Holiday Recipes to Bring Your Family Together Around the Table

Venison Stew

Could anything warm you up more than a rich and savory venison stew? Here’s a crowd pleaser that’s packed full of flavor and is sure to turn heads at the table.

Ingredients:

1-pound shoulder meat, cubed 1” pieces

4 large carrots, rough chopped

3 celery ribs, rough chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 yellow onion, rough chopped

2 rosemary springs, leaves only, minced

2 thyme springs, leaves only, minced

3-4 potatoes, rough cut

3oz tomato paste

2 cups red wine

4 cups venison or beef broth

1 cup flour

Olive or Avocado oil

2 tsp cracked pepper

1 tsp sea salt

Directions:

Debone venison shoulder steaks and trim off all fat and silver, cube into 1” pieces.

Mix salt and pepper into flour, toss and coat meat in batches. Let meat sit 1-2 minutes allowing the gluten in the flour to get sticky.

In large pot or Dutch oven add about 3 tbsps of oil over med-high heat. Add meat in patches, you’re just wanting to brown the meat, not cook it fully.

Once cooked remove from heat and set aside.

Our 1 1/2 cups of wine into skillet, de-glaze pot by scraping with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add onions and cook over medium for 2-3 minutes or until onions are soft.

Add tomato paste and remaining wine, mix well.

Add meat and broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat to med-low and cover. Cook 2 hours.

Check meat tenderness at 2 hours, if still stuff add 30 minutes more until fork tender.

Once meat is tender add veggies and herbs, simmer an additional 1 hour covered

Remove from heat, serve, and enjoy.

Click here to join Jeremiah in the kitchen and see this recipe in action.

Leftover Turkey & Dumplings

Take the delicious taste of wild turkey, throw in some classic dumplings, and you’ve got a meal everyone—even that aunt who says all wild meat is “gamey”—will love.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 egg, beaten

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup butter milk

3 tbsp chives, minced

1 tbsp olive or avocado oil

1 large brown onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 celery stalks chopped

1/2 tsp fresh thyme

4 cups turkey or chicken broth

1/3 cup flour

Salt & pepper to taste.

1/2 cup peas, frozen or fresh

1 cup fresh corn

2 cups leftover turkey, or any other game bird you have.

Directions:

Add some oil to your Dutch oven or stockpot over med-high heat. Add celery, carrots, and onion. Cooking and stirring often, you don’t want to caramelize them, just letting them sweat and onions become soft.

Add garlic and finish another 1 min, followed by thyme and broth. Keep about 1/3 of the broth set aside.

In a small bowl whisk flour together with 1/3 cup broth until smooth. Add to the pot along with peas, corn, and wild turkey.

Cook uncovered at med/high heat while you work on dumplings.

In bowl whisk flour, baking soda and salt, add egg, buttermilk, and chives, blending until just smooth. *don’t over mix or your dumplings will be dense.

Using a spoon scoop and drop them into the broth, the doubling should double in while cooking in the delicious broth. So, don’t worry about the size.

Cover the pot and cook 20 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked. After 15 minutes you can poke the dumplings with a toothpick to see if they are done. If your pick is clean grab a bowl, serve and enjoy.

Click here to join Jeremiah in the kitchen and see this recipe in action.

Braised Venison Shanks

The shanks, or the cut of meat below the knee, is often seen as too tough for great table fare, ending up in the sausage pile with all the trimmings. This recipe transforms shanks into an unforgettable meal.

Ingredients:

Venison shanks

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup salted butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 white onion, minced

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

2 medium carrots, finely chopped

1/2 cup white wine

2 cups diced tomatoes

3 oz tomato paste

1-2 cups venison or beef stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Dredge the shanks in the flour.

In heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven add butter and melt.

Add shanks to the butter and brown the outside, remove.

Add onions and cook until tender, add carrots, celery and garlic, add until garlic is fragrant.

Add wine and deglaze the pan, stir in broth and tomatoes.

Return the shanks, making sure they are submerged in the cooking liquid.

Place lid on and cook low until shanks are fork tender. Oven 4-5 hours at 300º or stove top over med-low for 4-5 hours.

Remove and serve alongside your favorite mashed potato recipe.

Click here to join Jeremiah in the kitchen and see this recipe in action.

Venison Holiday Roulade w/Apple Cranberry Sourdough Stuffing

Looking for something with more wow factor? Serve up this roulade (which is French for “to roll”) and bring your venison to a whole new level.

Stuffing ingredients:

2 cups sourdough bread, torn into small pieces

5 tbsp melted butter

1/2 white onion, minced

1 celery stalk, diced finely

2 tsp dried sage

1 tsp thyme, chopped

1 tsp rosemary, chopped

1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped fine

Salt and pepper to taste

1 green apple, chopped small

1/2 cup dried or fresh cranberries

Steak:

1 venison backstrap

2 tbsp poultry seasoning

Poultry seasoning:

2 teaspoons ground sage

1 1/2 teaspoons ground thyme

1 teaspoon ground marjoram

3 teaspoons ground rosemary

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions:

Heat grill, oven, or pellet smoker to 225°.

Start out by filleting your backstrap to double the size.

In a skillet add butter and melt, add onions, celery, apples and cranberries, cook 3-5.

Add sourdough and mix until sourdough is toasted.

Pour mixture over strap, leaving a finger size portion on top and bottom empty.

Roll your straps and wrap in butcher twine to keep from un-rolling.

Rub meat with poultry seasoning.

Place in smoker and cook until internal temp reaches 120°.

Raise temp to 400 and finish cooking 5-10 minutes until 130°.

Remove steak and let it rest 10 minutes, slice and enjoy.

Click here to join Jeremiah in the kitchen and see this recipe in action.