Slow Cooker Venison Tacos
Photo by Susan Laughlin
How do you cook a moose, squirrel or bear? Becky Johnson, writer and cooking enthusiast, saw the need for an easy but sophisticated cookbook that would appeal to hunters, anglers and locavores. As a public affairs employee for New Hampshire Fish and Game, she gathered and tested the recipes for “New Hampshire’s Wild Eats” to support the adventurous cook’s creativity with local wild game. The 50 recipes span options from local seafood to bear, moose, squirrel, rabbit and grouse, with each recipe adding an interesting twist — the turkey soup has a touch of turmeric, and a pheasant is glazed with pomegranate juice. The spiral binding makes the book easy to use, and the beautiful photos of each dish will inspire you to get cooking. Find plenty of suggestions for substituting farmed proteins as well, so you don’t need a rifle or fishing pole to enjoy this well-researched compilation. But, if you’re an outdoors person (and a good shot), this is the book that will help you make the most of your seasonal harvest.
Slow Cooker Venison Tacos
Yield: 8 Servings
Ingredients:
6 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 venison roast (3 to 4 pounds), room temperature
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup real mayonnaise
3/4 cup fresh cilantro, rinsed, dried and chopped fine
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
1 gala or Fuji apple, peeled and julienned
1/2 Spanish onion, chopped small
3 cups green cabbage, shredded
1 cup jicama, peeled and julienned
Corn (16 each to double wrap) or flour (8 each)taco-size tortillas
Instructions:
Combine the beef stock and tomato paste in the slow cooker, and then warm for about 10 minutes on the slow cooker’s high setting.
Combine the cumin, coriander, chipotle powder, chili powder, pepper, garlic powder, salt and flour, and then coat the venison roast on all sides with the mixture. Sprinkle any remaining spices into the slow cooker.
Add the olive oil to a skillet, and over medium-high heat, brown venison roast on all sides. Place the venison roast in the slow cooker and cook on high, covered, for about 4 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling apart.
Allow the meat to rest for 30 minutes. Shred apart the meat and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, honey, mayonnaise, cilantro and olive oil; add salt and pepper to taste. In a mixing bowl, combine the apple, onion, cabbage and jicama. Add the sauce to the cabbage blend and toss, thoroughly coating the ingredients. Cover the slaw and refrigerate for 1 hour, then toss before serving.
Heat tortillas, and then fill each with shredded meat and slaw.
