When I was a kid, my favorite part about having a family that hunted was eating all sorts of game. From taking buck sticks to my teachers, to smokin’ whole hogs, to even trying frog legs, I loved eating what we killed.
As I’ve gotten older, I have enjoyed venturing out and learning more about the cuts of meat and experimenting with cooking techniques. Historically, venison shanks have had a bad reputation for being tough, so they usually just get ground into hamburger meat. I’ve come to find out that should be a crime!!! Seriously, when cooked right, Venison Shanks can put to shame any cut of beef you’ve ever eaten. How do you cook it? Say it with me: long and slowwwww.
The best method I’ve found in cooking the shanks is braising them, similar to beef short ribs. This recipe is perfect for a cold winter day.
Ingredients
- 2-4 Venison Shanks
- For best results, cook bone in. The bone helps the meat maintain moisture and the juices are delicious. You can do boneless, but adjust cook time
- You can use front or hind shanks. I prefer the hind because there is more meat, but these take longer to cook.
- This recipe is specifically for smaller venison, like whitetail, but can be done for elk, red stag, etc. Just adjust for size!
- 2 tablespoons oil
- Salt & Pepper
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 1 cup of carrots, sliced
- 1 16 oz. package of mushrooms, sliced
- 8 cloves of garlic, smashed
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 2 cups of red wine
- 2 cups of beef bone broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
Optional for gravy:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- A few ladles of juices/broth from final product.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
- If you have a dutch oven, use it for best results! If you don’t, you can do the stove top portion in a regular frying pan and then finish the rest off in a crockpot, or covered casserole dish in oven.
- Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil.
- Liberally season the shanks with salt and pepper on both sides. Add to skillet and cook 4 minutes per side. Just brown the meat- you don’t want to cook it thru. Remove from skillet and place on plate.
- Add onions and cook in the oil + juices from meat over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
- Add the carrots and cook for 4 additional minutes.
- Add mushrooms, cook for 2 minutes more.
- Add the garlic cloves, cook for 1 minute more. At this point, the onions should be translucent, carrots should begin softening, and mushrooms should be cooked down. Garlic will be nice and fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and stir it throughout the vegetables. Up the heat a bit and cook for a minute or two- until the paste is starting to brown.
- Pour the wine into the skillet to deglaze it. Bring it to a simmer and cook for 5-6 minutes, until it reduces by half.
- Add the bone broth, thyme, bay leaves, and cayenne peppers. Stir in and bring to a simmer.
- Return the shanks and any juices to the dutch oven. Try and submerge the meat in the liquid as much as possible.
- Place lid on top of the dutch oven and place in preheated oven. Cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Check the meat every hour or so and flip it. As it continues to cook, you’ll see it start to tenderize and fall off the bone. This takes a couple hours, so don’t freak out if the first time you flip it it’s super tough! Remember: longgg and slowwwww.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, couscous, mac and cheese- you name it! It’s like a flavorful pot roast with endless opportunities.
For gravy:
- This is a step that take a little more time and effort, but really makes the recipe. When the meat is done, take a few ladles of the juices and run them thru a strainer into a bowl.
- In a small pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour. Cook for a minute or two, until flour starts to brown.
- Slowly add the juices from the bowl. This makes for the BEST gravy!
Matti Tackett
Associate at Texas Ranch Sales, LLC
Matti has been an avid huntress from an early age and has recently become involved in the cattle industry. As a matter of fact, she co-hosts, with her dad, the national award-winning television hunting series “The High Road with Keith Warren.” She has been a spokesperson for the National Rifle Association and has worked with their Institute for Legislative Action. If Matti’s not working hard to fulfill her clients’ ranch dreams, she’s probably out hunting somewhere.
