March 2021
With Wisconsin’s gun deer season right around the corner, I am needing to use up some venison. I have been busy trying new recipes. We harvested two deer this past year, a buck and a doe. The meat has been excellent, some of the best venison I have ever worked with. The recipe that I used for this came out of Mexican Cooking by Diane Soliz-Martese. I purchased the cookbook on a spring break trip to Phoenix in 2006. I have modified this recipe from the original. I have made this many times with beef. This was my first venison trial.
Ingredients (serves 6)
For the Venison Meatballs
1lb ground venison
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp
1 m fresh chopped parsley
1/4 cup Royal Blend Rice (includes long grain and wild)
1Tbsp olive oil
Combine the meatball ingredients. I use my fingers to mix them. Do not over mix. Over mixing creates tough meatballs. These meatballs are really tender. The Royal Blend rice gives them a nutty flavor that I really like. You could use any long grain rice. Form the meatballs into a smallish size. I got about 20 out of the recipe. Again, handle gently. Then put them in the fridge until about a half hour before serving.
For the Broth
1medium yellow onion diced
1 carrot sliced thin
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 qt home made beef stock
1 qt water
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp dried Mexican Oregno (I like Penzey)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Combine all of the broth ingredients in a medium-sized kettle or stock pot. Bring up to a boil. Then simmer for at least an hour to tenderize the vegetables and meld flavors. A half hour before serving, add the meatballs and simmer gently until cooked through.
For the Garnish
3 Fajita-size tortilla's cut in strips and fried crispy
Sour Cream
Cilantro leaves
Shredded Mexican cheeses
To serve, ladle into bowls and add a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of cilantro, a dusting of shredded cheese, and a handful of crispy tortilla strips.
Chef's Notes: This is an excellent hardy soup. Use white flour tortilla's for best result. I used a Tbsp of olive oil in the meatballs for some added fat. This worked well. Next time, I will finely chop a slice of bacon and use that instead. I think that would really boost the flavor profile of the meatballs.