Venison Stew
No matter what else is going on in life, we still have to eat, right? And those of us who are married to men who can’t, don’t, or just plain won’t cook, still have to cook. And if you’re a mom, you must feed your children. Besides sleeping and paying taxes, whether married or single, cooking is that one chore or labor of love that must happen, regardless.
Winter is the time we cook those meals we remember smelling when walking in the door after school, right? What smells does that bring back for you? Maybe it was Grandma’s vegetable gumbo? Maybe it was Mother’s special chili with beans? Maybe it was a big pot of gumbo or soup of any homemade variety.
After a while, though, the family gets tired of the same old winter-time pot of soup. At least mine does. If it were up to me, though, I’d make a big pot every weekend and eat on it all week. As long as I have crackers, butter, and water, I’m happy as a clam (not in chowder, though!).
So, for a little twist on a hearty, winter-time meal, I went to the freezer to see what might inspire me. We don’t hunt deer, but my brother-in-law RenRed is an avid deer hunter, which benefits us greatly when he has a good year. At Christmas, he shared his venison bounty with us. And then there is another friend, just an hour’s ride north of here, who is an avid bow hunter who travels all over hunting deer. It is his venison stew meat that went into this dish.
I want to remind you that we all have our way of cooking things. My mother never cooked venison as far as I know, so this is the first time I’ve made this dish. Remember, I live about 20 miles from the nearest grocery store, so I used ingredients I had on hand. You might want to add more veggies! Whatever your family will eat is what’s best!
The day BEFORE I wanted to serve this, I thawed the packet of stew meat in cold water. Then I placed the meat in a bowl of cold water, added some white vinegar, covered and refrigerated overnight. I know milk will remove “gaminess”, but I wanted to try vinegar, for some odd reason. (I think watching Food Network has given me great courage to try new things!)
Next day, I drained and rinsed the meat in clear water, then patted the meat dry on paper towels. Each piece was then dredged through a mixture of flour, garlic salt, and pepper and then browned in a hot skillet of olive oil.
After meat was browned, it was set aside on a plate. After adding a little more olive oil to the skillet, I sauteed the onion until clear and then the chopped garlic. I added a little water to the pan and de-glazed it to add to the next pot.
In a large pot, I added a can of cream of mushroom soup, one can of water, 2 beef bouillon cubes, the onion, garlic, and pepper. I mixed that well on medium heat and then added the browned stew meat to the pot. Then I added fresh carrots . . . I had fresh whole baby carrots on hand. Lowered the fire a
nd simmered about half an hour and then added cubed potatoes. I don’t like mushy potatoes, so I added them later than the carrots, which take longer, right?
I added water as needed to thin out the gravy as slow cooking continued. This cooked on low for about an hour and a half. I stirred it often to make sure the meat didn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Note I did not add any extra salt to the gravy mixture, because the soup and bouillon cubes are already salty. Taste before adding salt!
We ate this over rice; but then again, we eat almost everything over rice! It was really good. The meat cooked up very, very tender. I wish there would have been more family here to enjoy it, though.
Venison Stew
Ingredients
- 1 lb Stew Meat
- Flour Garlic Salt, Pepper
- Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion Chopped
- 1-2 Cloves Fresh Garlic Chopped
- 1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 1 Can of Water
- 2 Bouillon Cubes
- 1-2 Cups Carrots
- 1-2 Cups Potatoes
- Additional water as needed for thinning gravy
Instructions
- Dredge the meat through a mixture of flour, garlic salt, and pepper
- Brown in a hot skillet of olive oil.
- Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Add a little more olive oil to the skillet, and saute the onion until clear.
- Saute the chopped garlic.
- Add a little water to the pan and de-glaze it to add to the next pot.
- In a large pot, add the cream of mushroom soup, one can of water, the bouillon cubes, the onion/garlic mixture, and some black pepper.
- Mix well on medium heat and add the stew meat to the pot.
- Add the carrots, lower the fire and simmer about half an hour.
- Add the cubed potatoes.
- Add water as needed to thin out the gravy.
- Cook on low for about an hour and a half.
