Braised Shanks or Osso Bucco

[hayslope]

This recipe may require some of you folks to step outside your comfort zone.....in that, there will be no marinades or spice rubs used......trust me on this one......you may actually find that you enjoy the taste of venison without all that extra baggage!

This recipe will also require you (or your butcher/processor) to retain the shanks instead of turning them into burger or sausage.  Take my word for it (or just ask any professional chef), it is basically a sin to waste shanks in the traditional manner!  This recipe works VERY well with elk, moose, caribou, deer, or just about any horned creature that we would chase.  The only difference is size.....which ultimately determines how much you would use for the recipe.

Whole venison shanks reasonably fit within the traditional lamb shank recipe realm due to their size.  However, the vension shanks also can be sawed into approx. 3 - 3.5" thick pieces to change the recipe to Osso Bucco.  Also, you pretty much need to saw the shanks of moose, elk, caribou, although you could adjust the recipe to use a whole shank of elk or caribou, much like the recipe for whole veal shank.  The key reason why you really want to try the Osso Bucco method is that you will easily be able to scoop out the wonderful marrow from the bones to either eat or incorporate into the sauce.

This recipe (as are all wild game braised shanks/osso bucco recipes) is based on the traditional braised lamb shank recipes and Italian pork/veal osso bucco recipes.  Feel free to take the role of chef and experiment.....take my word for it; it is difficult to mess this one up.

Enough rambling....you'll figure it out!

Ingredient List:

Good rich stock or commercial beef broth (we'll discuss how much later)
4 whole (front/back) deer shanks (or enough pieces sawn Osso Bucco style to cover bottom of the Dutch Oven
2 medium or large onions (use the type you prefer)
4 carrots
1 cup of red wine (remember: if you wouldn't drink it...don't cook with it!)
2 to 3 cups of mushrooms (we usually try to use 3 different types like oyster, portobellos, morels if I feel like splurging, etc. - use what you like)
Potatoes (for mashing)
Flour (put in bag with salt/pepper to dust shanks)
whole unpeeled cloves of garlic (use as many as you want) (I'll explain later)
4 or 5 sprigs fresh Thyme (use dried if that's all you can get)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Place a small amount of oil and butter in large Dutch Oven.
Dust the shanks in the bag of flour/salt/pepper - shake off excess.
On the stove, heat up Dutch Oven over medium heat.
Lightly brown the shanks on all sides, then remove.
There should be lots of little bits on the bottom of the dutch oven - "deglaze" the oven by pouring in the cup of wine and using a spoon, loosen up all the little bits.

Put the shanks in the dutch oven, along with all the remaining ingredients.  Add enough rich stock or beef broth to just cover the shanks.

Cover the dutch oven and place in oven.  Braise shanks for 3 to 3.5 hours.

Make mashed potatoes the way you like them.

When done, the meat is usually ready (or already has) to fall off the bone.

Make sure you tell the eaters to look out for the (now roasted) cloves of garlic.  They can pull them out and lightly push on them with a spoon....and out will come roasted garlic...they can add to mashed potatoes or put on bread.

For you marrow lovers - if done osso bucco style, you are going to be in seventh heaven.

For you souls that only eat venison "doctored" with rubs or marinades.....let's just say..get ready for a new experience......the smell of this dish wafting through the house will make a believer out of you.

By far, this dish is made supreme with moose or elk shanks done osso bucco style.  Since you are typically bringing out quarters, just keep the shanks in mind.  If you are boning out to save your backs, make sure you put that meat saw to good use and add that little bit of extra weight to your pack.

For you typical deer hunters; once you try this you will do what we did.......ask all our friends who hunt (most use the same butcher) to give us the shanks.  Most are more than willing to comply.  Of course, we get coerced into doing "Osso Bucco Night" for quite a few, but what better way to spend a cold winter night than to share a great meal like this with friends.

Enjoy!

[Aglefed Dad]

Thank you, I was beginning to think I was the only hunter who braised the shanks.  Incidently, I grew up in, and my family still lives in, Yorktown Hts, NY.  Small world.

I can attest to the quality of the dish he's describing as well as the tendency to strip my fellow hunters "gut piles" for parts.  Not literally going through a gut pile, but waiting for them to finish, pointing to the neck and shanks and asking, "you gonna use any of that?".
"For what???" is the usual response until they taste the results.  I'll trade the back half of the loins for the front shanks any day.

The front shanks are superior, the hind shanks aint bad either, but I remove the calf muscle that tends to cook up drier than the rest.

[hayslope]

Ken,

Yes, it is a small world indeed.  Good to hear from someone from these parts.

I don't know about trading any loins for shanks....but I'm open for just about any other trade.  A lot of folks just donate them (since the meat wouldn't add much to their burger cache!).

Tony