Shredded Venison Ragù (Slow Cooker Option)
Venison simmered in a rich and flavorful red wine tomato sauce until fall-apart tender, creating the most cozy and delicious venison ragù. Made with venison roast, tomatoes, red wine, and dried herbs. Simmer the ragù on the stove-top or in the slow cooker. Serve with pasta and crusty bread for a hearty dinner that the whole family will love!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 633kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pound venison roast cut into large 2-3 inch pieces
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 medium carrots diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 celery stalks diced (about 1 cup)
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to season the venison
- ½ teaspoon black pepper plus more to season the venison
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 pound pasta such as pappardelle or preferred pasta
- freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving
- crusty bread for serving
Instructions
Stove-Top
- Pat the venison dry and generously season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a dutch oven with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the venison and sear on all sides until browned, about 4-5 minutes in total. Remove to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium and add remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic and tomato paste, and cook for another minute.
- Slowly pour in the red wine while scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. The wine should sizzle as it hits the pot. If it doesn’t, turn up the heat. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Return the venison to the pot and reduce to a simmer over low heat. Cover and simmer for about 3 hours, or until the venison is fall-apart tender and the sauce has reduced. If the sauce reduces too much, add in a splash of water or more beef broth.
- Remove the venison and shred with two forks, then return to the pot. Adjust the salt and pepper, if needed.
- Bring a lot pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Toss the pasta with the sauce or divide the pasta between plates and top with the sauce. Serve with parmesan cheese and crusty bread.
Slow Cooker
- Pat the venison dry and generously season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a dutch oven with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the venison and sear on all sides until browned, about 4-5 minutes in total. Remove to the slow cooker.
- Reduce heat to medium and add remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic and tomato paste, and cook for another minute.
- Slowly pour in the red wine while scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. The wine should sizzle as it hits the pot. If it doesn’t, turn up the heat. Transfer to the slow cooker. At this point, you can cover and store in the fridge overnight if needed, then slow cook in the morning.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and mix to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the venison is fall-apart tender.
- Remove the venison and shred with two forks, then return to the pot. Adjust the salt and pepper, if needed.
- Bring a lot pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Toss the pasta with the sauce or divide the pasta between plates and top with the sauce. Serve with parmesan cheese and crusty bread.
Notes
Best cut of meat for ragù: Roasts can come from the rump, neck, or shoulder of the deer. Deer roasts can be bone-in or boneless. I like to use a boneless roast for this recipe, but bone-in also works great.
Substitutions:
- Red wine. If you're looking for a non-alcoholic option, try substituting with a splash of pomegranate, cranberry or red grape juice and more beef broth, or just use beef broth.
- Pasta: Ragù is commonly served with pappardelle, a thick wide pasta. The ragù clings to the wide noodles, but it can be hard to find at the grocery store. So feel free to substitute any pasta of choice, such as tagliatelle, fettuccine, bucatini, or a shortcut pasta, such as rotini or penne.
- Sear the venison. I know it's tempting to skip this step, especially if you're using the crockpot method, but if time allows, I recommend it. It makes both the venison and the sauce more flavorful.
- Don't overcrowd the pot. When you sear the venison, be careful not to overcrowd the pot, which will cause the venison to steam rather than sear.
- Deglaze the pot. This step is equally as important as searing the venison. When the venison sears, it leaves little browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. When you pour the red wine into the hot pot, it deglazes the pot by creating steam and releasing those browned bits. This process also adds extra flavor to the ragù.
- Cook the pasta al dente. You want the pasta to be soft but have a firmer bite to it so it doesn't fall apart when you toss it with the pasta.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 633kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 1184mg | Potassium: 1529mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 4128IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 9mg