- Stir it often to make sure the meat didn't stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Taste before adding any salt!
So, here is a BW original that I do believe is a keeper. Got any spare stew meat? Now you know what to do with it.
Stay warm!
BW
Yum! Your recipe is similar to mine, BW. And like you, it’s whatever is on hand that goes into the pot. Yours looks downright edible!
I’ve never put the soup in stew (Beef) before, but I think I’ll try it soon. If you want to part with some Venison, I’ll be happy to try your exact recipe and report back here. OR, you could cook some up when we come down to fish and I’ll critique the recipe.
I’m catching up on your posts backwards, so I’m sure I’ll find some mention of our “balmy” weather as I go!
When I discovered a skim of ice (!) on our marina water Sunday morning, there was nothing to do but make a pot of soup – it was almost reflexive.
I did vegetable beef and another pot of chicken chili, but yours sounds wonderful. I just heard there’s a meat market processing and selling venison in Pasadena, so if I can lay my hands on some venision I’ll try that.
Interesting that you serve yours on rice. When I lived in Liberia, the standard fare was called “soup and rice”. Soup wasn’t necessarily “soup” as we know it, but anything that went on top of rice – usually of stewlike consistency. The most interesting “soup” I ran into involved fruit bat – of course it tasted like chicken!
If memory serves, you’re in Texas and there are lots of deer hunting ranches there that donate venison to food programs. I don’t doubt there would be markets selling the stuff! There is a super tasty and very easy Taco Soup recipe somewhere on this blog site! I highly recommend it. It’s quick, easy, and everyone loves it. Very, very tasty! Oh, and I’ve failed to mention that we’ve had below freezing temps down here for four nights in a row. Folks won’t believe that schools were closed yesterday due to low water pressure caused by ruptured pipes, I guess.
That and some cornbread-mm mm
Hey! Thought maybe I had lost you!
Looks delicious! I like venison and have some in the freezer from my son. I usually soak it in buttermilk overnight but, vinegar water will work good too.
Glad someone else loves soup as much as I do. I had some for lunch today. Clam chowder, New England style and it was so rich and creamy. Good stuff!
How about I cook you up some crab and crawfish bisque, Cammy? Mmmmmm.
And it will be ready when???LOL Sounds good to me. I love crawfish and I love crab meat. I think I have some crawfish tail meat in the freezer and some canned crab meat. Can’t afford the fresh stuff up in this area so, the frozen and canned has to do.
I’ll have to be sure and remember to blog about the bisque when I make it!!!
By the way, visits to my blog spiked last night, so I was wondering which one of you is responsible for that spike? Just wanted to say thanks! BW
I remember an email from you a few years ago…you were very excited about having 10,000 hits to the blog! Congrats you’re a hit. Who will make it 172,000? Keep cooking and typing and we’ll keep coming back.
Yes! I remember that! Thanks for the encouragement. When there is a spike of 500 in one day, I have to wonder who is responsible for that. My stats don’t give me that answer, and I really want to know so I can offer my thanks. So far, no one has taken credit for the spike.
I want crab and crawfish bisque! The stew looks yummy and there is some buffalo in the freezer that just might find it’s way into a pot of this.
Did you ever cook up a batch of that native American desert we talked about a while back????? Coming soon: FRIED BREAD DOUGH, Houma Indian style!!!!!
Coming soon… ME! To your house! To eat “fried bread dough”! 😉
Don’t you mean “gallet”?
I wonder if your “Fried Bread Dough” is the same thing we call “Hoe Cakes” (made w/ corn meal)? Thanks for the idea, I’m going to have to make some Hoe Cakes and Crowder Peas or Mustard Greens.
No, no, that would be “Dog Bread”, which is a honky dish through and through. Fried bread dough, called “Fry Bread” by Native Americans, is called “gallet” by our family. This comes from the Houma Indians and French influence. It’s more like a flat beignet, and more of a breakfast/coffee food than a side dish for a meal. At least, in bayou homes, that is. It is pretty dog-gone good, too! See? You just never know what you’re going to learn at BW!
