Lean venison gets an incredibly liberal dose of garlic in this slow cooked Garlicky Venison Roast. Root vegetables are roasted along side the roast, pureed to perfection, serving as a glorious base to the venison which is cooked so perfectly – it literally melts in your mouth!
Winter Comfort
What says “winter” like a good, slow cooked, tender Garlicky Roast?
You know what I’m talking about. The kind that…
- Cooks allllll day long, slowly, carefully, until it basically falls apart if you look at it the right way.
- You can smell cooking before you even walk in the door.
- You’re craving this very moment.
And you’re in luck, because I have one helluva recipe for you.
Wild Game
First of all, let’s talk about venison.
- Had it?
- Loved it?
- Maybe not your favorite?
That’s about to change.
Having grown up in a family of hunters (and now being married to one), I am fortunate to have access to venison pretty regularly. And I would argue that most midwesterners have a friend of a friend who hunts, so it isn’t THAT tough to come by. Problem #1, solved.
Problem #2. And one that really makes me fired up: the lame excuse of simply not liking it. First things first – venison is so similar to beef, with one key difference: it’s incredibly lean. That therein means you need to season and cook it properly in order to yield incredibly delicious results. My biggest rebuttal when people tell me they don’t like venison is, “Let me cook it for you”.
In the form of a roast, venison is best cooked low and slow, and with all the garlic you can get your hands on (or stomach). For me…the more, the better.
I had an over abundance of root vegetables on hand when I was making this recipe, and thought this roast would be beautiful served over a roasted root vegetable.
Spoiler: I was right.
Where to Get Venison
Do yourself a favor and call up your buddy whose uncle hunts on the regular and is always generously offering you the fruits of his labor. You won’t regret it.
Some markets may carry venison too, though you may pay a premium depending on your location.
And, if you’re still not a convert after this recipe – call me up. There’s something you’re not doing right.
Just kidding cause I love you! But seriously…..
Garlicky Venison Roast
Ingredients
- 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 lb venison roast
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp celery seed
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 1/4 tsp dill weed
- 1/4 tsp dried marjoram
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
- 1 whole head garlic, cloves peeled and roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup beef stock
- 1 medium sweet potato, chopped
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
- In a small dish, mix all dried spices together to create your spice blend. Conversely, use 1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons of your favorite spice mix. Rub mixture all over venison roast.
- In a large dutch oven or cast iron pan, head olive oil over medium high heat. Sear roast , about 2 minutes per side.
- Once roast is seared, add peeled and roughly chopped garlic cloves, and vegetables around roast. Pour beef stock in pan.
- Cover and cook of 8 hours, or until roast shreds easily. Remove from oven.
- Once vegetables and roast are slightly cooled, transfer vegetables to a food processor and blend until smooth. You can add a little stock or water to get things moving, if the puree is too thick.
- To serve, spoon roasted vegetable puree on a plate, and top with shredded venison. Garnish with parsley.