Venison Ragu Recipe
Pasta in a big and bold meat sauce is my idea of heaven, and this venison ragu ticks all of those boxes; it may take a while to cook, but it is simple and outrageously good.
Servings 2 Servings
Calories 571kcal
Ingredients
- 250 g Venison 9oz (Use a single piece)
- 4-5 Rashers Smoked Streaky Bacon 75g
- 1 Small Onion 75g
- 1 Medium-Large Celery Stick 50g
- 1 Small-Medium Carrot 75g
- 2 Anchovy Fillets
- 10 Juniper Berries
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 250 ml Red Wine 1 Cup
- 10 g Dried Porcini Mushrooms ¼-⅓ Cup
- 125 ml Boiling Water ½ Cup
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 teaspoon Cooking Oil
- ¼ teaspoon Salt (Plus more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Pour the boiling water over the dried mushrooms and allow them to soak.
- Cut the bacon into 5-6mm (¼") thick strips.
- Heat the oil in a heavy-based 24cm or 10" saucepan or Dutch oven and cook the bacon over a medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Cut the onion in half, peel it and then cut it into a 2-3mm (⅛") dice.
- Season the venison with the salt and pepper.
- Push the bacon to one side, add the venison, and sear the venison on both sides.
- Remove the venison and add the diced vegetables along with the anchovy fillets and juniper berries.
- Stir and cook until the onions go "translucent", which should take 5-10 minutes.
- Turn the heat up to high and pour in the red wine and deglaze the pan, scraping away any residue stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the tomato puree, the liquid from the dried mushrooms, stir and turn off the heat.
- Chop the soaked mushrooms and add them to the pan with the bay leaf and mushroom soaking juices, then add the venison.
- Stir everything together to coat the venison in the sauce and add a lid, then transfer to the oven.
- Cook at 150°C or 300°F for 2 hours.
- Remove from the oven and place on the stovetop over a medium heat.
- Take off the lid, then remove and shred the venison.
- Before you add the venison back to the pan, remove the juniper berries and bay leaf.
- Stir through the venison and serve.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 571kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 1198mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g
