From now onwards as the weather gets cooler, our stallholder Deidre usually has packs of venison shin pieces which are great for slow cooked dishes – the meat is always meltingly tender.
- Ingredients:
- I allow 2-3 pieces of shin per person as they’re smallish.
- 1-2 chopped onions
- 2 sticks celery
- 1 diced carrot
- 3-4 slices of bacon
- 3 cloves crushed garlic
- 2 tbsps flour
- Salt and pepper
- Bouquet garni
- Orange rind
- Beef stock
- Red wine
Method
Heat a little oil in a heavy casserole pot and brown the venison in batches if necessary.
Set the meat aside. You may need to add a little more oil to the pot and then add the chopped onions, sticks of chopped celery, diced carrot and slices of bacon which you’ve diced. Soften and brown a little then add the cloves of crushed garlic.
Return the venison to the pot and stir in the 2 tbsps of flour. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Add a piece of orange rind and a bouquet garni made by tying together fresh parsley, thyme and some bay leaves.
Cover with a 50/50 mix of good quality beef stock and red wine – my estimate is about 2 cups of each.
Cover the pot and cook in the oven at 160C for 3 hours. Check after 2 hours to see that there’s still enough liquid. Add a bit more if necessary. Near the end of the cooking time, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Serve on mashed potatoes or fettuccine. Sprinkle the venison with a mix of finely chopped parsley, 2-3 cloves of finely chopped garlic and a small amount of orange zest (optional).