The Cottage Smallholder

Photo: Deer camel and pumpkin

This is a really easy recipe that I made last week. I forgot to take a picture of the dish so have put up this photograph as it includes a brass deer that belonged to my mother as a child.

I love eating venison but it’s so expensive here in the UK. We buy it when it’s marked down in price and stash it in the freezer for game pies and casseroles. Shin of beef is delicious too – slowly simmered for 8-10 hours the gristly meat transforms into a melt in the mouth treat. Combine the two for a casserole that is deeply satisfying on a chilly autumn evening.

The venison is added after five hours so this is not a bung everything in and leave all day sort of recipe.

Venison and shin of beef casserole (feeds 6-8 people)

Ingredients:

I kilo of shin of beef chopped into 2cm squares
250g of venison chopped into 2cm squares
150g of carrots – peeled and chopped into chunks
7 shallots – peeled and halved
800ml of beef stock (I used one beef stock cube and a teaspoon of vegetable stock powder)
Half a tsp of black peppercorns
1 teaspoon of garlic granules
1.5 tsp of balsamic vinegar
1.5 tsp of anchovy essence
3 tablespoons of flour
Small handful of dried wild mushrooms rehydrates for 15 minutes in a little water or 1 tbsp of mushroom ketchup

Method:

Roll the shin of beef in the flour and place in the slow cooker.
Add all the rest of the ingredients except the venison. Set the switch to auto and leave to simmer for five hours.
Then add the venison (also rolled in flour) and cook for a further 3-4 hours until the venison is tender.

Serve on warm plates with baked potatoes and some fresh green vegetables.