Smoked Pepper Citrus Venison Shank Over Polenta
Shanks are quite possibly the most transformative cuts of venison there is. It is amazing how the flavor and richness of this cut has gone relatively unnoticed by most hunters. Typically, the meat gets discarded to the grind pile. With standard braising techniques you can bring this cut in a league of its own. Here we take a southwest turn from the classic French Braise and serve it over polenta. The citrus and smokey overtones work well with the richness of the shank and will be sure to impress even the most skeptical person.
Ingredients
Whole Venison Shank thawed
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup flour
¼ cup olive or canola oil for browning
3.5 to 7 ounces of Chipotle Pepper in adobo sauce (depending on desired spice level) - it typically comes in 7 oz cans
1 anaheim chili pepper
1 pasilla pepper
1 large white sweet onion
1 large slicing tomato
2 cups of orange juice
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp brown sugar
4 oz Queso Fresco crumbling cheese
2 cups polenta corn grits
Directions
Preheat smoker grill to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Preheat oven to 275 degrees
Cut anaheim and pasilla pepper in half or quarters so they lay flat on the smoker grill. Cut onion and tomato in round slices. Once the grill is up to temperature lay vegetables flat and smoke for 5 to 8 minutes until edges are charred.
As vegetables smoke, salt and pepper the shank on a plate. Place seasoned shank in Ziploc bag with flour and toss to coat.
Heat ¼ cup olive or canola oil in a 12 inch cast iron skillet on medium high heat. Once oil is hot, gently put floured shank in and brown on all sides. It will take roughly 1-2 minutes per side. Be sure the meat is lightly browned before flipping. Once both larger flat sides are browned, use a set of strong tongs to hold the shank upright on the two narrow sides to brown.
Once all sides of the shank are golden brown, remove the shank from cast iron skillet and place on a large plate.
In the remaining browning oil, stir in cinnamon, brown sugar and paprika.
Once vegetables have slight char marks on them and are slightly dry on edges, remove them from the smoker and add them to the skillet on medium high heat with oil with spices. Add either ½ or a full can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, depending on your spice preferences. Cook vegetables on medium high heat for about 1 minute then deglaze skillet with orange juice.
After the mixture is hot, move the vegetables to the side of the pan and lay the browned shank in the bottom. Move the vegetables around the shank and over the top to surround it. Cover the skillet tightly with tinfoil.
Place in oven at 275 for 4 hours
Prepare 2 cups of polenta corn grits according to package directions
Crumble queso fresco cheese by running it over a grater.