My apologies to the vegetarians and vegans amongst us. You might want to divert your eyes. How about a lovely black bean soup? or sweet potato chili? maybe a vegetarian shepherd's pie? oooh! I've got a vegetable no-noodle lasagna for you!
did they leave?
is the coast clear?
I cooked Bambi. Our neighbors, Sandy and Sherman ( you remember them, they brought us Potluck Beans) hunt (well, Sherman hunts-- I think Sandy tolerates.) and were very generous with their last bounty. Venison is pretty lean meat, and has a tendency to be tough and dry if not cooked in a moist environment--
like in a slow cooker.
The Ingredients.
serves 4-6
2 onions, sliced in rings
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
2 pounds venison roast (if you have a bigger piece, that's fine, too!)
1/2 pound bacon
1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup butter, sliced (to add later)
The Directions.
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Peel and slice the onions, and separate the rings. Place them on the bottom of your slow cooker. Rub pepper and Worcestershire sauce directly into the meat, and place it on top of the onion. Wrap bacon slices around the roast, overlapping if necessary, and tuck in the ends of the bacon underneath. Pour on the beef broth.
Cover and cook on low for 7 to 10 hours, or until meat has reached desired tenderness. The longer you cook it, the more tender it will become. If the center of the meat isn't as juicy as you'd like, cut the meat into a few pieces, then return to the pot to cook on low until it begins to break down. Dry meat isn't the sign of over-cooking, it's a sign of under-cooking.
Slice, meat, and dot pieces of butter on it to melt. Serve with mashed or baked potatoes (or sweet potatoes) and something green.
The Verdict.
All Bambi jokes aside, this was quite delicious. Venison does not taste like beef or pork. It has a different flavor--many describe it as "gamey" which means that it has a different feel to the tongue, kind of tangy and more savory than sweet (beef and pork taste sweet when eaten right after). I liked it, and so did Adam and the baby (the big kids ate leftover mac and cheese (boxed, Trader Joe's)). I added the bacon and the butter to inject a bit of fat and moisture.
I've been watching a lot of documentaries lately on Netflix Streaming (we downgraded our cable package, but now have Streaming-- not sure we're actually saving any time or money--- gah.) related to food politics. When I think too much about where our food comes from, and why this or that is priced the way it is, and why this other thing costs so much more my head hurts.
and I want to dig a hole and hide.
I'm not sure where I'm headed with this---- I just know that while I was eating this meal I had an odd (and kind of morbid) satisfaction that I knew where this meat came from. What it ate, how it died, and who butchered and packed it up.
and that's all I have to say about that!
it's back-to-school season--have an itch to get organized?
Have a wonderful week. xoxo
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