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Venison Barley Stew
By Bobbie Jo Wasilko
He Hunts She Cooks
Serves 6
A hearty stew for hearty appetites and cold weather!
I have everything in this stew but the kitchen sink.
A dollop of horseradish cream and hot homemade bread makes this dish complete.
Ingredients:
- 2-1/2 pounds venison shoulder, cut into 1 inch pieces (substitute elk, moose, caribou, antelope, or bear)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, cubed
- 1 celery stalk, cubed
- 1 leek, white and light green parts only, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbs. tomato paste
- 2 tbs. anchovy paste
- 1 tbs. garlic powder
- 1 tbs. onion powder
- 1 tbs. Kosher salt
- 1 tbs. fresh cracked pepper
- 5 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves only
- 2 bay leaves
- 1-14 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 9 cups venison or beef stock ( I used 5 tbs. More Than gourmet venison Demi-Glace mixed with 9 cups water)
- 1 cup Pinot Noir red wine (cheap stuff will do)
- 1/2 cup pearl barley, uncooked
- 7 honey gold potatoes, skin on cubed, placed in a bowl of cold water until ready to use (keeps them from turning brown)
- 1/2 cup frozen petit white corn
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 2 cups chopped kale
- Canola oil or grape seed oil for sautéing
Instructions:
1.Cut shoulder meat into 1 inch pieces, season with salt and pepper and sit aside while prepping other ingredients
2.Heat a large soup pot with a few tablespoons of oil and heat on medium-high
3.Add the pieces of meat, a few at a time to the pot and brown (don’t over crowd the meat)
4.Remove the browned pieces to a bowl
5.Continue adding the meat, a few at a time until the pieces are browned
6.Add a bit more oil if needed and add the onion, carrot, celery, and leeks, and minced garlic and sauté for 5 minutes
7.Add the meat back to the pot with the vegetables
8.Add the tomato paste, anchovy paste, garlic powder, onion powder, Kosher salt, pepper, thyme leaves, bay leaves, crushed tomatoes (with juice), venison (or beef) stock, and red wine
9.Bring the pot to a boil, then turn down to low heat
10.Partially cover the pot with a lid and keep on a very low simmer for about 2-3 hours
11.Once the meat is becoming tender, add the pearl barley and simmer another 1-2 hours, stirring on occasion so the barley doesn’t lump up or stick to the bottom of the pot
12.Turn the heat to medium-high and add the potatoes, corn, peas, and kale and cook until potatoes are fork tender
13.Mix a few tablespoons prepared horseradish with 3 tbs. cream and top with soup if desired
Notes:
This stew can be canned in a pressure canner for longer shelf life… although it tastes so good, it will be a challenge to keep on a shelf!!
Can You Guess What Some Children are Hoping for This Christmas?
Can You Guess What Some Children Are Hoping for This Christmas?
Do you remember as a child, or maybe your own child, circling a toy that was wanted for Christmas in a sales flyer? Imagine two little girls looking through a Christmas sales flyer that was delivered in the mail. Their eyes sparkle as they circle items in the sales flyer that they want for Christmas. But they aren’t circling toys for Christmas – they are circling food for their family! More than 12 million children in our country are going hungry. They aren’t wishing for toys, they are wishing for food for their empty stomachs! No one should be hungry, especially at Christmas.
Please remember those who are facing hunger this Christmas. Won’t you please give a financial gift to FHFH today? Any amount you can give will make a big difference to those in need! Picture the joy on the faces of children, women and men as they sit down to eat a meal Christmas Day – all because you cared and shared your blessings! What a wonderful feeling knowing you made that possible!
On behalf of FHFH and all those in our country suffering from hunger, we THANK YOU for your generous support!
Josh Wilson
Executive Director
Farmers & Hunters Feeding the Hungry
Sam’s Club & Walmart Distribution Center Provide Funding to FHFH
Walmart’s Community Grant Program is proud to support the needs of their communities by providing grants to local organizations. They believe in giving back locally – creating a positive impact in the neighborhoods where they live and work.
We thank the Walmart Foundation, Walmart Community Grants Program, Hagerstown Sam’s Club and Walmart Distribution Center in Williamsport for their generous support of our mission of feeding the hungry!
Meals, Memories and Thankfulness
Meals, Memories and Thankfulness
On Thanksgiving Day we gather with family for a meal, give thanks and have wonderful memories of the day. But not everyone will have food to be thankful for or wonderful memories of Thanksgiving Day. In America, 1 in 8 people are facing hunger! They are of all ages from childhood to the senior years. They are the unemployed and the working poor. They are living in every county in our country. They may be your family, friends, neighbors and coworkers!
FHFH is committed to ending hunger in our country, but we can’t do it alone. We need your help! As you think about your blessings, won’t you please consider joining with us in the fight against hunger and help give the hungry children, women and men in our country food to be thankful for and good memories this Thanksgiving Day?
FHFH is thankful for God’s provision of people including…
- The generous and compassionate supporters who give financially to help cover the costs of processing, packaging and freezing the meat.
- The hunters who donate deer and farmers who donate livestock.
- The meat processors who partner with FHFH to process donated deer and livestock.
- Our dedicated, caring volunteers who give of their time and energy.
- People who share our mission of feeding the hungry with others.
- The opportunity to continue the fight against hunger so that one day no one in our country will be without enough to eat!
On behalf of FHFH and all those in our country suffering from hunger, we THANK YOU for your generous support!
Josh Wilson
Executive Director
Farmers & Hunters Feeding the Hungry
The Community Foundation of Frederick County Provides Funding to FHFH
On behalf of those in Frederick County who struggle with hunger, we thank The Community Foundation of Frederick County for their generosity and support of our mission to end hunger.
