Venison is a lean meat. Annatjie adds lamb shanks to this pie recipe for added flavour and texture.
It's a good idea to serve something sweet with venison, whether on the side or in the dish. Having a stock of preserved fruit can be very handy.
Annatjie Reynolds has co-written two books on Karoo cooking. These ares some of her venison favourites.
I enjoy cooking in our farm kitchen on the Aga stove, which we bought in Swellendam years ago. The old stove is great for making slow-cooked soups, which my husband Kobus loves to eat with fresh brown bread, real butter and biltong.
I like to use what’s close at hand. In the early summer, fresh asparagus from the garden is a treat. In late summer and autumn, quinces or gooseberries will be a side dish or do duty as dessert. And in winter, when it’s the hunting season and friends and family visit our farm near Richmond, venison often features on the menu.
Our neighbour Andrew Conroy calls springbok “the gold of the Karoo”. I couldn’t agree more. What I love about venison is that it’s versatile, healthy and, despite what many people think, not difficult to cook.
I’ve always been comfortable working with meat. I was raised on a farm near Britstown, studied home economics at Stellenbosch University and went on to work for the Meat Board before I married a Karoo farmer and came back to my roots.
One thing I’ve learnt about living in the Karoo is how important teamwork is. We all know that we can turn to each other when we need help.
The book Karoo Venison was a team effort with my friends Lynne Minnaar and Albé Neethling. It actually grew out of another recipe book, Karoo Family Favourites, which we put together to raise money for the Union Prep School in Graaff-Reinet.
Everyone loved the family favourites, but they wanted to know more about how to cook venison.
The recipes below are all tried and tested by Karoo cooks. See what I mean: Teamwork!
On the hunt
You need good meat to prepare a tender, flavoursome venison dish, and the quality is already determined during the hunt. Avoid the meat from an animal that has been chased around, wounded, or incorrectly handled after it was shot – the meat will be tainted. Here are some tips for best results… Mooiskoot.
Buy from a source that knows how to harvest game. The buck should have just reached its adult weight, as this meat is the most tender. (The largest animals with the most beautiful horns are left for trophy hunters, and pregnant ewes are not targeted). The buck has to be standing still, unaware
of the hunter. A well-aimed shot brings the animal down in a second. Veld focus.
The throat and main artery has to be cut immediately after the buck has been shot to bleed the carcass, and the innards have to be removed so the meat doesn’t absorb any gases and there is no bloating. Haste makes waste.
Venison has to ripen. Ripening is a natural tenderising process, whereas with mechanical or commercial tenderising processes you end up with dry, crumbly meat. If possible, after being shot, the buck should hang unskinned for four to seven days at 0 to 4 °C. If this has not been done, wipe large cuts with a damp vinegar cloth and place them on a fridge rack, uncovered, for about four days.
In the kitchen Rosy cheeks.
Check that the meat is bright red – a pale colour is a sign that the animal was stressed. Given meat of poor quality, even the best cook will fail. The right stuff.
Use the right cut with the right cooking method. If you want to put it on the braai, use a prime cut such as the loin or leg. For stews and pies, you can use stewing cuts such as the knuckles, neck and shoulder. For more information on the right cooking method, consult a meat chart in a cookbook such as Annatjie’s Karoo Venison, or The Complete South African Cookbook by Magdaleen van Wyk. Switch. You can substitute kudu for springbok, or similar buck, as long as you use the same cut as the one the recipe calls for. Keep it simple.
There’s no need to marinate good-quality venison to tenderise it. If you do use a marinade, make sure the flavours don’t overshadow the flavour of the meat. Don’t run dry on me.
Never, ever overcook venison; it will only dry out. Good venison can be hard to find, so when you do lay your hands on some, treat it well.
I don't know a good hunter!
Many speciality butchers stock venison, as do some supermarkets – look for the “Bushveld Pride” (Checkers/Shoprite), “Go Wild” (Pick ’n Pay) and “Hunter’s Choice” (Spar) labels. This meat is matured before shipment and humanely harvested under the supervision of the Department of Agriculture.
Venison pie
The party favourite “When it comes to venison pie, tastes differ. Some cooks prefer to add something sweet such as port or quince jelly; others add a dash of vinegar. My ingredients are a bit of this and that, but I like to combine the lean meat of venison with lamb shanks,” says Annatjie.
