Pulled venison

Written by on in Dinner

Ahead of a busy festive month of December, we are keeping it quiet and cozy these days. The temperature is continually dropping and the winter is arriving so we will definitely enjoy the crispy coldness of the outdoors. Definitely in a typical Swiss way! Today we finally had the first snow of the year! This means probably going for a short hike in Goms, which is my personal preference as you can profit from the long, flat cross-country skiing lanes before the season kicks in… Or if we feel sufficiently adventurous, we will head over to the Simplon Pass and possibly enjoy even more snow.

For such days, there is nothing better than a warming and nourishing meal. A piece of venison, simmered lazily in the tomato sauce for hours in the oven until it becomes so tender that it melts in your mouth. Coated in the mixture or juniper berries with earthy cumin and lemony coriander alongside pungent chili. Rounded up with sweetly cooling honey and served in a freshly baked bun or over a bowl of steaming rice and winter slaw.

Pulled venison
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Pulled venison

Recipe by monika.gemmetCourse: DinnerDifficulty: Easy
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

5

hours 

Slow cooked venison, enjoyed in the form of a burger with seasonal greens and fresh pears.

Ingredients

  • 1kg thick rib/chuck venison (Hirschbraten; Hirschhuft)

  • 2 tsp piment

  • 2 tsp garlic powder

  • 1 tsp onion powder

  • 1 tsp ground cardamom

  • 3 cloves

  • 1 1/2 tsp thyme

  • 2 tsp marjoram

  • 2 tsp oregano

  • 2 tsp juniper berries

  • 2 tsp. cumin

  • 2 tsp. ground coriander

  • 1 tsp smoked paprika

  • salt and pepper to taste

  • 2 tbsp. rapeseed oil

  • 700 ml tomato passata

  • 400 ml water

  • 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

  • 2 tbsp. honey

Directions

  • Put the piment, garlic powder, onion powder, cardamom, cloves, thyme, marjoram, oregano, juniper berries, cumin and coriander in a mortar and grind into a spice mix.
  • Mixed in the smoked paprika and some salt and pepper.
  • Dry out the meat and cover it with the spice mixture. Keep the leftover spice rub on the side.
  • Let the meat marinate for at least 1 hour, you can also leave in the fridge overnight.
  • In a Dutch oven, warm 2 tbsp. of rapeseed oil on a medium heat.
  • Brown the meat on all sides.
  • Add the tomato passata and the water to the meat, ensuring that it is completely covered.
  • Preheat the oven to 150 C (fan option).
  • Pour the apple cider vinegar and honey.
  • Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and let it simmer in the oven for 4 hours.

Notes

  • You can also add the spices to a small blender or a coffee grinder in order to make the rub mixture for the meat.
  • If marinating the meat in the fridge overnight, take the meat out for at least 20 minutes before cooking it.
  • If you like your pulled meat a bit saucier, I recommend checking after 3 hours of cooking in the oven if the dish has you desired amount of sauce and adding some more passata and/or water if needed.
  • You can substitute honey with maple syrup for some added smokiness.
  • Depending on the cut of meat you choose, you may need to increase the cooking time for up to 5 hours.
  • This recipe works also perfectly with beef or lamb.
  • It is a budget friendly recipe, so you can substitute the venison meat with cheaper cuts of beef or lamb, as the slow cooking process will make them tender.
  • For added heat, sprinkle in some chili powder or red pepper flakes to the mixture.