Recipe: Canned Venison Mirepoix

by
posted on December 14, 2019
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
recipe-cannedvenisonmirepoix_lead.jpg

Canning meat has a long history in North America. Early settlers didn’t have freezers, so canning was the only option, other than air drying. Jars were processed in a wood or coal-fired oven, and the heat is what prepared the meat and allowed the jars to seal.

Modern conveniences allow us to use pressure canners, which is the safest way to process meat. It ensures there are no bacteria that could cause food poisoning. Our forefathers likely had some canning that made them sick from botulism, but they didn’t have the option to can using pressure.

Canning meat is still popular today, as it allows you to store meat without being frozen. The canned meat is so succulent and tender, you could eat it right out of the jar, assuming all the safeguards were followed during the canning process. Canned venison is ideal for a quick meal in deer camp, as all you must do is heat it. It can also be transformed into stew, soup, or with a few more ingredients, stroganoff.

When you combine equal amounts of carrots, onions and celery when cooking a pot roast, the mixture is called a mirepoix. It is easy to use the same vegetables in the canning process for a product that tastes like a perfectly roasted piece of venison that will fall apart in your mouth.

If you haven’t tried canning meat, find a friend who has a pressure canner and give it a try. Chances are you’ll be experimenting with your recipes to take advantage of the robust flavors produced in the processed meat.

Tools Required
• Pressure canner
• Quart jars
• Lids and rings

Ingredients
• 4 lbs. venison, cubed into 1-inch pieces
• 2 large carrots, diced into 1-inch chunks
• 1 large onions, cubed
• 2 stalks celery, diced into 1-inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tablespoon beef bouillon paste

Directions
1. Trim the venison of fat and tendons, and cube into 1-inch pieces.
2. Loosely cold pack the raw meat into the quart jar, leaving 2 inches of headspace (you can pack the meat with your fingers). Add equal amounts of carrot, onion and celery to fill the jar leaving 1 inch of headspace. Do not add any liquid, as the meat will create natural juices during the canning process.
3. Add the salt, black pepper and garlic to top off the jar.
4. Screw the jar lid and ring on the ring finger tight, then place the jars in the canner.
5. All pressure canners have directions to determine how many pounds of pressure you need to use for proper processing and sealing. It is related to the elevation where you are canning. Refer to the elevation and corresponding pounds of pressure to set your canner for where you live. Add water to your canner to cover the jars about halfway up. Place the canner on a heat source and when it hits the right pressure, maintain it for 90 minutes.
6. Let the canner depressurize on its own and cool before removing jars.
7. Serve the canned venison hot or store it on a shelf for a later date.
*Where I live, at 2,000 feet, I pressure can with 10 pounds of pressure for 90 minutes.

For more delicious wild-game recipes, click here.

Latest

True Shooting Doves
True Shooting Doves

A Shotgun for All Seasons: Savage Renegauge in Argentina

If you want to test a shotgun’s reliability and recoil control, you take it on a high-volume hunt. If you want that trial to more resemble torture than test, you make that a high-volume Argentina dove hunt. Read on to find out how the Savage Renegauge performed.

NRA Names Kyle Lamb as Brand Ambassador for America’s Rifle Challenge

The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) proudly announces Sergeant Major (Ret.) Kyle Lamb as a Brand Ambassador for the NRA America’s Rifle Challenge (ARC), an innovative training and competition program built around the safe and effective use of the AR-15 platform.

#SundayGunday: Banish 46-V2

On this week's #SundayGunday, we're talking about suppressors, specifically the Banish 46-V2, capable of taming nearly every gun in your safe, up to and including the big boys like .338 Lapua.

KelTec Named Official Stage Sponsor for 2025 NRA World Shooting Championship

The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is proud to announce KelTec as an official sponsor of the 2025 NRA World Shooting Championship, returning to Camp Atterbury, Ind., from September 30 to October 4, 2025.

Thompson/Center Arms Celebrating 60th Anniversary

Thompson/Center Arms is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2025. Since 1965, T/C Arms has built a legacy rooted in the pioneering spirit of American hunters.

Federal Ammunition Awards 2025 Tom Knapp Memorial Scholarships

Federal Ammunition recently awarded the 2025 Tom Knapp Memorial Scholarships to two 4-H shooting sports teen ambassadors: Lucy Evans from Georgia and John Bruner from Pennsylvania.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.