Venison Shanks with Garlic - Braised Venison Shank Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What cut of venison is best for braising? ›

Venison Shoulder/Chuck

The shoulder is full of great meat for stew, soup, braising and grinding for burgers, chili and sausage. Aside from the “mock” tenders, most of the muscles on this part of a typical white-tailed deer are too small for decent steaks.

Taken from the hind leg and individually packed, our venison shanks are the perfect cuts for slow cooking and offer a meaty dish that will be full of flavour. Just like lamb shanks these are good cooked slowly but being venison, they are the healthier choice and are packed with vitamins and protein.

A sachet of parsley, bay leaf, thyme, and crushed peppercorns for seasoning is often used as a standard seasoning. This can be accented with other herbs and spices, for example rosemary in a lamb stew, lemon grass and ginger in a curry, or tarragon in a chicken stew.

I've found that the best temperature for braising is 350 degrees. It's hot enough that you're not waiting until midnight to serve dinner, but low enough to prevent braising liquid from evaporating too quickly. Most venison roasts will become tender in 2 to 3 hours at this temperature.

Large cuts of venison taste best when pot-roasted for several hours. If you have access to a crock pot, use any recipe for beef pot roast and you'll be pleasantly surprised. However, instead of cooking for two to four hours, venison may require substantially longer cooking time for the meat to become tender.

Slow and Moist

When pan fried or sauteed, cuts from the shoulder, front legs, and lower back legs stay tough and chewy, which is one reason many hunters turn much of their deer into venison sausage. He says even densest shoulder roast can be made tender and succulent by slowly cooking it with moist heat.

Particularly for medium-rare doneness, venison needs to achieve an internal temperature of 145°F before removing from the heat, whereas ground venison must be cooked at 160°F. Additionally, a casserole dish made from venison including leftover meats must be reheated to 165°F .

What Is the Shank Meat Cut Good For? Because shank meat is quite lean, it makes good low-fat ground beef. It is used in stews and soups and dishes such as beef bourguignon. As a cheaper cut of meat, shank meat cut is found in cultural recipes across the globe.

What spices to put on venison? ›

Bay, juniper berries, rosemary, sage, savory, and sweet marjoram all pair well with venison, as well as many other wild game meats.

You can simply pat the venison dry and season with salt and pepper before cooking, or you can marinate the cut of meat for a few hours or overnight. Personally, when it comes to venison steak and venison backstrap, I like to use a simple marinade to enhance the flavor of the venison without overpowering it.

Axis venison is considered by many to be the finest venison in the world. A native of India, the Axis deer was introduced to ranches in the Texas Hill Country in the 1930's. There are now over 150,000 Axis deer in Texas.

Remember Venison's great friends are earthy like mushrooms and sweet like blueberries. As with the striploin, the boneless loin is a beautiful, tender cut ideal for roasting whole or preparing as steaks. Salt liberally, sear the outside to golden brown in a hot pan and finish to medium rare in a medium oven.

Some of our favorite cuts to braise are beef short ribs and chuck, pork shoulder and Boston butt, lamb shoulder and shanks, and chicken thighs and legs. And if you have the option of getting bone-in meat, you should: It will impart better flavor to the braising liquid and sauce.

Chuck Roast

This cut of meat is a great budget-friendly option for braising. In addition, chuck roast is beautifully marbled, so it's already a step ahead when it comes to juiciness. However, the large size can make it difficult to cook whole with other methods.

Braising beef works well with: chuck pot roast, shoulder steak, short ribs, rump roast, round steak, and brisket. Braising pork works well with: chops, cutlets, cubes, pork shoulder, Boston butt, sirloin roast, and ribs. Lamb shanks and shoulder are great for braising. For chicken, try legs and thighs.