HOW TO COOK A DEER SHOULDER RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. Season the roast liberally with salt and pepper on all sides
• Heat a heavy-bottomed 6-to 8-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the butter; it will bubble up. When the bubbles subside, add the roast and sear until dark brown. Flip the roast and sear the other side
• Remove the roast to a plate. Drain any excess fat from the bottom of the pan.
• Add the onion and cook until translucent and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, letting them get a little color on them.
• Loosen the brown bits on the bottom of the pot with a splash of stock, water, or wine. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the bits; they’ll add tons of flavor to your sauce.
• Return the meat to the pot and add the rest of the stock and the wine; it should reach about three-quarters of the way up the sides of the roast.
• Toss in the thyme and bay leaf. Bring the pot to a boil, then cover and transfer to the oven.
• Cook in the oven for 2-1/2  hours, checking occasionally to be sure that there is still enough liquid; add more if not. If the top of the roast becomes dry, flip it over and continue cooking.
• After 2-1/2 hours, check the roast. The meat should be close to tender. Add the sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, and potatoes and cook until the vegetables are soft and the meat is fork-tender, 15-20 minutes more.
• Remove meat from the liquid. Slice into large pieces and divide among dinner plates.
• Use a slotted spoon to scoop up the vegetables from the liquid and serve them on the side. Top the meat with a little of the cooking liquid. Delicious with pieces of buttered baguette.
• Don’t throw away the extra cooking liquid—it’s like liquid gold! Save it for soup, pasta sauce, or stock.

Steps:

• Enriched Stock
• If you don’t have time to make your own stock from scratch. put in store-bought vegetable or chicken stock in a large pot on the stove, add an onion (peeled and cut in half), and some extra bones from the freezer (chicken wings, venison shank, etc).
• Bring just to a boil, then lower to a simmer.
• Skim off and discard any scum on the surface.
• Add a bay leaf, a sprig of thyme or parsley stems if you have them.
• Keep at a low simmer for several hours.
• Skim off and discard the fat on the surface. Strain out the solids.
• Use the stock immediately, or cool and freeze.
• BBQ Sauce
• This recipe comes from my buddy Chef Matt Weingarten, who tailored the sauce for the flavors of wild game. As you’ll see, making your own BBQ sauce is simple and can be well worth the effort.
• In a 6-quart pot, heat the oil and cook the onions until translucent.
• Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
• Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat and then reduce the heat to low.
• Simmer for about 20 minutes. until the sauce flavors have come together.
• Cool and store in the refrigerator.
• BBQ Roast
• Bring the neck to room temperature. Season liberally with salt and pepper all over.
• Heat a large sauté pan or roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil. When the oil shimmers, swirl the pan to coat well. Sear the neck until it’s browned on all sides.
• Put the browned neck in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add enough stock just to cover the neck.
• Cover, set the slow cooker on low, and cook for a minimum of 6-8 hours, until fork tender. (Alternatively, use a 6-to 8-quart Dutch oven, and cook in a 300° oven for 6-8 hours.)
• Keep checking to be sure it’s covered with liquid at all times. You’ll know it’s done when it flakes into really nice pieces.
• Remove the meat from the liquid and start shredding. (Don’t throw away the extra cooking liquid. Use the excess liquid like stock.)
• The meat should shred like pulled pork. Toss with BBQ sauce and serve in soft hamburger buns with sliced pickles and potato chips on the side. A couple of spoonfuls of coleslaw on top of the meat is a great addition.
• Alternatively, you can store the meat in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
• Leftovers
• Leftover shredded meat without the BBQ sauce can be tossed into a simple tomato sauce to make a convenient and tasty ragu for pasta dishes.