You’ll need:
For the filling:
• oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 500 g lamb shanks
• 1,5 kg venison (shanks, neck or shoulder)
• about 750 ml chicken stock (home-made or bought), enough to cover the meat
• 3-4 tablespoons brown vinegar
• about 3 teaspoons roasted and freshly ground coriander
• about 1 teaspoon allspice and/or cloves
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons cake flour, dissolved in a little water and mixed to a paste For the pastry: • 400 g prepared puff pastry (see the recipe for soda water pastry below)
• 1 egg, beaten
Here’s how:
1. A good tan. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan and sauté the onion. Remove the onion and brown the lamb shanks. Add more oil if necessary. Remove the shanks with a slotted spoon and brown the venison. 2. On the boil. Add the stock, vinegar and seasoning, and bring to the boil. Return the browned meat and braised onion to the pot. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer gently until the meat is tender and starts to fall off the bone. It may take 2½ to 3 hours. 3. Clean up. Remove the bones and thicken the mixture with the flour paste. 4. Nice and spicy. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Put the meat into a large pie dish and allow it to cool completely. 5. It’s a cover-up. Preheat the oven to 220 ºC. Cover the meat with a layer of pastry. Brush with beaten egg and bake for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown and baked through.
Soda water pastry:
You could use shopbought puff pastry or make your own. This home-made pastry can be used for sweet or savoury dishes. You’ll need:
• 280 g (2 cups) cake flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 250 g (1 cup) cold butter, diced
• 100 ml cold soda water
• 1 tablespoon brandy Here’s how: 1. Snow drift. Sift flour and salt together. 2. Rub-a-dub-dub. Add butter and rub it into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. 3. Cocktails. Add soda water and brandy to form a stiff dough. Cover the dough with cling wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for one hour. 4. Muscle power. On a flour-sprinkled surface, roll the dough out into a large rectangle. Starting at the short side nearest to you, fold the rectangle in thirds. Turn the dough “parcel” 90 º clockwise so a short end of the rectangle is nearest to you again. Repeat this roll-and-fold motion twice more. Cover the dough and let it rest in the fridge for 20 minutes. Repeat the roll-and-fold motion twice more. (Pour yourself a small brandy to pass the time. – Ed.) 5. At last! Roll out the pastry until it’s 3 mm thick. Cover the cooked meat in the pie dish with it.
Annatjie says: Serve your pie with rice and fresh peas, and something sweet such as glazed quince slices.
Kudu goulash with penne
Viva, Italia!
This recipe comes from Liz Stern of Graaff-Reinet, whose mother started a catering business during a Karoo drought to supplement the family income. The business is still going, and this recipe is a popular item on their menu.
You’ll need (for 4):
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 red sweet pepper, sliced thinly
• 600g kudu rump, cubed
• 1 tablespoon cake flour, seasoned with salt and black pepper
• 1 small green chilli, seeded and diced
• 2 x 425g cans diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 400g penne
• 60ml sour cream
Here’s how: 1. First things first. Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the onion for five minutes or until soft. Remove it from the pan. Sauté the sweet pepper. 2. Things are hotting up. Heat the remaining oil. Toss the cubed meat in the seasoned flour and cook it over a high heat. 3. Turn up the heat. Once the meat is browned, stir in the chilli, tomato, paprika, onion and sweet pepper. Bring to the boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and crushed black pepper. 4. The Italian job. When you’ve got the meat simmering, quickly cook the pasta in a large saucepan and drain (follow the instructions on the packet). 5. Dinner’s ready! To serve, place a helping of penne in each bowl, spoon goulash over it and top with a dollop of sour cream.
Annatjie says: You can also use good-quality meat from the leg to make this dish.
Winter casserole
Warm the cockles of your heart
Hillary Palmé of Graaff-Reinet uses venison shanks for this dish – a hearty, slow-cooked meal to enjoy with friends on a winter’s evening.
