Venison Ragu

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs venison back strap, sliced 1/4” thick

1 medium sweet onion chopped

1 red bell pepper sliced

1 Tbsp minced garlic

16 oz baby bella mushrooms sliced

Fresh basil

3/4 cup red wine (only use wine that you’re willing to drink)

3/4 cup oil (I used coconut oil as I like the clean taste it produces)

1/2 cup flour

2 Tbsp butter

48 oz. Marinara sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Shaved parmesan cheese for topping

Rigatoni Pasta

Instructions:

Mix the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Then using a meat mallet thin out the venison by hitting each side a few times. Heat up the oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil heats up then lightly dredge the meat in the flour and fry on each side about 2-3 minutes. Do not over crowd the pot as it will take the temp of the oil down to low. Once the meat is done cooking set on a cooling rack and set aside.

Discard any leftover oil in the pot but don’t pour out those little tidbits from when frying the venison. Add in the butter and 1/4 of the wine to deglaze the pot over medium heat. Then add in the onion, sauté until they start to sweat, then add the bell peppers. Once the onions become translucent add in the garlic and cook for 3 minutes.

Add in the mushrooms, three sliced basil leaves and all of the sauce. I had two jars of sauce and using a 1/4 cup of wine in each jar, close the lid, shake to get all of the rest of the sauce out and pour into the pot. Bring everything to a simmer and add the meat back into to pot. Stir, cover, and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom. I like to cook the venison until it’s for tender, not falling apart but to where it takes little effort to cut the meat. I like to be able to use tongs to grab the meat and it not fall apart.

Cook pasta per the instructions, put the pasta on a plate, add some of the shaved parmesan on top of the pasta, top with a few pieces of the venison, add sauce to the top of it, top with more parmesan if you want, and garnish with more sliced basil. Pour a glass of the leftover wine and enjoy.