The Heirloom Lady's Venison Bolognese
The scene: A teen boy sets out into the forest on the hunt for a Pennsylvania whitetail, because if you're his father’s son and grew up in a small country town, it's just “what you are supposed to do.” Fast forward to shortly after, and you’ve got yourself a young boy that, despite his father’s efforts to pass along family tradition and some good ole’ country wisdom, will never go hunting ever again.
The boy grew, moved away, got an education (school and street smarts), and later found himself heading back home. A few things transpired, like getting hitched to a local gal, and he found himself sticking around the area. He started to appreciate the out of doors. Hiking, camping, and nature photography became interesting, worth the time and, dare I say, even fun.
When he lost his father, he chose a few select objects to hold onto in his memory. He kept only his father’s walking stick and his Las Vegas coffee mug. Having an avid hunter and experienced outdoorsman for a dad, his mother encouraged him to take something of the sort, but just like all of those years ago, he chose to pass.
Here we are, two years later (nearly twenty years later for the young boy) and he’s back in the crisp, country woods on the hunt for a Pennsylvania whitetail. This time, it wasn’t because of family tradition or because it’s what he’s “supposed to do.” I do, however, like to think it has something to do with the good ole’ country wisdom that his dad left behind: the love of nature, God’s country, fresh air, and the feeling of wholeness you get when you can feed your family with the fruits of your labor.
This is my husband, Justin, and this year for his birthday, I had the pleasure of using the venison from the deer he harvested to make his birthday meal of choice, venison bolognese.
What you’ll need for your venison bolognese:
- 2 large organic carrots, finely diced
- 2 stalks of organic celery, finely diced
- 1 large organic onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons of organic butter
Pause for a fun fact: This combination is called a soffritto. I’m not entirely sure why I know this, but it's fun to say! (Haha!)
- 2 pounds of ground venison
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 4 cloves of organic garlic, minced
- 2 14.5 ounce cans of organic chopped tomatoes (plus the juice)
- 1 teaspoon organic paprika
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (I used Frank’s)
- 1 organic bay leaf
- 1 organic star anise
- 1 cup of organic Chardonnay (I love Bonterra wines)
- 2 cups of organic milk (I used whole milk)
- 1 cup of organic beef stock
- 1 small can of organic tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Heat the olive oil and two of the three tablespoons of the butter in your favorite stockpot or even in your Instant Pot (on saute). Set the other tablespoon of butter aside for later!
Saute the onion, carrot, and celery until the veggies are starting to brown - about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and continue cooking until fragrant - it should take only a minute or two.
Add the venison (break it up with a wooden spoon or spatula) and allow it to cook until all of the liquid has evaporated and you start to see crispy brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour in the wine and stir, gently scraping the bottom of the pan as you go.
Once the wine has evaporated a bit, stir in the sea salt, paprika and hot sauce. Next, pour in the milk, tomatoes, and beef stock. Toss in the bay leaf and the star anise and stir.
If you are using your Instant Pot, put the lid on and use the Slow Cook setting for four hours. You want your sauce to be thick and hearty, so you may need to let it cook down without the lid for a bit.
If you are using a stockpot, bring the sauce to a slow boil, lower the heat to medium and cook down until thick, stirring occasionally.
Right before you serve, stir in the can of tomato paste, the tablespoon of butter and the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
I served the venison bolognese with organic penne for Justin and pappardelle for me, along with some organic, whole-wheat (and homemade) garlic bread and a fresh salad.
Please be aware that you can very easily substitute any other ground meat (turkey or chicken would be delicious) if venison is not readily available to you. Also, please know that our family hunts to nourish our bodies. We do not “trophy hunt” per se, and we always pray over the deer, thanking it and God for providing our family with healthy meals.