Braised Venison with Rosemary and Shiitake

Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 120 min
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 servings

Description

Venison is simmered in red wine with shiitake mushrooms and cognac in this savory and sophisticated braised venison with rosemary and shiitake recipe.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons bacon drippings
1 1/2 pounds venison, cut into 2 inch cubes
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cups fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups dry red wine
2 tablespoons cognac or brandy
1 cube beef bouillon
2 bay leaves
1 1/4 teaspoons dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (8 ounce) package baby carrots
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Directions

1 Melt bacon drippings in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add venison; sear, in two batches, until nicely browned. Transfer venison to a plate.
2 Add onions, shiitakes, and garlic; cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in wine, cognac, and bouillon cube, simmer 30 seconds to remove alcohol flavor and dissolve bouillon.
3 Add venison, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, and black pepper; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Gently simmer until venison is tender, about 2 hours, adding water as needed.
4 Add baby carrots during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water when venison is tender; stir into sauce to thicken.