2 pounds venison, cubed
1 cup coarsely chopped yellow or white onions
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
1 cup dry red wine
3/4 cup beef stock
5 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil, if needed, optional
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

Gather the ingredients.
Put 2 pounds of cubed venison on one side of a large baking dish. Put 1 cup coarsely chopped yellow or white onion, 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices, and 1/4 cup finely chopped celery on the opposite side. Sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, followed by 2 teaspoons dried parsley, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary evenly over the meat and vegetables.
Combine 1 cup dry red wine and 3/4 cup beef stock. Pour the mixture over the meat and vegetables. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or up to overnight.
Remove the meat and vegetables from the marinade into separate bowls. Reserve the marinade for use later in this recipe.
In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot, add 5 slices of bacon, coarsely chopped, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it crisps.
Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Pat the venison dry with paper towels. Toss the meat chunks with 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Working in batches if needed, brown the meat in the bacon grease over medium-high heat until golden. Replenish the pan with vegetable oil if needed.
Return all the meat to the pot. Add 1 teaspoon tomato paste and cook, stirring continually, until the meat and paste are combined about 1 minute.
Add 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms, along with the marinated vegetables, crisped bacon, and the reserved marinade, to the pot.
Cook the mixture, covered, over low heat until the meat and vegetables are tender, and the sauce has thickened, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve warm.

Recipe Variations

Add 2 teaspoons of minced garlic to the marinade for a more flavour-packed stew.
During the last few minutes of cooking, toss in 1 cup of frozen peas to make your stew more vegetable-forward.

How to Store

Refrigerate leftover venison stew within 2 hours in a covered container for up to 4 days.
To freeze, transfer leftover stew to an airtight freezer container, leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace to allow for expansion. Label with the name and date and freeze for up to 3 months.

Buy our Venison Goulash