Slow Cooked Shredded Venison Tacos with Pickled Red Onions by Seriously Good Venison

For more information visit: www.seriouslygoodvenison.co.uk

Ingredients: Makes 24 mini tacos

For the venison

1 kilo venison shin, diced

100g smoked bacon lardons

2 small onions, diced

1 stick celery, diced

2 small carrots, diced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 small red chillies, chopped

3 bay leaves dried

250ml Red Wine

3 tins plum tomatoes

2 fresh sprigs of thyme

2tsp pimento, ground

2tsp oregano, dried

2tsp paprika

2tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

4tbsp rapeseed oil

Salt and pepper

For the pickled red onion

1 small red onion, finely sliced 

3 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

½ tsp sugar

Method:

For the Venison

  1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC.
  2. Heat ¼ of oil in a heavy based casserole dish on the hob.
  3. Brown the venison in four batches and set aside, using more oil each time.
  4. Fry the lardons until starting to brown then add the diced onion and fry until beginning to soften. Add the carrot, celery, garlic and chilli. Fry for a further 4 – 6 minutes then return the venison to the pot. Add the pimento and paprika, stir and cook for 1 minute.
  5. Now pour in the wine and reduce until all the alcohol has evaporated then add the tomatoes, bay leaves, oregano and the cider vinegar.
  6. Bring up to the boil, season and then reduce to a simmer.
  7. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, cover and transfer to the oven. Leave to cook for 3 hours, checking occasionally to stir and make sure it hasn’t dried out. If it looks a little dry add a touch of hot stock (chicken or vegetable is fine).
  8. After 3 hours take the pot out of the oven and allow to cool slightly before removing the meat with a slotted spoon into a bowl.
  9. At this point, remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs from the sauce
  10. Shred the venison with two forks and return to the sauce, pop back in the oven until you are ready to serve.

For the Pickled Onions

  1. While you’re waiting for the venison to cook, finely slice the red onion and place in a shallow dish, evenly spread across the bottom.
  2. Dissolve the sugar in the Apple Cider Vinegar and pour over the sliced onions.
  3. Leave to marinade until the venison is ready.

Serve in taco tortillas, with lettuce, sour cream and the pickled onions

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