Now, my usual pulled venison recipe takes at least a day to make and tastes better the second day. I needed to speed things up a bit so I oiled and seasoned the roast well, seared it off in hot cast iron and popped it into the oven at 300 F then went to work. After 4 hours, I took the roast out, let it cool for 15 minutes and then hand shredded it.
I quickly foraged through my fridge for veggies and other ingredients that I would use for a rich game meat only to find I didn't have what I needed. I should have been more prepared. Thinking quickly, I sauteed off sliced onions, garlic and celery. Added shredded carrots, store prepared BBQ sauce, beef stock and berries. I touched it with maple syrup, salt and pepper and gave it a taste. Something was missing and I was sure it was the richness of wild berries. I searched for anything that might help and there it was! forgotten in the back of a corner cupboard, 1 lonely bottle of Dr. Pepper from the days when my boys were living here. I thought "Good Lord! Do I dare?" I have heard that people use soft drinks but I have been proud of the fact that I use as much natural, healthy ingredients as I can. Even as I thought this, I found myself pouring in a cup of this dark, rich liquid. Much to my surprise, it did the trick! My thrown together recipe is below. Give it a shot and let me know how you like it!
Pulled Venison
I choice venison roast
1-2 sweet onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 c generic BBQ sauce
1 c beef stock
1 c secret ingredient..Dr. Pepper
handful of frozen berries
maple syrup
salt and pepper
Sear seasoned meat and roast in 300 F oven for 3-4 hours. Remove and let cool for 15 minutes. Hand shred and place in crock pot.
Saute off onions, garlic, celery and shredded carrot until lightly caramelized. Combine the remaining ingredients in the crock pot and let cook for 2 hours stirring occasionally.
Enjoy with crispy rolls or biscuits.
