South Texas Venison Stew

 

                This flavorful stew makes a value-minded meat out of venison, which can be expensive meat. It's another good dish for a Crockpot.

Serves 4

• 1 pound venison stew meat, cut in ½-inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• ½ teaspoon oregano, preferably Mexican
• 2 tablespoons oil, canola or corn
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1½ cups unsalted game, beef, or chicken stock
• ½ cup dried apricots, diced
• One-third cup chili sauce
• 1 x 14½-ounce can hominy or 2 cups cooked pozole
• 2 cups cooked black beans (canned beans are acceptable if they are rinsed before using)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon minced cilantro plus more, optional, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 325F (160C), unles you're using a Crockpot.
2. Toss the venison cubes lightly with a mixture of the salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano.
3. Warm the oil over medium-high heat, and brown the meat quickly ; with a slotted spoon, remove the venison from the oil, and place it in a Crockpot, Dutch oven, or other heavy pot.
4. Sauté the onion, bell pepper, and garlic in the oil remaining in the pan until they have softened ; spoon the vegetables into the pot with the venison.
5. Add the stock, apricots, and chili sauce, stir to combine, and cover the pot ; cook the stew in the Crockpot 10 to 12 hours or bake it 3 to 4 hours in the oven, until the venison is very tender.
6. During the last half-hour of cooking, mix the pozole and beans into the stew ; take the stew off the heat, and stir in the lime juice and the tablespoon cilantro.
7. Serve the stew hot, with more cilantro, if you like.

BON APPÉTIT