Venison ragout

Cooking game is not that difficult and our venison ragout is proof of this. The choice is yours whether to serve it with polenta or pasta.

Deer ragù is perhaps one of those recipes that only if you have been on holiday in the mountains will you have had the opportunity to taste. The reason is simple: this type of game is not easy to find therefore only those who have a hunter in the family can usually prepare it. Added to this are the long cooking times which discourage most people.

However, we can guarantee you that whether you prepare venison ragù for polenta or egg pasta you will be delighted. It is certainly not one of the quick and easy recipes to prepare at the last moment, however it will make your family Sundays , especially the winter ones, decidedly better.

How to prepare the venison ragout recipe

1. First, cut the meat into pieces measuring 5-6 cm on each side, place it in a bowl and rinse carefully under running water.
2. Then cut it into very small cubes with a knife, or mince it with a meat grinder to obtain a minced meat and keep it aside for the moment.
3. Prepare the sauté by chopping celery, carrot, onion and browning everything in a pan with oil.
4. Add the meat and brown it too over a medium heat , then add the red wine .
5. When you no longer smell alcohol rising from the pan, add the tomato puree, broth (or hot water) until the meat is covered.
6. Add the aromas, then the bay leaf, the cloves, the juniper berries and the peppercorns. It's better if you use a special bag so you can easily remove them at the end of cooking, but you can also think about finely chopping the juniper berries and cloves with a knife or a crescent knife to give even more character to the game ragout.
7. Leave to cook for about 2 and a half hours , stirring occasionally and adding hot water as needed.
8. At the end of cooking, add salt and use the ragù for your recipes: for example with a good plate of pappardelle .

Use your venison ragù with red wine and tomato to season fresh egg pasta, excellent tagliatelle , or to accompany polenta .

storage

The venison ragout can be kept for 2-3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container or it can be frozen, already portioned, for over 6 months .