Braised Venison with Rosemary and Shiitake

Venison is simmered in red wine with shiitake mushrooms and cognac in this savory and sophisticated dish I created to please my hunter. I like to serve this with spaetzle, merlot, and salad.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr
• Total Time: 2 hr 25 mins
• Calories: 412 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cube beef bouillon
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons water (Optional)
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups dry red wine
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons bacon drippings
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (Optional)
• 1 ½ pounds venison, cut into 2 inch cubes
• 2 cups fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 2 tablespoons cognac or brandy (Optional)
• 1 ¼ teaspoons dried rosemary
• 1 (8 ounce) package baby carrots (Optional)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Melt the bacon drippings in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the venison in two batches until nicely browned and remove. Stir in the shiitake, onions, and garlic; cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the cognac, wine, and bouillon cube, simmer for 30 seconds to remove the alcohol flavor and dissolve the bouillon.

Step 2

Stir in the venison, pepper, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently until the venison is tender, about two hours or more; adding water as needed.

Step 3

If using baby carrots, add them during the last half hour of cooking. When the venison is tender, you may wish to thicken the sauce by dissolving the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water and stirring it into the sauce.