You’ll need (for 6):
• 1kg venison shanks, cut in 2cm-thick slices
• 70g cake flour
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 heaped teaspoons paprika
• ¾ cup olive oil
• 1kg shallots or small whole onions, peeled
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons tomato purée
• 2 cups stock, heated
• ½ cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon wine vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Here’s how:
1. Snip, snip. Cut the sinew on the shanks in four places around each piece to stop the meat from curling when you brown it. 2. It’s a toss-up. Mix the cake flour with the salt, pepper and paprika. Toss the meat in this flour mixture to coat it evenly. 3. Give it colour. Heat the oil in a large casserole and brown the meat in batches. Now fry the shallots (or onions) in the same oil until lightly browned, remove them from the oil and set them aside. 4. Slow food. Add the garlic, sugar, tomato purée, stock, red wine, vinegar, bay leaves and cinnamon, and bring to the boil. Return the meat to the casserole. When the liquid regains boiling point, lower the heat, put the lid on and simmer for about 2 hours. Return the shallots to the casserole and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes to an hour, or until the shallots are tender. 5. Final touches. The gravy should be nice and thick; if not, remove the lid and let some of the liquid evaporate. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick, and sprinkle some parsley over the dish for colour.
Annatjie says: This dish freezes very well.
Kudu schnitzel
A kitchen waltz This recipe is as versatile as its maker Beverley Hiscock, who studied to be a concert pianist and once ran her own restaurant in Graaff-Reinet. Instead of using fillet, thin slices can also be cut from striploin or leg muscle, like silverside or topside.
Here’s how: 1. Flatten it. Holding a sharp knife parallel to the working surface, cut the fillet into slices 3cm thick. Now butterfly each slice (don’t cut through it completely). Fold each butterflied slice open, put it between two layers of cling wrap and use a rolling pin to flatten it – which gives you a piece of meat that is suitable for schnitzel. 2. Production line. Put three soup plates next to one another on your work surface – put the seasoned flour in the first one, the beaten egg in the second and the breadcrumbs and parsley in the third. One by one, coat each piece of meat with flour, dip it in the beaten egg, and coat it with breadcrumbs and parsley. 3. Chillax. Put the schnitzels in the fridge for an hour (they shouldn’t touch). 4. Quick sticks. Heat the oil in a frying pan, and fry until golden brown. Dish up with lemon wedges.
Annatjie says: This recipe would work for chicken and beef too. You can adapt any meat recipe with venison – even to make a healthy bobotie!
Springbok leg prepared in a Weber
Flavoured to the bone
Susan Kock from Richmond injects her marinade into a venison leg with a syringe to ensure that the flavour spreads throughout the meat. (You can buy ameat syringe from Freddy Hirsch butchery
suppliers.) She believes that even if the leg is marinated for up to three days, the marinade will not penetrate the leg to the bone, but will only be effective on the outer surface.
You’ll need (for 6–8):
• 1 well-ripened springbok leg For the marinade:
• 1 cup mango or orange juice
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons mixed dried herbs
Here’s how: 1. A good mix. Mix the marinade and leave it to stand for a day. 2. Hold still. A day before you cook the leg, inject the marinade into the meat using a large syringe with a thick needle. 3. In the kettle. Place the leg in the Weber for about an hour, or until a meat thermometer measures an internal temperature of 60 to 70ºC. The meat should still be pink inside. 4. Let it rest. Before slicing it, let the meat rest for a few minutes. Serve with a mushroom cream sauce.
Annatjie says: Use well-ripened, good-quality venison and don’t overcook it, then the meat will be tender and succulent.
Don't forget the side dishes
When you’re served venison in the Karoo, you will probably find at least one of these side dishes on the table.
Beetroot. You know why this is on menus in the Karoo? It’s because you can plant it throughout the year. It makes great chutney and salad, and you can serve freshly boiled young beetroot in a sweet-and-sour sauce. Beetroot adds colour to any plate of food. Vetkoek.
For a twist on the traditional vetkoek recipe, use a multi-purpose bread dough. Roll the dough into a sausage shape, cut it into slices and flatten them slightly. Wait for the dough to rise, and shallow-fry the “vetkoek” in a pan. Samp.
Simmer it in milk, stir in fried bacon and onion and grated cheese just before you dish it up. Pampoenkoekies.
It’s a good idea to serve something sweet with venison. Where there’s boerekos, you’ll find pumpkin fritters; everyone loves them.
The cookbook Karoo Venison costs R200 at Exclusive Books, or order a copy from Annatjie – send an e-mail to annatjie@wam.co.za
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