The Community Foundation of Frederick County is dedicated to connecting people who care with causes that matter to enrich the quality of life in Frederick County now and for future generations. For three decades, they have helped translate simple good intentions into powerful acts of philanthropy that build a stronger, more vibrant community not only for today but for the future.
Inspired by a passion for the hunt and compassion for the hungry, FHFH is committed to addressing the problem of hunger in America. Since 1997 the organization has provided 19.4 million servings of meat to those in need.
New Meat Processors Join the FHFH Team
- Hilltop Butcher Shop, LLC – Malta, OH
- Deer’s Food Locker, Inc. – Deer Park, WI
- Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc. – Cumberland, WI
- Richland Locker – Richland Center, WI
- Wisconsin River Meats – Mauston, WI
CLICK HERE for a list of all participating meat processors.
FHFH Helps Families in Need
The article “Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry Helps Families in Need” describes how FHFH began in the State of Maryland, the positive difference it has made to those in need and how others can help.
CLICK HERE to read the article.
Funding Provided to FHFH by the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore
On behalf of those in Wicomico County who struggle with hunger, we thank the
Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore for their generosity and support of our mission to end hunger!
As leaders, grant makers, and stewards of philanthropy, the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore connects people who care to causes that matter for the common good of the Lower Eastern Shore. They are a 501c3 nonprofit with an inspiring history of fostering charitable endeavors, and have provided more than $66.9 million in grants and scholarships to the local community since 1984. They collaborate with individuals, families, and businesses to match their charitable interests with community needs and strengthen local nonprofits through grants and resources. They are devoted to improving their regional community and believe in the power of philanthropy.
Inspired by a passion for the hunt and compassion for the hungry, FHFH is committed to addressing the problem of hunger in America. Since 1997 FHFH has provided 19.4 million servings of meat to those in need!
Hunger and the “Golden Years”
Nearly 5 million senior citizens are facing hunger in our country, yet too often they are forgotten. Limited income, diminished earnings or not being able to work at all have left too many of our senior citizens in a fragile financial state. Seniors with the lowest incomes are most at risk of being food insecure. Yet, about two-thirds of food-insecure seniors have income above the federal poverty line, and many likely do not qualify for federal nutrition programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). (Data source: Feeding America) After a lifetime of hard work, too many seniors find themselves having to choose between buying groceries or paying for medical care, utilities or housing costs. They are going hungry during their “golden years” and that’s not acceptable!
The number of seniors facing hunger is expected to get worse. Since 2001, the rate of hunger among seniors aged 60 and older has increased by 45%. At the current rate, the number of food-insecure seniors may grow to more than 8 million by 2050. (Data source: Feeding America)
Older Americans are at an increased risk for a variety of chronic health conditions and poor nutrition raises the risk for disease. A nutritious diet, including protein, is crucial to good health for all age groups.
In a country with more than enough food our senior citizens should not be going hungry! Our seniors need our help! How will you help them? If you’ve ever been a recipient of a random act of kindness when you were in need, you know how wonderful it felt! It also feels wonderful to know you’ve touched another person’s life with kindness. FHFH is committed to ending hunger and creating a better future for our citizens. Won’t you please join with FHFH and help provide food to the senior citizens of our country who are struggling with hunger? Whether you give a financial gift, donate deer or livestock, volunteer, or share FHFH’s mission of feeding the hungry with others, your caring efforts make a difference to those in need and inspire others to do acts of kindness.
On behalf of FHFH and all those in our country suffering from hunger, we THANK YOU for your support!
Josh Wilson
Executive Director
Farmers & Hunters Feeding the Hungry
Venison with a Quick Red Wine Pan Sauce Recipe
By Bobbie Jo Wasilko
HeHuntsSheCooks.com
No need to sacrifice a great meal when time is limited. This recipe will have you in and out of the kitchen in no time and your stomach satisfied!
Serves 4
Prep Time: 24 hr
Cook Time: 20 min
Ingredients
- Venison (Substitute Elk, Moose, Antelope) (4 Venison Chops or 2 pound Venison Sirloin, or 2 pound Boneless Loin Roast)
- 1 cup Red Wine, divided in HALF (Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon)
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup Dried Fruit (cranberries, cherries, blueberries, apricots, raisins, whatever you have on hand)
- 1 cup Venison Stock or Beef Stock (I use More Than Gourmet Brand)
- 2 Tbs Butter
- Oil for Searing the Venison (grape seed oil or vegetable oil)
- Kosher Salt and Pepper (or Montreal Seasoning)
Instructions
- *24 Hours ahead, salt venison OR season with Montreal Seasoning and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375.
- In a microwave safe cup, add the dried fruit of your choice and pour a 1/2 cup of the red wine into it.
- Microwave the cup for about 40 seconds and set aside (the warm wine will soften the fruit faster).
- In a small saucepan, heat a few tablespoons oil and add the minced shallot and garlic, sauté over medium heat.
- Add the stock and 1/2 cup red wine to the pot and turn up the heat to medium-high to reduce the liquid.
- While the stock is reducing, re-season the venison with more salt and fresh cracked pepper (omit this step if Montreal Seasoning was used).
- Heat a cast iron pan with oil, and add the venison, and sear on both sides.
- Once the venison is browned on both sides, place the pan in the oven and roast to desired doneness (I suggest no more than medium-rare or 6 minutes for chops, 8-10 minutes for roasts).
- Remove the venison to a cutting board and place the pan back to the stove over high heat.
- Add the cup of red wine and dried fruit, then add the pot of reduced stock/red wine.
- Heat on high for a minute until the sauce thickens.
- Turn off heat and whisk in the butter to give the sauce some shine.
- Serve the sauce with the venison.
Notes
- *Season the Venison 24 hours ahead and wrap in saran wrap or a zip lock bag. Bring to room temp 1 hour before cooking.