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A plate of creamy yellow polenta topped with a rich, chunky beef stew in a brown sauce with visible pieces of carrots, served on a white plate with a brown rim.

Venison Bourguignon with Root Vegetables & Red Wine Jus

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Dry-brined venison sirloin, seared and slow-braised in red wine with carrots, celeriac, and aromatics. Finished with cold butter and fennel pollen for a rich, warming winter dish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main
Cuisine: French, Modern American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Venison
  • 1 lb Maui Nui venison sirloin cubed
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
The Braise
  • 3 cloves garlic smashed
  • 1 shallot finely diced
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 carrot peeled and sliced
  • ½ small celeriac peeled and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1½ cups low-sodium beef or venison stock
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon parsley finely chopped
Sachet
  • 1 clove garlic smashed
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seed toasted
To Finish
  • 1 tablespoon cold butter
  • ½ teaspoon fennel pollen
  • 1 tablespoon parsley chopped

Equipment

  • 5 – 6 qt Dutch oven
  • Wire Rack
  • Sheet Pan
  • Wooden Spoon
  • cheesecloth
  • kitchen twine
  • Tongs
  • Cutting board
  • Chefs knife

Method
 

  1. Season sirloin cubes generously with salt and pepper.
  2. Place on a wire rack over a sheet pan, uncovered, and refrigerate 2 – 6 hours (or overnight).
  3. Pat dry before searing.
  4. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium-high. Sear sirloin cubes in batches until deeply browned; remove. You'll know it's ready to flip once it releases from the pan. It sticks because the crust is still forming, so don't nudge it around if it's not releasing. The protein will almost always tell you when it's ready.
  5. Add garlic, shallot, thyme, and bay leaf. Sauté 2 – 3 minutes until fragrant.
  6. Add carrot and celeriac. Sauté 5 – 6 minutes until beginning to soften.
  7. Add tomato paste; cook 1 – 2 minutes until paste darkens and caramelizes. You'll know you're ready to move on when the paste loses its raw smell and starts to stick to the pan. Those browned bits are flavor, and you get them all back the moment you deglaze.
  8. Deglaze with wine; reduce by half. You'll know all of the bits have released when you run your spoon over the bottom of the pan and it feels smooth.
  9. Sprinkle flour; stir constantly 1 minute.
  10. Add stock, Worcestershire, and parsley. Submerge the sachet (garlic, thyme, bay, toasted fennel seed tied in cheesecloth). Return sirloin to pot.
  11. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook on low 1½ – 2 hours until tender.
  12. Remove sirloin and sachet; keep venison warm.
  13. Simmer sauce uncovered 5 – 10 minutes if it needs reducing.
  14. Swirl in cold butter and fennel pollen. Adjust seasoning.
  15. Spoon mash, polenta, or gnocchi into warmed bowls. Arrange venison over the base.
  16. Spoon sauce and vegetables over top. Garnish with parsley and black pepper.

Notes

For seasoning, I always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you use Morton, use half.
Storage: cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days; the flavor deepens overnight. Freezes well for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of stock.

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