Braised Venison Tacos

On Sunday I went to watch an Australian car race at the shiny new track in Austin, but that is for another day. Then I made Venison Tacos!

They were tangy and full of crunchy colorful bits.

I highly recommend making a big batch of this and having a taco party. If you don’t have venison try bison, beef, wild boar, elk, pork or whatever you fancy. The idea is to use a muscular cut of meat that you can braise, any extra scraps that you have been saving in your freezer will work well. And if you have time, homemade tortillas will make this extra special.

Just be sure to use color in your ingredients, lots of color and texture. It should be crunchy, tangy and full of bright things. Here is the printable recipe which you can add to your recipe box:

Print Recipe

“Braised Venison Tacos”

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time3 hours hrs

Total Time3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 2 pounds venison shoulder or other muscular cut
• 1 medium white onion cut into chunks
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 cup diced tomato
• 1 large cucumber seeds removed and diced
• 6-8 radishes diced
• 2 cups pickled julienned carrots (or another pickled vegetable available in your grocery store)
• 1 bunch cilantro roughly chopped
• Juice of 2 limes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• To serve:
• Creme fraiche to garnish
• Lime wedges to garnish
• Corn tortillas

Instructions

• In a large pot, add the venison, onion, bay leaves and salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Cook partly covered for 2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is tender and shreds easily. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
• Remove the meat from the liquid with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl. Pull the meat apart with your hands, until it is shredded.
• Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed when ready to serve.