Why is venison stew chewy?

If your venison stew is chewy, it likely needs more cooking time. Stew meat often has a chewy texture after it’s cooked through but hasn’t had enough time to break down and become tender. The meat contains tough connective tissues that require several hours of slow, moist heat to fully break down, making the meat tender. So, if your stew is still chewy, give it more time to cook gently until the meat becomes tender.

What does venison taste like?

Venison has a strong gamey flavor similar to grass fed beef or bison. It can have mild mineral and metallic flavors. To offset any off flavors or overpowering gaminess, add elements from the five primary tastes: Sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. In this stew we used sweet onion, tangy wine and savory mushrooms and tomato paste to balance the bold taste of the deer meat. We add herbs and spices to help boost the flavors. It is also important to add a fresh element at the end such as fresh parsley and sweet peas.

Should I soak venison in milk?

While there is some validity to the theory venison should be soaked in milk to tenderize it and eliminate off flavors, this is not necessary for a deer stew recipe. The slow oven braising process will tenderize the meat and the herbs, spices, vegetables, wine and other seasonings will offset any metallic or strong wild game flavors.

Can I make deer meat stew in a slow cooker or Instant pot?

Not unless yours cooks very slow and low. I have used a few different brands of slow cookers over the years and they vary in terms of their heat. The crockpot brand slow cooker is way too hot for venison stew even on low setting IMO. You want it to just barely bubble along the edges. A steady simmer is too high. The key to tender meat (without drying it out) is using very low heat. If you do want to make this in a slow cooker or IP you can cut the meat into much larger chunks then when it is cooked, shred it. The sauce will moisten it up.

Best Hearty Braised Venison Stew

Description

We've unlocked the five keys to the most delicious venison stew you've ever tried. Follow this method for slow simmered taste, tender (not chewy) meat, and rich buttery sauce.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 Tbl avocado oil or organic canola oil (divided)
1 1/2 tsp coarse kosher salt (divided)
Freshly ground pepper (to taste)
1 1/2 pound venison stew meat (cut into chunks, patted dry)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 large sweet onion (diced)
8 ounces mushrooms (sliced)
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp dry thyme
1 tsp paprika
1/2 cup dry red wine (or 1/4 cup sweet vermouth)
7 cups low-sodium beef broth (or mushroom broth or chicken broth)
2 Tbl tomato paste
2 cups peeled and cut carrots (cut into large bite sized pieces)
2 cups chunks of potatoes, parsnips, turnips or celeriac (peeled and cut into chunks)
4 Tbl unsalted butter (room temperature)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup thawed green peas ((see note for green bean alternative) )
Parsley for serving (optional)

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Instructions

Arrange oven rack to accommodate a Dutch oven in the relative center of the oven. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat in a large heavy bottom, oven-safe Dutch oven. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste over venison. Add half of venison to the hot oil in a single layer and let sear, undisturbed until browned on the bottom, 2 to 4 minutes. Turn pieces of the meat over with tongs, and let sear on a second side, 2 to 4 more minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate. Reduce heat to medium-high, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of to the Dutch oven and repeat searing the remaining venison. Transfer it to the plate.
Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring often until the onions start to brown and the mushrooms have released their juices and the juices have started to evaporate, 5 to 7 minutes. Add in oregano, thyme, paprika, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and more pepper to taste. Cook stirring until the spices are fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Add red wine to the Dutch oven, increase heat to high, and simmer until it is almost completely evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add broth and tomato paste and bring to a simmer, stirring often to dissolve the tomato paste into the broth. Once the stew comes to a simmer, add in the venison and juices from the plate, carrots and potatoes (or root vegetables) and return to a simmer.
Cover the Dutch oven and transfer to the oven. Bake until the venison is completely tender, about 3 hours 45 minutes.
Mash the butter with flour in a small bowl until completely smooth.
Set the stew on the stovetop, remove lid and set heat at medium. Whisk about ¾ of the butter mixture into the stew and bring to a simmer. If the stew seems thin or watery, add the remaining butter and flour mixture and stir until it is melted into the stew. Simmer until the starch thickens.
Stir in peas. Serve with parsley on top if using.

Notes

Instead of Peas: Substitute 1 cup of green beans cut into 1 inch lengths. Steam for 4 minutes before adding to the stew in place of the peas.

Storing Leftovers: Transfer leftovers to a resealable container(s) and refrigerate up to five days. Reheat before serving.

Freezing: Can be frozen up to three months.

To reheat: Place the stew in a heavy bottom saucepan or pot. It will be virtually a solid mass because the gelatin in the sauce will thicken up in the fridge. It will melt as you warm it up. The key is to do so gently over medium-low heat, stirring often. You can also add a little broth or water to loosen it up a little bit. Make sure it is hot all the way through before serving. The chunky potatoes will take a few minutes to heat through.

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Category: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 470
Fat: 20
Carbohydrates: 32
Fiber: 6
Protein: 37