Kendra's Venison Bourguignon

Wow, I love this dish. It started as a beef recipe but venison is much healthier. And I happen to be a fan of game. This recipe serves four.

2 pounds venison, cut into bite-size cubes
5 medium onions, peeled and sliced
3 T olive oil
1 1/2 T flour
Big pinch marjoram
Big pinch dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bottle red wine, burgundy or zinfandel works well
1 large can or box of condensed beef broth, I use organic and you could easily substitute with vegetable or mushroom broth
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

Peel and slice onions, set aside for a moment. Cube venison and set aside. Heat a large, heavy skillet and add 2 T olive oil. Saute onions until browned. Remove them from skillet and set them aside. Now add 1 T olive oil to your still hot skillet then add the venison. Once they are brown on all sides sprinkle with flour and seasonings. Stir together well then add 1/2 cup broth and 1 cup of red wine. Stir and let simmer. You want the mixture to be just barely bubbling. Now this process is going to take about three (3) hours. And as the liquid begins to cook away you keep adding more in the same proportions (1/2 cup broth to 1 cup of wine). You want the liquid to almost cover the meat at all times, so check regularly. And give a little stir every time you add more liquid. When the bottle of wine is used up, you've added enough liquid. DON'T COVER DURING THIS PROCESS. You want the liquid to evaporate and leave the flavors behind.

At the end of about three hours you reintroduce the browned onions and the mushrooms. Stir well and simmer very low for about 45 minutes more. The dish will look very dark and thick at the end. You can set aside now, even refrigerate overnight. In fact I think it's better made ahead. When serving, first warm it up. If you think it's too thick you can always add a little broth and wine to thin. It should be bubbling when you are ready to serve. Prepare noodles or rice. Mound onto dinner plate and cover with the venison.

Niki's Chili

While this is my sister's favorite chili recipe, she gave it to Moo who would make it a palate pleaser for Daddy and me by using venison. Also Niki says the quality of the chili powder makes all the difference...this is, after all, chili!

2 pounds ground sirloin (or chopped into bite-size pieces--cook's choice)
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup onion flakes
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup yellow mustard
Slightly less than 1 cup catsup
3 T Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 T chili powder
Mesquite seasoned salt, to taste
Steak seasoning, to taste

Cook meat in large skillet with olive oil. As meat begins to cook, add onion, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, catsup and chili powder. Mix thoroughly. Add can of beans and tomatoes. Add mesquite salt and steak seasoning to taste. Simmer for half an hour and until thickened a bit. Best made ahead to allow flavors to mingle and merge.