VENISON SHEPHERD'S PIE

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This is hands down my favorite version of venison shepherd's pie. By now, most of us are familiar with the Irish/UK classics Shepard's Pie and Cottage Pie. Cottage pie utilizes beef as the protein and Shepherd's pie, lamb. And hunter's pie? Well, you guessed it, venison.

Photo by Larry White

Not only did I swap out the farmed raised protein with wild game, but I also changed the classically used ground meat with braised and pulled venison. This makes for a heartier dish that we all crave on a chilly afternoon or while celebrating St. Patrick's Day.

I imagine that in the old days, braised meat was used for the filling in place of ground lamb in traditional shepherd's pie.

Most folks probably wouldn't go through the time-consuming process of grinding meat (especially ground beef) when braising is clearly the much easier option. For all we know, the original meat pie filling may have been a leftover pot roast or stew. What better way to utilize leftovers than smothering them with creamy mashed potatoes and baking them in a casserole dish.

STORAGE TIPS

• You can make this dish up to 3 days ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator tightly covered until you are ready to bake it. Bake uncovered in a 400-degree F oven.

Looking for other delicious venison recipes? These are a few of my favorites:

Venison Neck Roast

Venison Crock Pot Recipes

Venison Recipe Hub

Lastly, if you make this venison shepherd's pie recipe, be sure to leave a comment or tag me on Instagram! I thoroughly enjoy hearing feedback and checking out the photos of recipes that you've made.

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VENISON SHEPHERD'S PIE

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cooking Time: 3 to 4 hours

Servings: 4 to 6 people

Author: Larry White

INGREDIENTS 

For the Venison

• 2 pounds boneless venison, cut into 2-3 inch pieces (shoulder, shank or neck meat)

• 2 Tablespoons - olive oil

• 2 large carrots (chopped)

• 1 large onion (chopped)

• 1 Tablespoon -Fresh Rosemary (chopped)

• 2 Tablespoons - Fresh Thyme

• 4 Garlic Cloves (chopped)

• 2 Tablespoons - Worcestershire sauce

• 1.5 Cups Tomato Paste

• 2 cups Red Wine (Pinot Noir is a great option)

• 2 cups Venison Stock (beef stock or chicken stock also work)

• 2 cups Frozen Green Peas 

• Salt and black pepper to taste 

For the Mashed Potato Topping

• 1.5 lbs - Yukon Gold Potatoes (Quartered)

• 1/4 cup - Whole Milk

• 3 Tbsp - Melted Butter

• 1/2 cup - Parmesan cheese

• 1/2 Teaspoon - kosher salt

DIRECTIONS 

1. Preheat the oven to 330 degrees F.

2. Season the deer meat with salt and pepper. Coat a large pan with the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Once the oil starts to lightly smoke, add the venison and cook on all sides until golden brown. Set the pan and meat aside.

3. In a blender or food processor, puree all of the vegetables (except the green peas), herbs, and garlic until it looks like a thick paste.

4. Remove the meat from the pan and heat the pan to medium heat. Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and the vegetable puree to the pan and cook for 7-8 minutes while stirring frequently.

5. Add the red wine and scrape all of the bits off the bottom of the pan. Reduce the mixture by half.

6. Place the venison in a baking dish or a Dutch oven. Pour the vegetable and wine mixture over the meat. Add about 2 cups of stock or enough to cover the meat about 3/4 of the way. Cover and cook for 3-4 hours or until the meat is fork-tender. 

7. While the venison is cooking, place the potatoes in a pot and cover them with water. Bring to a simmer and cook until fork tender (about 15 minutes)

8. Strain the potatoes and whip them with an electric mixer along with the melted butter, milk, Parmesan, and salt. If the potatoes are too thick adjust with more milk. Alternatively, you can use a potato masher or potato ricer to process the potatoes and then fold in the remaining ingredients.

9. When the venison is tender, remove it from the oven and increase the temperature to 400 degrees F.

10. Remove the venison from the cooking liquid and place it into a large bowl. Shred the meat very finely, adding a little of the cooking liquid to ensure that the meat mixture is moist. Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper.

11. Add the venison filling and green peas to a casserole dish or individual ramekins. Carefully spread the potatoes on top of the meat, making sure that it is fully covered.

12. Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. For a little extra color, dust with a little sweet paprika.