Slow Cooker Venison Shanks
These slow cooker venison shanks are cooked until tender in a red wine, juniper and bacon sauce. Perfect for entertaining.
Equipment
- 3.5 litre /5.3 pint capacity slow cooker
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
- Wooden spoon
- large skillet or frying pan
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 3 venison shanks bone trimmed and about 500 g
- 200 g bacon smoked lardons
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 onions
- 100 ml beef stock
- 200 ml red wine
- 1 tablespoon oil more if required
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper black
- 1 sprig thyme
- 10 juniper berries
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 2 tablespoon redcurrant jelly
Instructions
- Preheat the slow cooker on a high setting.
- Pat the shanks dry with kitchen paper and season with the salt and pepper on both sides.
- Put the oil in the frying pan over a medium to high heat then add the shanks and sear on all sides for 5 minutes to get a good colour on the meat. Transfer the shanks to the slow cooker.
- Peel the garlic and onions. Mince the garlic and slice the onions.
- Add the butter to the remaining oil in the frying pan over a medium heat and add the onions.
- Fry for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are softened then add the garlic for a minute. Transfer the onion mix to the slow cooker with a slotted spoon.
- Using the same pan over a medium heat, add the lardons and fry for a few minutes until golden.
- Sprinkle the flour over the lardons and cook for a minute.
- Use the red wine to deglaze the pan and make sure that any stuck on bits are incorporated into the sauce.
- Add the stock and juniper berries and bring to a boil, stirring.
- Pour the sauce over the shanks and add the thyme sprig whole so that you can remove it at the end.
- Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours.
Notes
If you want to cook the venison in a conventional oven you will need a lidded dish.
Increase the total liquid amount to 750 ml and cook at 150 C / 300 F / 130 FAN / Gas 2 for 2 - 3 hours. You may need to top up the liquid with extra boiling stock or water.
Nutrition
Calories: 670kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 19gFat: 57gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 763mgPotassium: 528mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 25IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 3mg
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