paper towel, and set aside.
- Transfer the bacon fat into a dutch oven, and heat over medium high heat. When the fat is hot, add the venison and sear until the sides are nice and brown. (Note: you just want to sear the outside of the meat here, not cook it all the way.) When the venison is done browning, remove from the pan and place on a paper towel, then set aside.
- In the same dutch oven, combine the onions, carrot, and garlic, and cook for 8-10 minutes, until softened and golden brown.
- Deglaze the dutch oven with the marinade, then add in the venison, beef stock, bouquet garni, and apricots. The meat and vegetables should be fully covered – if they are not, add more beef stock. (Optionally, you can also add chunks of the cooked bacon, if you want an even more decadent stew.)
- Cover the dutch oven and place in the oven. Cook for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally to make sure the bottom doesn’t catch, until the meat is tender.
- The stew is done cooking when the meat starts falling to pieces, and is floating in a rich, dark, thick stew. If the stew is still liquidy when you remove it from the oven, uncover the stew and continue cooking until you have your desired consistency.)
- Serve warm, with potatoes and crusty bread.
