Instructions for Northern Venison Stew Recipe

• Set oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Begin by cutting the venison into 1 - 1.5-inch pieces. Wrap the pieces in a clean dish towel. I do this with most red meats before cooking, as I find it helps to draw some of the less desirable juices from the meat and leads to a better-tasting result.
• Using a large cast-iron or stockpot (over 6 liters), cook the bacon pieces over medium heat until well done (I prefer using a cast iron pot, as they retain heat better and are safer for use inside an oven).
• Remove the cooked bacon and set aside. Leave the grease and fat, it will help offset the very lean qualities of venison.
• Remove the venison from the cloth, and heavily salt all pieces. Brown them in the bacon grease on medium heat.
• Remove the meat from the pot and set aside.
• Combine the celery and onion in the pot, and saute on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
• Add bay leaves.
• Sprinkle in half of the sage and half of the thyme.
• Add beef broth and wine.
• Add the browned venison and stir.
• Bring the stew to a low boil.
• Add juniper berries. I use a spice bag to hold the berries while in the stew so that it is easier to remove the berries before serving.
• After boiling for a few minutes, a thin foam will appear on the top of the stew. Gently skim this off with a wooden spoon or ladle and dispose of it.
• Cover the stew and place in the oven at 300 degrees for 2 hours.
• After 2 hours, add the potatoes, parsnips, and the remaining sage and thyme. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Return to oven for one hour.
• Remove lid, and place the pot on stovetop burner at medium-high heat.
• Add red wine vinegar and maple syrup.
• I personally prefer a thicker stew, so I leave the stew boiling uncovered to reduce it. If you're planning on adding dumplings, keep in mind that they need quite a bit of excess liquid in the stew, and will absorb it anyway. If you're not a fan of dumplings, you can continue boiling or use a flour/cornstarch mix to thicken. Just make sure not to overcook or burn the stew.