Duration
5 hours
Serves
4 to 6
If you didn’t grow up in the Midwest, you might be surprised the first time a waiter or waitress sets down a plate of “hot beef sandwich” in front of you. You’re shocked because one, you probably expected something closer to a French dip, and two, you panic a little because there’s no way you’d be able to pick up this “sandwich” with your hands—never mind the mashed potatoes and overcooked vegetables nearly spilling over the sides. There’s meat and two slices of bread to be sure, but the whole plate is flooded in a pool of thin, brown gravy.
Bewildered, you forget to restrain the funny look on your face, and any native-born Nebraskan within view will smirk. They tell you to think of it as an open-faced sandwich, and that you’ll need a fork and knife to eat it. So, you take your first bite a little annoyed, thinking “in what galaxy is this considered a ‘sandwich?’” But you get over it and find that the strange assemblage of slow-cooked meat, gravy, and starch works. Tasty doesn’t have to mean sensible.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. boneless venison shoulder (or neck)
- Freshly cracked pepper
- 1 tbsp. oil
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 (1.3 oz.) packet of McCormick Slow Cooker Savory Pot Roast Seasoning Mix
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 3½ cups water
- Mashed potatoes (less salt)
- 8-12 slices white bread
Also works with
Preparation
-
Preheat oven to 325°F. Dry venison shoulder with paper towels. In a 4-quart enameled Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat, and brown venison shoulder on all sides. Remove browned venison and set on a plate.
-
Lower heat to medium and add onion and tomato paste and stir for about 30 seconds. Add 3½ cups of water and whisk in about three-quarters of the McCormick pot roast seasoning packet (adding the whole packet will make the gravy taste very salty). Bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Return venison to the pot along with any juices that accumulated in the dish. The meat should be almost completely submerged, and if not, cut the shoulder to make it sit better in the liquid.
-
Cover the opening of the Dutch oven with foil and place the lid on top; the foil helps slow down moisture loss. Place the Dutch oven in a 325°F oven and bake for about 4 to 5 hours, or until the venison becomes tender. Flip or stir the meat halfway through cooking.
-
Shred or slice venison into bite-size pieces. Gravy should be on the thinner side, so if needed, add more water to the gravy to thin, and reheat on the stove if needed. Season with freshly cracked pepper. If the gravy is too thin, add more of the seasoning packet or gently reduce over the stove with the lid off.
-
On a dinner plate, pile venison with gravy on a slice or two of bread, along with mashed potatoes and whatever vegetable you like, such as peas or green beans. This “sandwich” should be eaten with a fork and knife.
If you didn’t grow up in the Midwest, you might be surprised the first time a waiter or waitress sets down a plate of “hot beef sandwich” in front of you. You’re shocked because one, you probably expected something closer to a French dip, and two, you panic a little because there’s no way you’d be able to pick up this “sandwich” with your hands—never mind the mashed potatoes and overcooked vegetables nearly spilling over the sides. There’s meat and two slices of bread to be sure, but the whole plate is flooded in a pool of thin, brown gravy.
Bewildered, you forget to restrain the funny look on your face, and any native-born Nebraskan within view will smirk. They tell you to think of it as an open-faced sandwich, and that you’ll need a fork and knife to eat it. So, you take your first bite a little annoyed, thinking “in what galaxy is this considered a ‘sandwich?’” But you get over it and find that the strange assemblage of slow-cooked meat, gravy, and starch works. Tasty doesn’t have to mean sensible.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. boneless venison shoulder (or neck)
- Freshly cracked pepper
- 1 tbsp. oil
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 (1.3 oz.) packet of McCormick Slow Cooker Savory Pot Roast Seasoning Mix
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 3½ cups water
- Mashed potatoes (less salt)
- 8-12 slices white bread
Also works with
Preparation
-
Preheat oven to 325°F. Dry venison shoulder with paper towels. In a 4-quart enameled Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat, and brown venison shoulder on all sides. Remove browned venison and set on a plate.
-
Lower heat to medium and add onion and tomato paste and stir for about 30 seconds. Add 3½ cups of water and whisk in about three-quarters of the McCormick pot roast seasoning packet (adding the whole packet will make the gravy taste very salty). Bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Return venison to the pot along with any juices that accumulated in the dish. The meat should be almost completely submerged, and if not, cut the shoulder to make it sit better in the liquid.
-
Cover the opening of the Dutch oven with foil and place the lid on top; the foil helps slow down moisture loss. Place the Dutch oven in a 325°F oven and bake for about 4 to 5 hours, or until the venison becomes tender. Flip or stir the meat halfway through cooking.
-
Shred or slice venison into bite-size pieces. Gravy should be on the thinner side, so if needed, add more water to the gravy to thin, and reheat on the stove if needed. Season with freshly cracked pepper. If the gravy is too thin, add more of the seasoning packet or gently reduce over the stove with the lid off.
-
On a dinner plate, pile venison with gravy on a slice or two of bread, along with mashed potatoes and whatever vegetable you like, such as peas or green beans. This “sandwich” should be eaten with a fork and knife.