Venison Shank Ragu, Cherries & Chocolate
INGREDIENTS
140g dried Morello Cherries (Can be substituted with Dried Cranberries)
2 Large Fallow Shanks or 3 Roe Shanks
1/2 pack of Smoked Bacon
100g Plain Flour
1 Large Onion, quartered
1 Large Carrot, cut into large pieces
3 Celery Sticks, roughly chopped
4 Garlic Cloves, unpeeled
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 Bottle Red Wine
1.5 litres hot Demi-Glace (or Hot Venison or Beef Sock)
6 Thyme Sprigs
1 Bay Leaf
1 Tbsp Cornflour
500g Dried Rigatoni
40g 70% Cocoa Cooking Chocolate, finely grated.
80g Parmesan Cheese finely grated
Salt & Pepper
This is the perfect Saturday evening dish, perfect for when you want something relaxed but delicious. It takes a little extra time, mainly for the slow braising, but it’s very easy to make and really worth it. Recipe adaptation from the sensational 67 Pall Mall Book Wine and Food, The Perfect Match.
The premise is to pair the dish with a beautiful Barolo which has notes of cherry, chocolate, truffle and earth which will pair so well with the slow cooked venison shanks, the dried cherries soaked in wine and a little dark cooking chocolate to give extra richness.
1. Pour the whole bottle of red wine in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Then pour it over the dried cherries in a large ceramic bowl and allow to cool completely.
2. Once the red wine and cherries are completely cool, place the venison shanks in the bowl with the infused liquid, cover and marinate for 24 hours in the fridge. Best to turn them a few times during the marination as the wine won’t cover them entirely.
3. The following day, remove the shanks from the wine and pat the dry with kitchen paper. Strain the cherries off the wine and reserve them both separately.
4. Dust the shanks with flour seasoned with salt and pepper, and completely coat them.
5. In a large solid roasting tin, place the shanks rubbed in a little olive oil with the onion, garlic, celery and carrots, and place on the middle shelf of the preheated oven at 200 C. After 15 minutes turn the shanks over and give the vegetables a stir around, and allow another 15-20 minutes until the meat is golden brown and retracting from the bone a little.
6. Transfer the meat and veg into a casserole dish and place to the side. Meanwhile place the roasting tin on the hob over a medium heat. Stir in two tablespoons of cornflour and tomato puree and cook for 30 seconds to a minute whilst continually stirring with a wooden spoon. Immediately stir in the reserved wine a little at a time and keep stirring so that no lumps form and is a smooth even consistency. Pour in the hot demi-glace or stock and bring to the boil.
7. Pour the gravy over the meat and vegetables along with the bay leaf and thyme and return to the oven with the lid on the dish and reduce to 150 C. Braise for 3 hours until the meat is so tender it falls from the bone easily.
8. Remove the shanks from the gravy and set aside on a plate to cool a little. Meanwhile strain the sauce through a sieve. If it needs thickening a little place it in a saucepan on a medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer, adding a teaspoon or two of cornflour mixed in cold water.
9. Shred the meat from the bone and add to the sauce, then stir in freshly cooked Rigatoni pasta. Add the cherries and grated chocolate on top, and serve with a little freshly grated Parmesan and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper. Serve with a Barolo, Langhe Nebbiolo or Chianti Classico.
Sourcing Notes:
We get our Fallow Shanks from Mike Robinson’s very excellent DeerBox. They regularly have many species of deer available such as Sika, Fallow, Roe and Muntjac, and is consistently the best quality meat we’ve ever had, for all cuts.
Dried Morello Cherries are available online, or it’s perfectly decent to substitute with Dried Cranberries.
The wine for cooking, try to choose a red fruited Italian wine. Use Barolo or a Nebbiolo if you want to match perfectly and are pushing the boat out, however I prefer to save wine like that for drinking and would use something like a Chianti Classico as it has the similar sour cherry notes. Don’t use a black fruit style wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon as it will completely change the flavour of this dish and the wine pairing.
Wine Pairing:
We paired this with a Barolo as recommended by Master Sommelier Ronan Sayburn, as the rose, tart cherry, truffle, and chocolate notes in the wine were thought of when creating this dish.
We chose Casali del Barone Barolo DOCG 2018 from Hay Wines, a delightful shining example of the Nebbiolo grape, with gorgeous Roses and Herbs, Cherries and Leather with ripe tannins and a powerful elegance.
If you’re pushing the boat out, go for a jolly good Barolo. If you’d like to keep it a little more affordable, you could easily use a Langhe Nebbiolo, or even a Chianti Classico.
Recipe Book: 67 Pall Mall, Wine and Food, The Perfect Match by Ronan Sayburn MS & Marcus Verberne.
