We visited my folks in the Kootenay’s for Christmas and I came home with a bag full of frozen deer meat – sausages, roast, quick fry medallions, and stew meat. I was super excited! I also got the Kitchenaid pasta attachments for Christmas so I came up with the brilliant idea to try my hand at homemade ravioli. Inspired by a bison ravioli with mushrooms that we had at a restaurant, I braised the deer stew meet and served the ravioli with a beef and mushroom stock, freshly grated grana padano cheese and parsley. I have to figure out the cooking time for this homemade pasta a bit better, but OMG this dish turned out amazing. You could do the braise with beef or veal and it would also be awesome. 3 large ravioli’s were plenty for each of us, along with a side salad. I ended up with 6 extra ravioli that I individually froze on a cookie sheet then put in a Ziploc bag for later.
Here are some quick directions to get you through the process:
Braise the meat in a heavy pot (I used an enamelled cast iron dutch oven):
- Saute 1/2 a sweet onion (sliced or diced) in 2 Tbsp oil & remove once golden brown
- Add oil if necessary and get the pan hot. Sear approximately 1/2 pound deer stew meat on all sides. Remove from the pot.
- Deglaze the pot with 1/2 cup of red wine (I used a hearty shiraz)
- Add 2 cloves chopped garlic, 1 chopped carrot (large pieces, just for flavour) and a stick of dried thyme
- Add 2 cups beef stock, bring to a boil, cover and put in oven at 325 F for 2 hours and lower to 250 F for 1 more hour
- After 2 hours check the liquid level and add beef stock if necessary
- Once cooked, remove the meat and pull it apart. Discard carrots and herb stems and reserve all juice and onions in the pot for making the sauce
Make the ravioli with the braised deer. Cook the pasta after the sauce is ready.
Make the sauce and serve:
- Saute 5 thinly sliced mini bella mushrooms (or 8-10 button mushrooms)
- Deglaze the pot with 1/4 cup red wine
- Add the remaining braising liquids and onions and 1 cup of beef stock
- Serve the cooked ravioli with the mushroom & beef stock, sprinkle with parmesan or grana padano and parsley
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