Venison Stroganoff with Fennel and Red Wine

Oh. My. God.

My Dad is a hunter - always has been - and I used to HATE eating venison. But lately, well, I don't know if it's because it's free or because I've been getting into the "eat local" mode or what, but it's been good...I experimented a bunch last year when he sent me home with an entire grocery bag full of stuff.

This year the pickings were a little slimmer, but whatever - I still got some good stuff. The round steaks are my fave - and what I used to make dinner tonight. I was equally inspired by a pasta dish a friend of mine from Italy made one night using fennel, mushrooms and cream - I don't remember what else was in it, but I remember it being the first time I actually LIKED eating something with mushrooms in it.

I should have taken a picture - I ended up making it in the crock pot, so it's not like I didn't have time - I just got busy with a sick daughter, babies that refused to nap, and all the other jazz I've got going on every day.

So enough of that...here's the recipe:

(again, sorry for the approximations, but I'm not an exact recipe kind of girl)

• 3-4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 lb venison (or beef) round steak, sliced into strips
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 bulb fennel, chopped - use both the bulb AND the pokey/hairy things - seriously, you CAN eat it all...
• 3-4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
• 1 pkg sliced mushrooms
• 1 tsp dried thyme (I'd use fresh if I had it, but no...I was out)
• 1 cup good quality beef broth - or I use this paste stuff that comes in a jar...it's SO much better
• 1 cup red wine
• a bit o' white flour
• pepper to taste

• 1 cup of sour cream
• chopped fresh parsley
• egg noodles (I used no yolks)

1. Heat 1 Tbsp EVOO in a pan and add chopped bacon. Sprinkle liberally with fresh pepper and thyme. Cook until rendered and almost crispy.
   
   
2. Add Onion, Fennel and Garlic. Sautee about 5 mn, or until onion is transparent.
   
   
3. Dump the mixture into the crock pot/slow cooker
   
   
4. Put the same pan back on the stove top and add a Tbsp of butter.
   
   
5. When it gets hot, add mushrooms and cook until slightly browned.
   
   
6. Dump those into the crockpot too...
   
   
7. Add the beef broth - or the paste/water to the slow cooker too...
   
   
8. Dredge the sliced beef in flour and with the SAME pan, add a tsp of EVOO with a tsp of butter until hot and then brown the meat, in batches if necessary.
   
   
9. Dump the meat in the crockpot and then deglaze the pan with the red wine. Let it cook down for a minute or too and then - you got it! - dump that into the crock pot :)
   
   
10. Give it a quick stir and then cook on High for 4-5 hours or until you can't wait any longer.
    
    
11. Add a cup of sour cream and stir until combined
    
    
12. Top with fresh chopped parsley and serve over Egg Noodles.

This was the perfect dinner for our first "real" day of fall :)