Venison Bourguignon French Stew Recipe

Directions

• Venison Bourguignon
• Generously season the venison chunks with Kosher salt and black pepper.
• Heat 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven or very large skillet on medium-high heat. Add bacon pieces and cook until almost crispy. Then remove bacon and set aside.
• Place venison chunks into hot Dutch oven and sear on all sides, until a light brown crust is formed. Do this in small batches, as to not over-crowd the pot. Set seared meat aside.
• If pot is pretty dry, add a little more olive oil. Throw in the carrot and chopped onion and saute until the onions are softened (but not browned). Then stir in the minced garlic and cook another minute.
• Deglaze pot with 1/4 cup of the dry red wine. Scrape loose any brown bits that are on the bottom of the pot.
• Stir bacon pieces back in. Then set all the seared venison pieces back in. Sprinkle the all-purpose flour over top, and gently stir to incorporate and lightly coat everything. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the rest of the red wine, along with the beef stock. Then stir in 1 Tablespoon of chopped parsley, 2 Tablesppons of tomato paste, and 1 Tablespoon of beef bouillon paste.
• Place bay leaves and thyme sprigs in a small spice bag and tie closed. Place into pot. Cover the pot, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 hours.
• Remove pot from oven, and gently remove all meat and carrots. Separate the remaining contents from the liquid with a fine mesh strainer, and place the liquid into a small saucepan.
• Return the meat, carrot, and other solids back to the Dutch oven, and cover.
• Put the saucepan full of liquid on the stove, and bring to a low simmer. Gradually stir in a cornstarch slurry made from 1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch and 1 1/2 Tablespoons cold water. Simmer for about 5 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.
• To the Dutch oven, add the braised pearl onions and sauteed mushrooms. Pour the thickened sauce atop everything, and gently stir to incorporate.
• Enjoy! It’s common to serve with mashed potatoes, and garnished with chopped fresh parsley.
• Braised Pearl Onions
• Heat the butter and oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add pearl onions and a pinch of Kosher salt. Saute the onions until lightly browned, rolling and moving them around occasionally.
• Pour in the beef stock. Add a pinch of black pepper and 1 thyme sprig.
• Cover the pan and simmer on very low for 45 minutes. The onions should be tender, and the liquid should be mostly reduced.
• Remove from heat and set aside until needed for the Bourguignon.
• Sauteed Mushrooms
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the quartered mushrooms, along with a pinch of Kosher salt.
• Move the mushrooms around with a spoon to ensure they are all coated in the melted butter. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and have taken on a little color. They should not be cooked down to complete mush.
• Remove the mushrooms from the skillet, leaving behind any standing liquid that was released from the mushrooms. Cover the cooked mushrooms and set aside until needed for the Bourguignon.