I was recently given some ground venison. I’ve discovered you can prepare ground venison in the same way you cook beef or pork. That is, you can make burgers, casseroles, chili, meatballs, meatloaf, tacos or stew.  It is quite versatile. Also, venison is one of the  leanest, heart -healthy foods. It is low in fat, high in protein, and a great source of iron. This time around I decided to do it stir-fried with mushrooms. It came out great. I also paired it with pappardelle noodles; which are a broad, flat pasta similar to fettuccini. But you can pair the dish with any ribbon pasta or a grain like rice, quinoa or couscous. Some would consider this dish a form or Nuyorican picadillo (by the way, pronounced ‘pee-kah-dee-yoh’).

VENISON WITH MUSHROOM

Ingredients:

8 oz. (or more) mushroom, washed and sliced
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 pound ground venison
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
Salt and black pepper to taste
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoons light or heavy cream (your choice)

Instructions:

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large frypan or skillet over moderate-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms have released their juices, about 3-4 minutes. Remove mushrooms to a plate and set aside.
  2.  In same pan or skillet, heat additional 2 tablespoons of oil. Add onion and cook until onions becomes translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
  3.  Stir in venison. Season with oregano, salt and pepper. Cook until venison is browned, about 10 minutes.
  4. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cream, stir to mix and cook about 2 minutes more. Serve immediately over pasta or favorite grain.
    Yield: 4 servings.