Description
A thick and hearty slow cooker venison stew featuring tender red meat chunks, baby potatoes, carrots, celery, and aromatic herbs simmered with red wine and Worcestershire sauce for a rich, comforting meal perfect for chilly days.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Coating
- 2 lbs. venison stew meat (or substitute elk, antelope, moose, beef, bear – any red meat)
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsp. salt, divided
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1–2 Tbsp. high heat tolerant oil or fat (duck, deer, beef fat, avocado oil, or clarified butter)
Vegetables and Herbs
- 1 lb. baby gold potatoes, quartered
- 3–4 large carrots, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 4–5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp. Herbs de Provence
Liquids and Flavorings
- 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 4 cups beef or venison stock
- ½ cup dry red wine (Cabernet or Bordeaux recommended)
- 5–10 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Optional Thickening
- 3 Tbsp. corn starch, arrowroot powder, or tapioca starch
Instructions
- Prepare the meat: Mix the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Pat the venison dry with a towel to remove moisture, then toss the meat chunks in the flour mixture until fully coated and the flour is absorbed.
- Sear the meat: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil or fat. Once hot, sear the venison on all sides until browned. Work in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding. Transfer the seared meat to the slow cooker.
- Layer the vegetables and seasonings: Add the quartered potatoes to the slow cooker, then layer diced carrots, celery, onion, minced garlic, Herbs de Provence, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper over the meat and potatoes.
- Add liquids and flavorings: Pour in the drained diced tomatoes, beef or venison stock, red wine, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir gently to combine.
- Slow cook: Cover and set the slow cooker on low for 8-9 hours, allowing flavors to meld and the meat to become tender.
- Optional thickening: About 6 hours in, remove a few spoonfuls of broth into a separate bowl. Stir in your choice of starch (corn starch, arrowroot, or tapioca) until dissolved, creating a slurry. Pour this back into the stew, stir well, then leave the slow cooker lid slightly ajar to thicken the stew for the remaining cook time.
- Serve: Ladle the thick, hearty venison stew into bowls and enjoy with crusty bread for a cozy meal.
Notes
- You can cook this on high for 4-5 hours, but cooking low for 8-9 hours yields more tender meat and better flavor melding.
- This recipe has not been tested with gluten-free flour, but it should work. Alternatively, skip the flour coating and use the optional starch thickening step at the end.
- Use any red meat if venison is unavailable, such as elk, antelope, moose, beef, or bear.
- For a thicker stew, adding the starch slurry about halfway through cooking is recommended.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (approximate)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
