Mexican style crockpot venison

It’s time to enjoy some of nature’s bounty on your dinner table.

This recipe is about cooking a roast from your trophy deer – and it works well with any other deer. It employs a crock pot, and the slow cooking method will help tenderize the roast from a tough old buck or a roast that has been in the freezer for a while. It’s also a great way to prepare a roast from the buck you just brought home yesterday.

The acid from the citrus juices in the Mojo Criollo marinade begin tenderizing the roast while it’s chilling in the fridge. This allows the spices to penetrate the meat and add a succulently sweet flavor. This preparation uses traditional Mexican spices, but don’t be concerned as it isn’t hot. This combination of spices and the slow cooking process make this meat tender and flavorful. The cooked roast may be used in a variety of dishes and there’s sure to be at least one that everyone in your family will like.

Mexican style crockpot venison

The ingredients list for this recipe is short, but every ingredient contributes. I really like the combination of red and sweet onions, with green chilies and a little extra garlic. My wife likes to add extra lime juice. The Mojo Criollo marinade is made from orange and lemon juices, with some garlic and other spices, but it isn’t hot spicy, it’s flavorful and made for everyone.

While it seems they would do otherwise, adding a little extra lime juice and garlic helps the roast develop a slightly sweet taste, but don’t overdo it. The flavor and sweetness is especially noticeable in the onions. I can eat them by themselves and if there is any au jus or onions left over, I save them to use cooking other things. They really do have great flavor.

I use buttery flavored non-stick cooking spray as I believe it also helps sweeten the roast a bit. This began with coating the crock pot insert before slow cooker liners were available and I still spray the buttery flavor non-stick in the liner for its contribution to the final flavor.

The chunks can be eaten as carnitas just as they come out of the crock pot, but traditional carnitas are lightly fried after roasting. I like this preparation and quickly and lightly dust the carnitas chunks in breader or masa flour and then sear the chunks in buttery flavored, non-stick spray. This can also be done using a good quality peanut or vegetable oil. The idea is to give the carnitas chunks just enough sear to hold the flavor in.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 – 2  1/2 Pounds venison roast
• 2 – 4 oz cans chopped green chilis
• 1/2 Sweet onion
• 1/2 Red onion
• 1  1/2 Cup Mojo Criollo marinade
• 1 Tsp lime juice
• 1 Tsp minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Buttery flavor non-stick cooking spray.
• For making this just for carnitas add:
• 2 Tsp lime juice
• 1 Tsp minced garlic
• 1 Tsp cumin
• 1 Bay leaf
• Light breader or masa flour

OPTIONAL:

• Sliced limes
• Mexican style hot sauce adds to the flavor

PREPARATION:

1. Slice the onions.
2. Mix the onions, peppers, lime juice, garlic and marinade (extra carnitas seasonings too if desired).
3. Cut the venison roast into roughly baseball size chunks.
4. Put the venison and marinade mix into a Ziploc bag, shake to mix it well, squeeze out the extra air and marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
5. Put a liner in the slow cooker and spray it with buttery flavored, non-stick cooking spray.
6. Drain the contents of the Ziploc and hold the liquid.
7. Put the onions, peppers and chunks of venison into the slow cooker.
8. Add approximately 1 cup of the marinade liquid. Do not totally submerge the venison and vegetables.
9. Cook on low for 5-7 hours.
10. Drain the ingredients of the crock pot and hold the liquid.
11. For tacos, burritos and such, shred the venison chunks and add the vegetables back in to personal tastes.

It takes a few more steps for serving as carnitas:

1. Cut the venison chunks into bite size pieces.
2. Lightly dust the bite size pieces with breader or masa flour.
3. Spray a frying pan liberally with buttery flavored non-stick cooking spray.
4. Lightly fry the bite size pieces just enough to sear a light crust on at least one side.

Fill tacos and burritos with the shredded venison and your other favorite ingredients and have the hot sauce and lime slices on the table for those who like them.

Serve the carnitas with some of the onions and chilies on the side or spread over them. Have lime slices and hot sauce on the table as condiments for anyone who wants a tangier or spicier taste. Rice and refried beans are the traditional sides to serve with carnitas and work well. A green salad or lettuce wedge is a great way to begin this meal. Those who like to finish a meal with something sweet should enjoy a warm slice of zucchini bread or banana bread to top this off.

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