Bones_ Recipes, History, and Lore - Jennifer McLagan [106]
Wine-Braised Venison
One misty autumn day in Piedmont, Italy, I ate a rich, satisfying local dish, beef braised in Barolo wine. Now, making this in Piedmont, where Barolo wines are almost affordable, would be one thing, but a visit to my local wine store revealed that while I may drink Barolo on special occasions, I would definitely not be cooking with it. I chose a well-priced Barbaresco, but any hearty red wine will do, and I decided that this was just the right way to cook a bone-in shoulder of venison. This cut can be difficult to carve elegantly, so I cook it ahead and cut it into thick slices when cold, then reheat the slices in the thick wine and vegetable sauce; consequently, it’s an ideal dish for entertaining.
1 bone-in venison shoulder, about 5 pounds (2.25 kg)
½ ounce (15 g) dried wild mushrooms
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 ounces (145 g) slab (side) bacon, rind removed and cut into 4 pieces
2 onions, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 garlic cloves
1 large rosemary sprig
2 bay leaves 5 sage leaves
3 flat-leaf parsley stems
1 thyme sprig
1 long cinnamon stick
Zest of 1 lemon, removed in wide strips
5 cups (1.25 l) Barbaresco or other hearty dry red wine
1. One hour before cooking, remove the shoulder from the refrigerator. Pour 1 cup (250 ml) boiling water over the mushrooms in a small bowl, and leave them to soak. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
2. Pat the shoulder dry and season with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven or large flameproof casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the shoulder on all sides, including the bone. Transfer the meat to a plate and discard any fat from the pot.
3. Add the bacon and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Increase the heat, add the onions, carrots, and celery, and cook until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot frequently.
4. Lift the mushrooms from the soaking liquid and add to them to the pot, along with the garlic, rosemary, bay and sage leaves, parsley stems, and thyme. Strain the mushroom liquid through a fine sieve, discarding any sand or grit, and add the liquid to the pot, with the cinnamon stick and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, deglazing the pot by scraping the browned bits from the bottom.
5. Place the shoulder, bone side up, in the pot. Pour in any juices from the meat, add the wine, and bring to a boil. Cover with a damp piece of parchment paper and then the lid, and braise in the oven for 3 to 3 Vi hours. The meat should be very tender and lift from the bone with only slightest resistance.
6. Transfer the shoulder to a platter. Discard the herbs, cinnamon stick, and zest and let the sauce cool slightly, then puree it with an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender. Bring the sauce to a boil, skim off the foam, and then boil hard for 10 to 12 minutes to reduce it to 4 cups (21). Cool the meat and sauce separately, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
7. The next day, remove any fat from the sauce and the meat. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Remove the meat from the bones, keeping it in as large pieces as possible. Cut these pieces into thick slices, and place them in a baking dish. Spoon over the sauce.
8. Cover with aluminum foil and reheat gently for about 45 minutes, or until heated through.
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Which Piece of the Shoulder?
Whether from pork, lamb, or venison, the shoulder has a complicated bone structure,
with the blade bone, arm bone, and pieces of rib, depending on how it is trimmed.
If you are buying half a shoulder, ask for the piece of shoulder cut closer to the forearm,
away from the neck. There will be fewer bones and more meat.
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Roasted Rack of Venison with Cape Gooseberry Sauce
Cape gooseberries were a fruit I used for garnishing as a food stylist, but I didn’t really eat them; if they arrived dipped in fondant at the end of the meal in a fancy restaurant,