Today we’re making another recipe from MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN by Jean Craighead George! One of my favorite things about this book is that it actually includes simplified recipes for a lot of the foods the main character, Sam, eats over the course of the story. I wanted to make sure to include one of these recipes in my menu, so today we’re making Sam’s venison stew. When explaining how to make one of his meals, he says, “brown puffballs in deer fat with a little wild garlic, fill pot with water, put venison in, boil.” Granted, he doesn’t call it “stew,” but pretty much the only difference between soup and stew is how long you cook it and if/how you thicken it. Venison can be a tough, lean cut of meat, so I think it’s more likely Sam cooked it for quite a while to tenderize it, like you would for stew. Plus, we know he had acorn flour on hand, so he could have used that as a thickener later if he wanted.
I used Sam’s instructions as a jumping off point, but my recipe below has a few more ingredients, ensuring a rich, deep flavor. I used a venison hindquarter roast I got from my dad (my mom says venison steaks would work well too), white button mushrooms (since puffball mushrooms weren’t in season), carrots and potatoes (because what’s a stew without some hearty root veg?), and a whole mess of herbs and spices. It turned out tender, rich, and hearty—just what Sam would want after a long day of hunting in the Catskill Mountains.
A
Venison Stew
“. . . brown puffballs in deer fat with a little wild garlic, fill pot with water, put venison in, boil.””
— My Side of the Mountain
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 lb venison hindquarter roast (or other roast), cut into 1½-inch cubes
- 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp salt, separated
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 8 oz white button mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 onion, diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried sage
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 cups water
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into coins
- 4 large red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
Makes 6 servings
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a large bowl, combined your venison, olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. Set a large pot over medium-high heat. When the pot is hot, add the venison and brown the meat for about a minute on each side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a bowl and set aside.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes or until soft, stirring regularly. Return the meat to the pot. Add the onion, garlic, brown sugar, thyme, sage, bay, and water. Return heat to medium-high. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to low and allow to simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Add the carrots and potatoes. Turn the heat up to medium-high. When the mix is boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf.
- Whisk the flour into 1/2 cup water and gradually stir into the stew. Continue to cook, stirring continuously, for 3 minutes or until thickened. Add remaining salt to taste. Stir in the parsley.
- Serve after a successful day of hunting in the Catskill Mountains.
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