Venison & 4-Beans

This crockpot recipe is built for feeding hungry people after a long day outdoors. Browned venison and bacon get tossed into the slow cooker with four kinds of beans, green pepper, onion, and a tangy sauce of mustard and ketchup that turns sweet and sticky after hours of slow cooking.

Browning the venison and bacon before they hit the crockpot is the step that gives this dish depth. Venison is lean and can taste flat without that initial sear. The bacon renders fat that the lean venison soaks up, and the browned bits from both meats dissolve into the sauce as it cooks.

The four-bean mix of pork and beans, lima beans, kidney beans, and navy beans gives every spoonful a different texture. Limas are creamy, kidneys are firm, navy beans are small and soft, and the pork and beans bring their own sweet sauce into the pot. Together they absorb the mustard-ketchup base and meld into something cohesive.

Kitchen Tips

• Cut the venison into bite-sized pieces before browning. Large chunks won’t cook evenly in a bean-heavy crockpot and can stay tough in the center.
• Don’t drain the canned beans. The liquid from each can adds moisture and flavor to the pot. Draining leaves the dish too thick and dry.
• The mustard is generous. A full cup sounds like a lot, but it mellows significantly during the 4-hour cook. It won’t taste sharp by the time it’s done.

Variations

• Use ground venison if you don’t have stew meat. Brown it with the bacon and it blends even more seamlessly with the beans.
• Add a splash of apple cider vinegar for a tangier, more barbecue-style sauce.