One Pot Apricot Venison Stew
One pot apricot venison stew! This easy recipe is full of savory flavor with a kiss of apricot sweetness. After a low and slow cook in the oven, deer meat is fork tender and the braising liquid reduces to a flavorful gravy.
Winter recipe: Venison Stew.
As I write this, snow is falling from the blanket of clouds that wrap the neighboring fields. Having clear sights, horizon-to-horizon, creates the illusion of a bigger sky, as if I am caught in a real-life snow globe. The weather feels magical and also ignites a hunger for warm, comforting food; food I know to be found simmering away in a Dutch oven or slow cooker. This apricot venison stew is the product of a grateful heart, eating with the seasons from my own foodshed, starting with: Deer.
Here are a few common questions pertaining to venison stew:
WHAT PART OF THE DEER IS BEST FOR STEW?
Leg, neck, rump, flank and shoulder can all be used for stew. A combination is fine.
HOW DO I PREPARE VENISON FOR STEW?
Rinse. Begin by rinsing the meat in cool water. Pat dry.
Trim. The meat should be trimmed of silver skin and hard sinew. For this recipe, the meat is cut in bite size pieces.
Salt. Lastly, salt and pepper the chunks of meat. Let the meat sit at room temperature while the other ingredients are prepared.
WHAT CAN I USE INSTEAD OF VENISON?
Beef is a good substitution. Rabbit would also be delicious.
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN THE STEW IS DONE?
The meat should be tender but still hold its shape. The gravy will be thick but creamy.
Winter veggies perfect for stew.
Along with the venison, veggies that boast a long storage life braise until soft and tender. Here are the veggies included:
Onions and garlic. I didn’t have a garden this year since we moved mid-summer. Therefore, I bought onions in bulk from a local farm. I used Patterson onions for this recipe, a sweet variety with an impressive 9-month storage life.
Celery and carrots. Fresh carrots and celery can last months in the fridge. For even longer storage life, carrots can be stored in tubs filled with moist dirt or sand.
Yukon Gold Potatoes. I store these buttery gems, unwashed, in a humble cardboard box with a lid. I poked holes randomly in the sides for ventilation. They live high on a shelf in my cool, unfinished basement. Stew is a great way to use up shriveled potatoes.
Rutabagas (Swedes). If you live in a northern climate, acquaint yourself with the rugged rutabaga. Being a frost hardy root veggie makes it an excellent choice for home gardeners and later, winter meals. The flavor of rutabaga is often described as earthy, but I find the braising process makes them very sweet.
How to make stew taste better.
Highlighted below are a few ingredients that give this venison stew a leg up.
- Apricot preserves. Not your typical beef stew ingredient. However, the sweets and tart flavors pair very well with meat.
- Beer. Beer adds a rich, earthy flavor. It also works as a deglazing agent, ensuring no flavor packed brown bits get wasted. Look for a porter or lager. I used Fosters beer.
- Flour. Without a small amount of flour this stew would be rather soupy.
- Canned garden tomatoes. The tomatoes and apricots pair together well. The tomatoes cook down to create a sweet, savory gravy.
- Worcestershire sauce. A few splashes add a rich, umami flavor that I would describe as meaty.
How to make venison stew- Simply explained.
This is the simplified version
- Salt and pepper venison chunks.
- Soften onions, celery and carrots.
- Add venison to veggies.
- Add rest of veggies, seasoning and flour.
- Add liquids (beer, broth, tomatoes).
- Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
- Finish with flavor enhancers: Apricot preserves and Worcestershire sauce
- Bring to a boil. Cover. Transfer to 325F oven to braise until meat is tender and liquid has reduced to a gravy. (Start checking around the 2 hour mark)
Serving
Usually, I’m an advocate for serving stew with noodles– but not for this recipe. It is satisfying and hearty enough to be served just as it is.
Leftovers have even more flavor since they get to a chance to mingle in the fridge. Store in a covered container and enjoy up to 4 days.
Craving more winter recipes? Check these out:
Apricot Venison Stew
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven at least 5.5qt
Ingredients
- 2 tsp salt divided
- 2.5 lb venison stew meat sinew removed, cut into bite size chunks
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup sweet onion 1 medium, diced
- 1 cup celery 3 ribs, diced
- 1 cup baby carrots whole (or chopped carrots)
- 1.5 cups Yukon Gold potatoes 2 medium, peeled and chopped
- 3-4 medium sized garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups rutabaga 1 medium, peeled and chopped
- 2 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp EACH thyme and red chili flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 cups beer little bit of foam is okay
- 2 cups beef broth warmed
- 2 pint sized jars of tomatoes
- 3 tbsp apricot preserves
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F
- Sprinkle 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper over venison. Toss to coat.
- In a 5.5 quart Dutch oven, heat oil and butter. Do not smoke.
- Add onions, celery and carrots. Soften 5-7 minutes.
- Add venison to pot. Cook a few minutes, stirring.
- Sprinkle in rest of salt followed by garlic, rutabaga, potatoes, oregano, thyme, red chili flakes and bay leaves. Stir until evenly coated and fragrant.
- Sprinkle flour over the veggies and meat.
- Add beer. After reducing a little, add broth, tomatoes, apricot preserves and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a low boil.
- Scrap and discard the foam that rises to the surface.
- Transfer to preheated oven with cover on. Check on meat around 2 hours to stir and access if the meat is tender. Braise until meat is tender and liquid has reduced to a gravy.
