Recipe: Venison Italian Pot Roast

A nice venison roast from an elk, moose, or deer can be slow-roasted or braised Italian style with fresh herbs and tomato sauce. An Italian pot roast starts with a soffritto base of finely chopped onions, carrots, and celery. The extra surface area brings out the flavors and provides a bed for the roast.

A classic pot roast in Italy is called a "Stracotto," meaning "overcooked." The recipe is traditional in that the meat is braised, which is done at low heat with liquid and duplicates the results of a slow cooker with a pot on the stove or in the oven. The braising liquid for a stracotto includes wine and tomatoes to generate rich and bold flavors when combined with the soffritto.

The recipe works in a slow cooker; pressure cooker; large Dutch oven on the stove; or in the oven. The versatility means you can make the dish at camp or home at varying cooking times.

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 lbs. venison roast
• 4 slices bacon or pancetta, diced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp cooking oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 cups red wine
• 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried basil
• 2 bay leaves

Directions

1. Pat the roast dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Add the cooking oil to a large cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat and brown the roast on all sides. Remove the roast and set aside on a plate.
2. Add the diced bacon or pancetta to the Dutch oven and cook until the fat renders. Add the onion, carrot and celery, and cook for five to six minutes until the vegetables soften. Add the chopped garlic.
3. Pour the beef broth, wine and diced tomatoes into the Dutch oven, and scrape the bottom to release the fond. Add the thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil and bay leaves, and stir. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
4. Place the roast in the mixture and nestle it into the sauce. It is important to have liquid around 2/3 of the roast so it can braise.
5. Turn the temperature to low, cover the Dutch oven with a lid, and let it simmer for two to four hours. The Dutch oven could be placed in an oven preheated to 300°F.
6. Remove the Dutch oven from the stove and remove the woody sprigs of thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. The roast can be carved or pulled into chunks.
7. Serve the pot roast with the rich sauce over mashed potatoes, pasta, rice, or polenta. Fresh basil leaves or chopped parsley make a great garnish.

* The roast can be braised whole or cut into large chunks. The chunks can be individual servings, or the roast can be pulled into pieces.