Some Kind of Deer Stew

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Some Kind of Deer Stew

Rummaging around the kitchen looking for something to make for lunch, I spied a pint-sized jar of Smoky Canned Deer Chunks":

http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/smoky-canned-big-game-chunks_topic64.html

It got me to thinking that I might be able to improvise something, so I tried this:

 Some Kind of Deer Stew
1 small onion, diced finely
2 small stalks of celery, diced finely, with leaves
A little oil and/or butter
A couple shakes of Alpine Touch (http://www.alpinetouch.com/ or make a clone here: http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/alpine-touch-seasoning-blend_topic987.html)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
About a tablespoon of Hungarian paprika
A pinch (maybe 1/2 teaspoon, at most) of ground cloves
1 pint of canned tomatoes (home-canned, in my case)
1 small can mushroom pieces and stems, drained
1 small can "Giorgio Mushroom Steak Sauce" (http://www.giorgiofoods.com/product/126-oz-steak-sauce-dawn-fresh.html)
1 pint of canned venison chunks (or sauté a pound of deer cubes with the onion and celery)

Sauté onion and celery in a Dutch oven or large frying pan, using a little butter, oil, or a combination of the two. Season with some Alpine Touch, or your favourite seasoning blend.

When the onions and celery start to get "translucent," reduce the heat to medium or lower, add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Do not scorch the garlic.

Remove the pan from the heat, then add the paprika and ground cloves. Stir to incorporate and "melt" the paprika into the mix. Add the tomatoes, mushrooms and mushroom sauce, then return the pan to the heat.

Bring the mixture to a bubbling simmer; add the deer chunks and stir back to a simmer.

Reduce the heat to low, then simmer for 15 or 20 minutes to finish cooking the onions, celery and tomatoes, stirring occasionally.

Serve.

We served it in bowls for a quick lunch, but I think it would be great served on (or next to) mashed potatoes, rice, roasted cauliflower etc.

I liked the mix of flavours; the ground cloves added just a bit of something special; but using too much could dominate the dish, so be careful with them.

I'm not sure what to call it, but it was good! 