Duration
4 to 6 hours
Serves
4
This hunting season, I wanted to give venison shanks a distinctly fall feel, so I looked to the French dish Chicken Normandy for inspiration. The combination of apple cider, Dijon, cream, and mushrooms might sound strange, but it’s incredibly good. Serve it over wild rice or a simple pilaf to soak up every bit of that delicious sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 whole venison shanks, see note for substitution
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
- 4 pieces of bacon, chopped
- 4 shallots, peeled and cut in half from root to stem
- 1½ cups apple cider
- 1½ cups chicken stock
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 8 oz. of wild mushrooms, cleaned and sliced or torn
- 1 tbsp. neutral-flavored oil, such as avocado or canola
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Note: You might need to use a bone saw or reciprocating saw to cut the shank so that it fits in the braising pot.
If you don’t have shanks, you can also use about 2 to 2½ pounds of meat from the neck, shoulder, or bottom round found in the hindquarter. I like to cut big roasts into smaller, 6-inch chunks for serving and to cut down on cook time. They will only need about 4 hours to tenderize.
Also works with
Special equipment
Preparation
- Braise the Shanks: Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Trim away the silverskin from the outside of the shanks, exposing the meat as much as possible. Pat dry and season generously on all sides with salt, pepper, and half of the thyme leaves.
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crispy. Set the bacon aside and leave the fat in the bottom of the pan. Working in batches if necessary, brown the shanks on both sides, taking the time to develop a deep golden crust. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the shallot, cut side down, and cook until lightly browned. Pour in the apple cider and stock, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Whisk in the Dijon mustard and remaining thyme leaves. Return the shanks to the pot, along with any accumulated juices. The liquid should come about ⅓ to halfway up the meat.
- Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Braise for approximately 6 hours, or until the meat is exceptionally tender and easily pulls away from the bone. Check periodically and use tongs to flip the shanks over if the tops dry out too much, or add a splash of stock if needed.
- Cook the Mushrooms: Toward the end of cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and spread them evenly over the bottom of the pan. Cook, undisturbed, for a few minutes, then give them a stir. Continue this process until golden brown. Season with salt and a little fresh thyme.
- Once the venison is fork-tender, take the pot out of the oven and pour in the cream, carefully stirring around the shanks. Add the sautéed mushrooms and reserved chopped bacon. If you’d like to reduce the braising liquid, you can simmer on the stovetop, uncovered for 10-15 minutes.
- To serve, use forks and tear large chunks of the meat off the bone and pour a generous amount of the sauce and mushrooms. Sourdough bread, wild rice, or a simple rice pilaf makes a wonderful accompaniment.
Stay in the loop with The MeatEater Newsletter
Related
The comments section requires Functionality cookies. Please enable Functionality cookies in Cookie Settings to view this content.
Cider-Braised Venison Shanks
Duration
4 to 6 hours
Serves
4
This hunting season, I wanted to give venison shanks a distinctly fall feel, so I looked to the French dish Chicken Normandy for inspiration. The combination of apple cider, Dijon, cream, and mushrooms might sound strange, but it’s incredibly good. Serve it over wild rice or a simple pilaf to soak up every bit of that delicious sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 whole venison shanks, see note for substitution
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
- 4 pieces of bacon, chopped
- 4 shallots, peeled and cut in half from root to stem
- 1½ cups apple cider
- 1½ cups chicken stock
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 8 oz. of wild mushrooms, cleaned and sliced or torn
- 1 tbsp. neutral-flavored oil, such as avocado or canola
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Note: You might need to use a bone saw or reciprocating saw to cut the shank so that it fits in the braising pot.
If you don’t have shanks, you can also use about 2 to 2½ pounds of meat from the neck, shoulder, or bottom round found in the hindquarter. I like to cut big roasts into smaller, 6-inch chunks for serving and to cut down on cook time. They will only need about 4 hours to tenderize.
Also works with
Special equipment
Preparation
- Braise the Shanks: Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Trim away the silverskin from the outside of the shanks, exposing the meat as much as possible. Pat dry and season generously on all sides with salt, pepper, and half of the thyme leaves.
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crispy. Set the bacon aside and leave the fat in the bottom of the pan. Working in batches if necessary, brown the shanks on both sides, taking the time to develop a deep golden crust. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the shallot, cut side down, and cook until lightly browned. Pour in the apple cider and stock, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Whisk in the Dijon mustard and remaining thyme leaves. Return the shanks to the pot, along with any accumulated juices. The liquid should come about ⅓ to halfway up the meat.
- Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Braise for approximately 6 hours, or until the meat is exceptionally tender and easily pulls away from the bone. Check periodically and use tongs to flip the shanks over if the tops dry out too much, or add a splash of stock if needed.
- Cook the Mushrooms: Toward the end of cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and spread them evenly over the bottom of the pan. Cook, undisturbed, for a few minutes, then give them a stir. Continue this process until golden brown. Season with salt and a little fresh thyme.
- Once the venison is fork-tender, take the pot out of the oven and pour in the cream, carefully stirring around the shanks. Add the sautéed mushrooms and reserved chopped bacon. If you’d like to reduce the braising liquid, you can simmer on the stovetop, uncovered for 10-15 minutes.
- To serve, use forks and tear large chunks of the meat off the bone and pour a generous amount of the sauce and mushrooms. Sourdough bread, wild rice, or a simple rice pilaf makes a wonderful accompaniment.