Tonight’s supper was based on a recipe I have used a number of times now, a very tasty beef stew with sun-dried tomatoes you can find here. The thing you need to know about me is, I cannot leave a recipe alone. It is fair impossibility for me. And the problem with that is the next time I try to replicate the dish I prepared tonight, I won’t have anything to go on except the recipe I changed in the first place.
So. Here I am trying to turn over a new leaf and document my additions and changes whilst they are fresh in my mind. What a novel concept. 😉
FYI: This dish is an absolutely marvelous vehicle by which to prepare often gamey, dry meats like venison. Matt and I concur that the intense flavor of the venison truly enhances the flavor of the broth.
My variation: Venison Braise with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
1 lb. venison stew meat
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 medium onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup dry red wine
2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. Worcestershire
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Combine flour, salt and pepper in a gallon zipper bag. Add venison to bag, shaking to coat. Warm 2 tbsp. olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add venison and cook until brown on all sides. (**Be sure to reserve dredging flour to use in a later step.) Remove venison to a plate.
If needed, add another tbsp. or so of olive oil to the pot, and saute onions until soft and translucent. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Sprinkle vegetables with reserved dredging flour and cook about another 2 minutes more. Deglaze with red wine, scraping up browned bits that have accumulated on the bottom of the pot. Stir in broth and next six ingredients. Return meat to pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for about 2 hours. Remove lid and continue cooking until broth is thickened and meat is very tender, about 30 minutes more.
We served this over polenta, cooked at a ratio of 1 cup polenta to 3 cups water. Whisk polenta very gradually into boiling water, and continue whisking heavily for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover, then return to stir with a wooden spoon every five minutes for about an hour. This sounds like a chore, but when you are already in the kitchen cleaning up the mess you made preparing the stew anyway, it’s not terribly difficult. 🙂
Buen provecho!
A.
Having grown up in a home brimming with sewing notions and paintbrushes, Amy has a deep love for all things creative. On any given day, you’ll find her knee-deep in her latest creative endeavor, with projects ranging from sewing and crafts to home decor and kid-friendly ideas. Amy believes that everyone, regardless of skill level or experience, possesses the ability to create something beautiful, and Positively Splendid was born of her passion for helping others harness their innate creative potential.