The Most Delicious Braised Venison Bolognese
Bolognese is such a classic, comforting Italian sauce and I knew it would be absolutely perfect for Venison Shanks! This Braised Venison Bolognese is packed with such rich flavor, and is the ultimate comfort meal to make this season.
Venison Shanks are such an underrated cut of meat and I am on a mission to change that. We only just started saving our shanks last hunting season and it was one of the best things we did. They are looked at as undesirable because of the amount of sinew throughout them, but once they are slow cooked, it all breaks down and they become tender and delicious.
The Bolognese sauce starts with all the classic components like your sauteed vegetables, garlic, tomatoes and broth. I then wanted to lean into the flavor of the Venison and I knew exactly what that meant…..balsamic vinegar! Adding good quality balsamic vinegar to the sauce before braising, allows it to develop a richness with a subtle sweetness that is absolute heaven.
If you don’t care for Venison, you can use any type of shank you would like in this recipe. I used moose this time around but beef, elk, or caribou would also be delicious. Serve it up with your favorite pasta and take a seat because this will knock you off your feet!
Tips for Making Braised Venison Bolognese
- If you are using venison, you can leave the shanks whole as they are not very big but if you are using something larger like moose, beef or elk, I recommend cutting the shanks down like I do.
- Make sure you use a good quality balsamic vinegar for the best flavor. We love our specialty oil and vinegar store for the balsamic, but use whichever you like.
- Cooking time on this will ultimately depend on the side of the shanks you are using. I recommend to start with 2 hours then go from there. If it is venison you are using, it may be done int 2 hours, where-as big moose shanks can take up to 3.5-4 hours. You will know it is done when the meat is fork tender and falls off the bone.
Braised Venison Bolognese Ingredients
Venison Shanks– This recipe is titled with venison, but you can make this with beef, moose, elk or venison shanks
Onion, Carrot and Celery– These are the start of your sauce and with bring great flavor.
Garlic– I recommend 3-4 cloves in this recipe but we all know garlic is measured from the heart ;).
Crushed Tomatoes– You can use canned, crushed tomatoes or canned tomato sauce that has no spices added to it.
Broth– This can be beef or venison if you make homemade.
Balsamic Vinegar– As I mentioned above, this ads the most incredible depth of flavor. Be sure to use a good quality one.
Thyme– I recommend using fresh thyme for optimal flavor.
Heavy Cream– There is just a touch of cream added to the sauce at the end to pull it all together.
Pasta– Use whatever past you like. My favorite is making a sourdough fettucine. You can find my recipe herehttps://cmbarndominium.com/the-best-sourdough-pasta/
What part of the animal is the shank?
If you have never cooked shank before, the shank is the lower half of the animals leg. It sounds strange, but I promise it is amazing.
We butcher our own meat and it is a pain in the butt trying to cut all of the sinew out of the shanks. For years we would struggle through it to get the little bit of meat off of them that we could. When we finally just decided to start cutting them into about 2-3 inch thick rounds, it changed the game! If you are taking shanks from a smaller deer, you can also just leave them whole to cook. There has yet to be a meal I have made with shanks that hasn’t been incredible.
If you want another Shank recipe to try , here is my braised shank ramen that is to die for! https://cmbarndominium.com/easy-and-delicious-homemade-ramen/
How To
1.Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Heat a braiser or Dutch oven over the stove on high heat. Season the shanks on both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Add a couple tablespoon of butter or olive oil to the pan then sear that shanks for a couple minutes on each side. Remove from the pan.
4. To that same pan, add the onion, celery, and carrot. Sauté on medium heat for a couple minutes, then add in the minced garlic. Continue to cook for 1 more minute before adding the balsamic vinegar.
5. Once the balsamic vinegar is added, allow it to cook down for 1-2 minutes.
6.Next, add in the tomatoes and broth and gently stir. Season with a dash of salt and pepper.
7. Place the seared shanks back into the pan with the sauce. Add the fresh thyme on top then cover and place in the oven. Cook for about 3 hours or until fork tender. My large moose shanks took about 3.5 hours so if you are using venison shanks, they with only take about 2-3 hours.
8. Remove the shanks from the sauce and gently cut the meat off of the bones. Slice or shred the meat into chunks then place it back into the sauce.
9. Finally pour in the heavy cream and stir everything together. Spoon over fresh pasta, top with shredded parmesan and enjoy!
If you like making homemade pasta give my homemade sourdough pasta a try! It is extremely delicious with this Bolognese! https://cmbarndominium.com/the-best-sourdough-pasta/
Rich and flavorful Bolognese sauce with slow braised venison shanks over your favorite pasta. Hearty, comforting and absolutely delicious. * Start with a 2 hour timer for the shanks and go from there. Once you can easily poke a fork through them, they are done. *IF pasta is not your thing, this Bolognese is just as delicious served over mashed potatoes. 
Braised Venison Bolognese
Ingredients
Instructions
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