Red Wine Elk Stew

Elk Stew with Red Wine
Elk Stew with Red Wine

With a dusting of snow and chilly temperatures there’s nothing more comforting than a thick and hearty Elk Stew. And seeing how it was a dreary and grey day, I wanted to use colorful vegetables to brighten up the dish. The ingredients are simple and include elk, garlic, onions, pancetta, mushrooms, carrots and one 750 ml bottle of red wine.

If you don’t like cooking with red wine, substitute elk broth or beef broth. And as always, this recipe would work with venison or antelope meat.

If you’ve made any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Send me an email or leave me a comment below the recipe you have prepared. You can also comment on my Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram pages.

Serves 4
Cooking Time: 2.5 hours

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds elk, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted  butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 bottle of red wine
  • 10 ounces pearl onions
  • 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, stems removed
  • 4 ounces diced pancetta bacon
  • 1 1/2 cups diced carrots, chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 thyme sprigs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Season the cubed elk with salt and pepper. Heat a Dutch oven pot or heavy stock pot over medium heat and add oil and butter. When the oil is warmed, add the elk meat turning until browned. You may need to do this in batches to not over crowd the meat. Add the garlic and chopped onion and continue cooking until the onions become softened. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and gently stir. Remove from heat. Add the bottle of wine, fresh thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Cover partially with a lid and bake for 90 minutes. Be sure to check on the stew periodically while cooking.

While the stew is in the oven, bring a pot of water to a boil. Carefully add the pearl onions to the water and boil for about three minutes. Remove and rinse under cold water. Cut off the root ends and pinch each onion removing it from the skin.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the diced pancetta, mushrooms and pearl onions. Cook the bacon and vegetables until the mushrooms become tender about 8-10 minutes.

Carefully remove the stew from the oven (after 90 minutes) and stir in the pancetta, mushrooms, pearl onions and carrots. Cover with lid and continue to bake for another 60 minutes or until the meat is fork tender.

Remove from oven and serve this thick and hearty elk stew with sliced french bread. ~Enjoy!

Elk Stew with Red Wine

Elk Stew with Red Wine

Elk Stew with Red Wine

Elk Stew with Red Wine

Elk Stew with Red Wine

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15 Comments

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  1. says: Shea

    Planning to make this soon, but I live in way north Alberta and no one stocks pearl onions. What can I use as a substitute? Was thinking a sweet onion or maybe leeks but haven’t made this before so don’t know if those would work?

  2. says: caron masucci

    I made this yesterday to celebrate my husband’s 65th birthday! Followed the recipe pretty much as written except dredged the cubed elk with flour after seasoning, before browning. Also, I added 2 TBSPs of tomato paste after browning chopped onions and before adding the wine. I needed to add beef stock towards the end of cooking because the stew was very thick (flour & tomato paste). Overall, the best stew we have EVER eaten!!!

  3. says: Andrea Walker

    5 stars
    Hello! Inspired by a delicious elk stew I had in Idaho Springs, CO, a beef version of your recipe is presently in my oven – it simply could not smell more delicious! I’m trying to find an elk/game supplier (online, shipped frozen is fine, but would prefer local) – do you have any suggestions how to best go about this? Google search yields so many results…how to choose? I’m in the Denver metro area. Any help you have time to provide, I’d really appreciate!

  4. says: Bjo

    I’m excited to try this today. To clarify- does it cook for 90min then add other ingredients and cook for an additional 60. 2.5hr total? Thank you for clarifying.

    1. says: NevadaFoodies

      Great catch – I can see where I need to clean that up to make it more clear. You are correct. 90 minutes bake > then cook onions, pancetta and mushrooms > add to stew and cook for an additional 60 minutes or until tender.

  5. says: Ronda

    This was the most incredible stew I have ever eaten..and I am a good cook. I served it with a salad from arugula, spinach, roasted garlic, couscous, chick peas, red onion, wine vinegar and sea salt, oh yeah baby…thank you for this delicious recipe.

  6. says: Casey Peyakov

    Excellant recipes!! I gave your cookbook out as Christmas presents this year. I have been so excited to try all your different recipes. I was having a hard time cooking with antelope, but your recipes made for some great meals. The three game chili was a hit with my family and at work!!

    1. says: NevadaFoodies

      Casey – thank you for your feedback and your support. I’m so glad that the recipes help you enjoy one of the best game animals there are! Enjoy your holidays and Merry Christmas.