Venison-Beef Stew

Mixing venison with beef in a stew is a hunter’s trick that gives you the best of both meats. The venison brings a lean, slightly gamy richness while the beef adds fat and familiarity, making the whole pot more approachable for folks who aren’t used to wild game.

The meat tenderizer step matters here. Venison is naturally lean and can turn tough during a long simmer. Letting it sit with tenderizer for ten minutes before browning breaks down surface proteins and keeps the cubes from getting chewy.

Brown the meat in batches so each piece gets real color. Crowding the pan steams the meat instead of searing it, and you lose all that caramelized flavor that should be building the base of your broth.

Butter, bouillon cubes, and a splash of Worcestershire round out the savory backbone. It’s a straightforward stew that doesn’t try to be fancy, just filling and warm after a long day in the field.

Pro Tips

• Cut both meats to the same size so they cook evenly.
• Remove the bay leaf before serving. It’s done its job and tastes bitter if bitten into.
• Add the peas in the last 15 minutes so they don’t disintegrate.
• This stew is even better reheated the next day after the flavors have had time to meld.

Variations

• Skip the stew starter and use canned diced tomatoes with their juice for a from-scratch base.
• Add a splash of red wine or dark beer with the water for a deeper, more complex broth.
• Toss in diced turnips or parsnips alongside the potatoes for extra heartiness.