Venison Ragu

If you're looking for a new way to switch up the way you prepare venison, try my Venison Ragu recipe. This ground venison ragu is slow cooked until tender and packed with flavour. Serve it over pasta or polenta or use it as a filling for ravioli or lasagna.

📝 Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1.3 lbs (600g) ground venison ( , farmed venison or deer meat)
• 2 Italian sausages (, casing removed * see note 1)
• 3 cloves garlic (, minced)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 white onion (, finely diced)
• 2 celery ribs (, finely diced)
• 2 carrots (, finely diced)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste ((tomato purée))
• 14 oz (400g) canned tomatoes (, finely chopped)
• 3/4 cup (60ml) white wine (or red wine)
• 1 cup (250ml) beef broth / beef stock ( * see note 2)
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar ((not aged))
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• small piece parmesan rind
• salt and freshly ground pepper (, to taste)
• Flat leaf parsley
• grated Parmesan (or Grana Padano cheese)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- SLOW COOKER VENISON RAGU ---
2. 2Heat the olive oil in your slow cooker if it allows for browning or in a large skillet.
3. 3Add the sausage and ground venison and brown the meat, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon.
4. 4Stir in the minced garlic, salt, sugar, ground pepper, garlic powder, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.
5. 5Add the wine and let it cook down until the alcohol fragrance dissipates. At this point you can transfer everything to the slow cooker if you have started cooking in a skillet.
6. 6All the remaining ingredients – the diced onion, celery, carrots, tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and beef broth – are stirred in at this point.
7. 7Finally add the bay leaves, cinnamon and cheese rind, cover the slow cooker and cook on the LOW setting for 8 – 12 hours.
8. 8Discard the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cheese rind. Have a taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
9. 9Serve over tagliatelle or parpadelle with with a generous grating of Parmesan and a sprinkling of chopped parsley.
10. 10--- COOKING VENISON RAGU ON THE HOB ---
11. 11The method is slightly different if you are cooking this on the hob. You will need to add more liquid (2 cups beef broth instead of one) and give the occasional stir so this is more hands on.
12. 12Heat the oil in a large pot (such as a Dutch Oven). Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, for about 8-10 minutes or until softened.
13. 13Add the sausage meat and venison, breaking it up with the back of your spoon and stirring until browned. Stir in the wine and cook until it cooks down by about half.
14. 14Stir in the salt, pepper, sugar, garlic powder, minced garlic, balsamic and Worcestershire sauce.
15. 15Add the tomato paste, canned tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaves, cinnamon, and Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for about two hours, stirring occasionally.
16. 16Make sure to keep an eye on the liquid levels and top up with hot water if needed
17. 17When ready to serve, discard the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cheese rind. Have a taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.