Oh BW, that looks and sounds so delicious! Right about the time you were sauteeing venison I was chopping ‘taters and carrots and opening a can of corn for a “chowdah” to warm the frozen edges of my honey’s cheekbones. After I thickened it with a flour/water slurry I dumped in some cream cheese cubes for the first time. I was mighty pleased.
Where’s the next chapter in your auto-bio??
Hm. I’ll work on that . . . but the last chapter was “unpublished” due to a phone call I received warning me that there were some things going on that I was not aware of and it was probably really good that I got fired! I guess I could pick up from there if anyone is really interested! LOL!
Yep!
Yes! Interested. I really enjoyed the reading your bio.
That looks mighty yummy! Definitely a good week to cook up something to take the chill off. Moved my typical weekly “cook up a big ole pot of something” from Sunday to Saturday this week and made jambalaya. Served it up with some left over shrimp spaghetti sauce on top. I know it sounds a little odd, but it was delish. Starting to think gumbalaya might be on the agenda this weekend.
Nothing like a good “pastalya”!!!!!
Looks fabulous!!
Well I took pot pies from high end roasted in crock chicken to ground turkey in a tube still looking for perfect biscuit mix to float on top.
Might try a beef stew in the new gumbo pot, lodge red enamel.
I WANT that red lodge enamel. Where did you get it? Rachel Ray’s trash pile?
Old Man Walton’s place. Some places post Xmas had sales on MS and RR in fliers I read.
I think you could make a living off your cooking! This looks like another great meal!
Thank you, Kim! You’re just missing that Louisiana cooking over there in arid New Mexico!
Time for a drawing! And the winner is:
Here are your random numbers:
9
Timestamp: 2010-01-13 14:04:54 UTC
Not counting my comments, I think number 9 would be Musing Egret! Please email me your mailing address so I can send you your Community Coffee gift!
I haven’t made grape dumplings yet but was just thinking about them the other day! I will get to it as soon as basketball season lets me catch a breath. MMMMMM….fry bread. I’m anxious to see if it’s done the same way as it’s done here.
I’m sure it’s basically the same. They serve it at the pow wows here.
Yippee! I’m thrilled to win BW; take your time on the mailout. I’m even more thrilled to cast my vote for your continuing work on your lifestory. You’re an inspiration!
Uh, hm. I’m not so sure about the inspiration part! Just ask Dotter! She’s seen me at my very worst. Well, life is real, ya know? And so am I!! Thanks anyway, though, Kaz! It’s very, very sweet of you to say that. BW
Have you thought about making a cookbook? This along with your “Life as Bayou Woman” will be best sellers!
Yes, ma’am. I’ve done more than think about it! Maybe by the end of this year there will be a cookbook (to buy and give as holiday gifts) and a 2011 Life in the La. Wetlands Calendar (with a portion of the proceeds going toward marsh plantings!!!). I’m not so sure that “Life as Bayou Woman” would be a best seller. I’ll save that title for the novel, and honey, I have a looooooong ways to go before this life is novel worthy! But you know I love the encouragement! How’s the new house? Any more skunks?
Fry bread uyp here is also known as squaw bread but it’s used for a side dish here too. It’s used a lot for “Indian tacos” and as a way to sop up Soup Corn. Ok, now I’m going to have to have some friends over this weekend for fry bread and grape dumplings! Pow Wow season is not close enough to get my fix.
Drool, drool!
I don’t know about y’all, but I want some of these grape dumplings I keep reading about!
I’m coming late to the party here, but I made the taco soup yesterday. So quick and easy. Throw these ingredients in a pot and bring to close to boiling:
2 cans Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
2-3 cans chili beans
1 can corn
1 package taco seasoning
1 package Ranch dressing mix
1 1/2 to 2 cups water
When it’s good and hot drop in your ground beef in small pieces, and stir to break it up further. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Eat with hot cornbread. Yum!
I have never cooked the meat like that before, but Choup does it all the time and says it’s much easier. With a lean beef, I guess it’s okay. Also, my recipe does not call for so much tomato. Is this a personal preference? Don’t forget the black beans!!!!!