rock leftovers like a champ

Do you get so excited to make a giant meal of delightful food, anticipating that you’ll continue to eat the same thing over the next few days because it will be so delicious? And by day 2 you just can’t possibly eat another plate of [insert food here]? Well… That’s what happened to us. A few weekends ago, we had friends over to watch some football.  I made these bad boys, and John wrapped 2 pieces of venison round in bacon and spices and heaven and let them go to town on the grill for a few hours. {Grill? PS – Thanks, Mom and Dad!} Fast forward a few beers to 8 pm and all of us just can’t possibly entertain the thought of any more food, despite the amount of leftovers. But, there is no way I could let that venison go to waste. It was too bacon-y and spicy and promising.

But wait. What about all the leftover braising liquid from those tacos? Light bulb! You can really play around with this, depending on what you have on hand. Didn’t also just make duck tacos? Sub the braising liquid with more stock. And don’t forget about the beer.

INGREDIENTS:

leftover venison round, cut into 4-5 large pieces + bacon, cut into bite sized pieces
remaining beer braising liquid/onions, about 2 cups
1 cup of stock (vegetable or beef) + more if needed
1 package of frozen mixed vegetables – pick your favorites!
1 large tomato, chopped
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1 Parmesan rind piece
salt & pepper to taste

STEPS:

1. In a large pot, layer in the venison, onion, tomato, and cover with the braising liquid and stock. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for around 2 hours. Then add in the vegetables, and continue to simmer until they are warmed through.

2. After 20 minutes or so, remove the pieces of venison, and let them hang out until they are cool enough to handle. I found that the easiest way to shred them is by hand, as some pieces may be tougher than others. What’s next? Add the shredded venison back into the pot, give it a big stir, and let it continue to simmer for another 30 minutes to an hour. You’ll know it’s ready when everything has cooked down and the stew is nice and thick.

3. Plate this pot of leftover wonderness (?) and enjoy! You really will have no idea that you’re eating leftovers – I promise! What duck tacos? What grill? All you’ll know is that a hearty bowl of venison stew is just what the cold winter weather called for. I topped mine with a little extra Parmesan and a few of these (hello, addiction) just for a little something extra, but you really don’t need to add anything. The best part? If you can’t finish the whole pot in time, the stew freezes really well.

Leftovers champion. Crushed it.

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