I’’ll say upfront you’’re about to read a lot of tenderizing steps. Before you classify this as too much work, the results are worth it.

You’ll want to go with braising on meat cuts high in muscle tissue. These benefit from slow cooking at a low temperature with liquid and aromatics. The long cook breaks down the muscle tissue even more than the aging process. The meat becomes buttery and tender.

All of this cooking comes after a marinade. Now you get my point about a lot of tenderizing.

Here is my favorite recipe for braised venison. It’s a perfect partner to a bottle of good Cabernet. Enjoy!

Braised Venison Shoulder – Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the marinade:

• One bottle of dry red wine
• 2/3 cup of red wine vinegar
• One carrot
• One onion
• One celery stalk
• One garlic clove
• One whole clove
• Two bay leaves
• Thyme sprig
• Parsley stems
• Eight peppercorns
• Oil

Ingredients:

For braising:

• Four small or two large venison shoulders – deboned
• Olive oil
• Three cups veal or beef stock
• One cup onions, diced
• One cup carrots, diced
• Four garlic cloves
• One cup ripe tomatoes, diced
• One-half celery, diced
• One and one-half cup red wine
• Two thyme sprigs
• Two bay leaves
• Two cloves
• Salt and pepper

 Directions:

For the marinade:

1. Heat oil in a heavy pan and sweat the vegetables.
2. Add wine, vinegar and remaining aromatic ingredients.
3. Simmer slowly for 30 minutes.
4. Cool thoroughly and pour over venison.
5. Soak for several hours.

 Directions:

For the venison braise:

1. Remove shoulder from marinade and pat dry.
2. Heat roasting pan and add olive oil.
3. Add venison shoulders and sauté on all sides until browned. Remove and set aside.
4. Add onions, carrots, garlic cloves and celery to pan and cook >
5. Drain any grease and add herbs.
6. Add wine and deglaze the small caramelized brown bits at the bottom of your pan – scraping them with a wooden spoon.
7. Add stock and tomatoes and a little salt and pepper.
8. Return venison shoulders to the liquid.
9. Tightly cover roasting pan with tin foil and place in a 300- to 325-degree oven to braise for about two-and one-half hours.
10. When shoulders are tender, remove the roasting pan from the oven.
11. Remove the lid and let shoulders rest for 10 minutes
12. Carefully degrease cooking liquid by skimming the fat off the top with a ladle.
13. Remove shoulders from the pot and set aside in a warm place, covered.
14. Strain the braising liquid through a fish mesh sieve.
15. You can reduce some of this liquid in a separate sauce pan until it is thick and pour it over your venison to share.

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      Chef Tim reminds readers that consuming raw or uncooked food can be harmful to your health, and increase your chances of acquiring a foodborne illness.