The Best Braised Venison Ossobuco
With hunting season in full swing and chilly days ahead, This Braised Venison Ossobuco is the number one recipe you need to make! It is rich, warm, flavorful and gives you the most delicious tender venison. This meal will steal your heart.
It wasn’t until a couple years ago that we started saving the shanks from the venison and moose that we would get during hunting season. The very first time we ever cooked them, I knew we should have done it a long time ago! They were incredible!!! Shanks have quickly become our favourite cut of meat and I recommend you give them a try ;).
If you are wondering what Ossobuco is, it is a slow cooked dish traditionally made with beef or veil shanks. It is braised in wine and broth for a rich and comforting meal full of flavour. People often think that the shanks of game meat won’t be enjoyable to eat because there is so much connective tissue. However, when they are slow cooked for hours it all breaks down and you are left with tender, fall off the bone meat.
There are several variations of Ossobuco out there but you need to try this one. It uses red wine and crushed tomatoes for a rich sauce. Topped with fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme for the perfect simple blend of flavours. Whether you are looking for a cozy meal to cook on a cool Fall/Winter day or something to serve at a dinner party this Venison Ossobuco will be perfect.
Tips for Making Braised Venison Ossobuco
- When searing the shanks, be sure to have your pan nice and hot to get a good sear. This adds a crust to the shanks, and will help develop more flavour in the sauce.
- After you add the wine to the pan to deglaze, allow it the time to fully reduce by half. The alcohol will cook down, and the wine will begin to caramelize, yielding a rich, sweet flavour.
- All sizes of shanks are going to vary from animal to animal. This means that cooking time with vary. Give yourself a minimum of 2 hours for venison shanks but up to 4 hours for something larger like moose. You will know they are done cooking when they are fork tender and can be shredded apart easily with a fork.
Venison Ossobuco Ingredients
Shanks– This can be venison, moose, beef, elk or any large game animal. Shanks are the lower part of the leg and you want them cut into 1-2 inch think steaks.
Broth– You can use any broth you like depending on the type of meat you use. Beef, or any dark stock will work.
Red Wine– While this adds incredible flavour to the sauce, if you prefer not to use wine you can sub with extra broth.
Crushed Tomatoes– Canned crushed tomatoes are all you need.
Mirepoix– This is the combination of chopped carrot, onion and celery. These aromatics build flavour in your sauce.
Garlic– As always I recommend using fresh garlic as opposed to pre minced garlic.
Thyme & Rosemary– Fresh rosemary and thyme are the main spices in this dish. Dried will do, but fresh will give you much more flavour.
Bay Leaf– This will simmer in the sauce and give a nice savoury aroma.
The Steps
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Start by seasoning the shanks on all sides generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat a braiser or large cast iron skillet on high and add the oil/ butter. Sear the shanks for 3-5 minutes on each side until nicely browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- To that pan, add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Once the vegetables are tender and fragrant, add in the wine and deglaze the pan. This mean using the wine to help scrape all of the crispy bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Continue to cook on medium heat and allow the wine to reduce by half.
- Next, add in the tomatoes, broth, and pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until well mixed.
- Finally, add the shanks back into the pan with the sauce, then top with the fresh rosemary, thyme and bay leaves.
- Cover the pan with a lid and place in the oven to braise for 2-4 hours or until fork tender. The timing all depends on the size of the shanks you are using. Smaller venison shanks will take closer to 2 hours and larger shanks like moose will take the full 4 hours.
- Once nice and tender, spoon each shank along with some sauce into a bowl and serve over mashed potatoes. Top with fresh parsley and enjoy!
If you give this recipe a try leave a comment or recipe review below!
Looking for more Venison recipes to try this Fall/Winter? Try these out.
https://cmbarndominium.com/easy-delicious-venison-white-corn-chili/
https://cmbarndominium.com/the-most-delicious-braised-venison-bolognese/
https://cmbarndominium.com/simple-and-delicious-venison-roast-with-peppercorn-sauce/
Tender, and flavorful slow braised venison shanks in a rich, red wine and tomato sauce. Pair this Ossobuco with mashed potatoes for a delicious comfort meal on a cool evening. * Almost any kind of shanks you like will work for this recipe. Beef, venison, moose, elk or any other large wild game. * Cooking time is dependant on the size of the shanks you are using. Because of all the connective tissue in shanks, you want to cook them long enough so that it all breaks down and becomes tender. Once the meat is starting to come off the bone and is fork tender, it is cooked enough. * Ossobuco is delicious served with mashed potatoes, polenta or even over pasta. 
Braised Venison Ossobuco
Ingredients
Instructions
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