Venison Stew

The forest service ranger brought us some venison the other day.  There are so many deer in this area that they are considered to be garden pests, so if they come into your yard and eat your plants, you are allowed to shoot them, even if deer season is closed.  While we don’t hunt, we don’t turn down the meat if it is offered to us.

FabGrandpa’s doctor at the VA put him on Prilosec for acid reflux, and told him he can no longer eat tomatoes, chocolate, spicey foods, or anything with caffeine. Because of that, I had to redo my stew recipe. I have always used tomatoes and tomato paste in my beef stew, so this was an experiment for me. It turned out pretty good.

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, chopped

3-4 stalks celery, chopped

1 1/2 lbs stew meat (I used the venison I was given, you can use beef instead)

meat tenderizer

season salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 carrots

4 medium potatoes

32 oz beef broth

Heat the oil in a dutch oven or stew pot. Add the onion, garlic, and celery and sautee until the onions are clear. Meanwhile, sprinkle the tenderizer and seasoned salt generously on the meat.  Add to the pot with the sauteed vegetables, and cook until browned on all side. Add the potatoes, carrots, beef broth and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours. Serve with corn bread or biscuits.

I made this and refrigerated overnight. The next day, I took the layer of fat off the top before reheating. This recipe is naturally gluten free, you just have to make sure the package of beef broth is gluten free. Always read your labels!