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Wild Venison Ragu
4-6 people
This is a beautiful, thick, rich and wholesome Italian-style ragu but made with our gamey wild venison, and a tickle of earthy spice.
2 comments
Ingredients
- 500g wild diced venison
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 2 rashers of bacon, snipped into lardons
- Olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- Freshly ground pepper
- Sea salt
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 cinnamon stick or a pinch of ground cinnamon
- 3 cloves
- 2 glasses of red wine, or enough to just cover
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
A knock out with freshly cooked tagliatelle or a potato dish like our Pommes Anna and a hearty helping of autumnal greens. 15 mins (prep) | 2½ hrs (cooking)
Method
1. Heat your oven to 160°C/Fan 140°C/Gas 3 oven, if using. Sizzle the bacon or pancetta in a little olive oil, along with the onions, bay leaves and pinch of salt and pepper. Cook till the bay is fragrant and the onions tender and golden.
2. Season the diced venison. Add to the pot with the garlic, cinnamon and cloves. Sear till the venison browns.
3. Add enough wine to cover. Bubble it for a few mins so the alcohol evaporates a little. Stir in the tomato paste.
4. Simmer for 2 hrs on the hob or in the oven, till the meat almost falls apart when prodded with a fork. Or, pop the ragu in a slow cooker overnight.
5. Check a few times during cooking. Add a little water if the mix is dry. When cooked, shred the meat with a fork. It should just fall apart. Taste. Adjust seasoning.
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Having read the other review I used only two cloves and having eaten the meal, interestingly, I would advise the opposite and add more than the recommended three! We didn't really enjoy this, it lacked depth despite using quality ingredients and I feel I haven't made the most of the lovely venison I had. Hmm, not sure what it was missing.
I just made this and WANT to love it but LEAVE OUT THE CLOVES. I don't know how just three of the tiny insidious devils can be so overpowering amongst all these other flavours (and I even fished them out at the end) but they are. Otherwise, a lovely, rich and meaty dish that's great with pasta.
Gadget
common sense