Anyone can make a stew but only a true non-Heathen can make a venison and Guinness Stew.
The inspiration for this delectable dish came from a cookbook of Irish Pub recipes. The original recipe called for boneless beef sirloin which by no means is Heathen. However, I just happened to have a freezer full of deer which put this stew in to the non-Heathen zone by a mile.
Basically what's going to happen here is that the stew is going to be made in your home on your stove and then you will dehydrate it. The first thing we'll cover is the recipe for making the stew. And if you're a true non-Heathen you should be drinking a glass of wine or a select hand crafted beer while you are doing so.
The recipe:
2 lbs of venison
salt and pepper to taste
all purpose flour
4 Tbls Kerrygold Irish butter (I found this in my local grocery store in the fancy shmancy section. If you can't find this or choose not to use it then you'll have to deduct 1 non-Heathen point.)
vegetable oil
4 medium onions, chopped
2 cups of beef stock (you can buy beef stock in a carton or you can use beef bullion cubes dissolved in 2 cups of boiling water.)
1 bottle of Guinness Stout (buy two if you think you're going to be thirsty. Just remember one is for the stew.)
5 carrots, peeled and diced (if the carrots are the big honkin type cut them in halves or in quarters after slicing.)
4 parsnips, peeled and sliced like the carrots.
1 medium turnip, peeled and sliced like the carrots and parsnips. (Do you see a pattern here?)
Mashed potato flakes (I'll explain don't worry)
Preparation/cooking
1) If not already done, cube the Kings deer into 1 inch bits, season to taste with salt and pepper. If you use a pepper mill with fresh cracked pepper give yourself 1 extra non-Heathen point. Now dredge (non-Heathen word for roll the meat around in) the cubed deer in flour in preparation for searing. Dredge in small batches and set aside on a separate plate in preparation of the next step, searing.
2) In a stock pot or large pan heat 4 tablespoons of that lovely Irish butter with a little vegetable oil. Why do we melt butter with vegetable oil? Because the vegetable oil will prevent the butter from burning. Now that is some serious non-Heathen points there....who knows that except a non-Heathen.
3) Working in small batches sear the Kings deer over a medium heat. Searing should take about 5-7 minutes. Be sure that all sides are seared and golden brown. When a batch is completed remove from the pot/pan, set aside and sear the next batch. Continue until all of the meat is seared.
4) In the same pot/pan that you just seared the meat add the onions. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until soft.
5) If you seared the meat in a pan add it to a stock pot along with the onions and the rest of the goodness that is in the pan. Add the beef stock and the bottle of Guinness. Bring to a boil then simmer on medium low heat, covered for about 60-70 minutes or until the meat is tender. Now add the carrots, parsnips and turnips and cook for 30-40 minutes or until the veggies are tender and the stew is thick. If the stew is not thick enough to your liking mix a little flour and warm water together in a bowl then pour it into the stew. (A non-Heathen technique.)
If you got this far then congratulations you truly have a non-Heathen back country meal. We just have a few more steps.
Dehydrating
There's two main ways to dehydrate this meal; with a dehydrator equipped with plastic trays or in your oven. I did mine in my oven and here's how:
Ladle some stew on to a non stick cookie tray. If your tray isn't non-stick then spray a little vegetable oil on it. Make sure the stew is spread evenly on the tray. Stick it in the oven and place the oven on the lowest setting. The lowest mine goes is 170 degrees. Now, and this is important, prop open the oven door with a wood spoon or some other such wood utensil. Why? You need to let the water out during the dehydration process.
Now just kick back and wait for about 6-8 hours. When the stew is dehydrated use a spatula to peel it off of the cookie tray like a big fruit roll-up. Crumble it up in a baggie and it's ready for the back country.
What Next?
Well, we are that much closer to discussing wine pairing but a little more explanation is still required. When you rehydrate this fine meal you will fine that it won't be as thick as it was when you first made it. That's where the mashed potato flakes come in. After the meal has been brought to a boil and has simmered for the appropriate amount of time (taste testing determines this) then add in the potato flakes, stir well to ensure they are incorporated, cover and remove from heat and let stand for about 7 minutes.
Serve and Enjoy
After 7 minutes or so you should be ready to serve. Since I like bread in the back country I saw fit to bake a traditional Irish soda bread at home and bring a few slices with me. However, any sturdy bread will work just wonderfully. To finish the meal might I suggest a nice hearty carton of Merlot or a full bodied burgundy. After dinner when all are sated a mini bottle of Cognac with a fine cigar would be more than appropriate.
Happy dining my friends. Until next time.
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