Stewed Venison is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of barded venison shoulder that's rolled and stewed in stock and port wine with spices. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Stewed Venison.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
Stewed Venison.
1051. INGREDIENTS — A shoulder of venison, a few slices of mutton fat, 2 glasses of port wine, pepper and allspice to taste, 1–1/2 pint of weak stock or gravy, 1/2 teaspoonful of whole pepper, 1/2 teaspoonful of whole allspice.
Mode.—Hang the venison till tender; take out the bone, flatten the meat with a rolling-pin, and place over it a few slices of mutton fat, which have been previously soaked for 2 or 3 hours in port wine; sprinkle these with a little fine allspice and pepper, roll the meat up, and bind and tie it securely. Put it into a stewpan with the bone and the above proportion of weak stock or gravy, whole allspice, black pepper, and port wine; cover the lid down closely, and simmer, very gently, from 3–1/2 to 4 hours. When quite tender, take off the tape, and dish the meat; strain the gravy over it, and send it to table with red-currant jelly. Unless the joint is very fat, the above is the best mode of cooking it.
Time.—3–1/2 to 4 hours.
Average cost, 1s. 4d. to 1s. 6d. per lb.
Sufficient for 10 or 12 persons.
Seasonable.—Buck venison, from June to Michaelmas; doe venison, from November to the end of January.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 shoulder of venison, boned (reserve the bone)
900ml weak stock or gravy
a few slices of mutton fat or pork back fat soaked in port wine for 3 hours
300ml port wine
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
1/2 tsp whole allspice berries
freshly-ground black pepper and ground allspice, to taste
Method:
Flatten the boned venison with a rolling pin then lay the fat slices over the meat. Season with a little ground black pepper and ground allspice then roll the meat up and tie securely with twine. Place in a saucepan with the bone then add the stock, whole spices and port wine.
Bring to a simmer, cover securely with a lid, then simmer very gently for about 210 minutes. When the meat is completely tender remove from the pan, take off the string and arrange on a serving dish. Strain the gravy over the meat and serve accompanied by redcurrant jelly.
