I suspect most hunters underestimate how juicy and flavorful a deer shank can be. While not fatty, a deer shank contains a greater amount of collagen than other cuts, so when it cooks low and slow, that collagen turns into gelatin that creates a very tender texture of meat throughout.
However, because deer is so lean, when you cook it low and slow, you want to make sure it doesn’t dry out. So while we are smoking our deer shank here for 2 hours then searing in a hot, open fire, we then cover it with vegetable stock, a bit of red wine, and cover the baking dish while the shank cooks in the oven at a very, very low 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
In the end, your venison should easily flake and shred off the bone. This shredded meat makes for great sandwiches, like this French Dip recipe here. Or you can use that meat for tacos, pasta, whatever. Also, yes, you can use other cuts of venison for this recipe, including a sirloin tip you might cook rare or medium rare, then slice and soak a bit in au jus before adding to a baguette, topping with cheese and toasting.
Ingredients (4 servings):
- Whole bone-in hindquarter shank
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Olive oil
- 1 quart vegetable stock
- 4 medium yellow onions (mixed use)
- 3 carrots
- 1/2 a stalk of celery
- 4 bay leaves
- 1/2 a bulb of fresh garlic, smashed
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/2 cup whole black peppercorns
- 4 poblano peppers, roasted and peeled
- 8 slices aged white cheddar
- 4 approximately 6- to 8-inch-long baguettes
- Creamy horseradish
- 12-ounce jar Heinz Homestyle Bistro Au Jus Gravy (or similar)
Directions:
1. Liberally salt and pepper deer shank and smoke at 160 F for 2 hours using mesquite or cherry wood or your favorite wood selection for venison.
2. Prior to shank finishing smoking, start a wood fire and lump charcoal. Once shank has smoked for 2 hours, lightly coat the shank with olive oil then put directly into the fire, turning as needed to get a char on all sides.
3. Once meat is slightly charred and caramelized on all sides, remove and place in an oven-safe baking dish. You may wish to separate the heel from the bone and lay separately.
4. Also to this baking dish, add a chopped onion, a few chopped carrots, half a chopped celery stalk, smashed cloves from half a fresh garlic bulb, 1/2 cup of whole black peppercorns and four bay leaves. Cover with vegetable stock and add 1/2 cup of red wine.
5. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake in oven at 200 F for 5 hours. You may wish to check to make sure liquids are still mostly covering meat. If liquids are low, add more vegetable stock or water.
6. After 5 hours, remove baking dish and set aside on a high-heat-tolerance surface (like most cutting boards). Remove aluminum foil.
7. Turn oven to 400 F and lightly oil poblano peppers and roast for 15-20 minutes, until slightly charred. Remove and place in a covered bowl for 10 minutes to sweat peppers. Under cold running water, seed and peel poblano peppers then cut into strips.
8. While roasting the peppers, caramelize three onions by cutting onions into rings and searing in olive oil on medium-high heat then turning heat to medium-low. Lightly salt and pepper and continue to stir until onions are brown and caramelized.
9. To make au jus, add au jus gravy jar plus 1 cup of liquids from shank baking dish to a medium saucepan and heat on low.
10. To make sandwiches, shred deer shank meat. Slice baguettes and add creamy horseradish to each side. To the bottom side, add shredded venison followed by caramelized onions and poblano slices, top with cheese and toast both baguette sides in the oven at 400 F until cheese melts. Remove and add top baguette to assemble the sandwich. Serve alongside a cup or bowl of au jus.
Enjoy! Reach out to me on Instagram (@WildGameJack) with any questions or comments.