Prepare venison goulash properly - tender and juicy

Preparing goulash so that the meat is tender, even buttery-soft? It's not that easy, is it? It requires a lot of time and the right preparation to ensure your venison goulash doesn't become tough or dry during cooking. We'll tell you exactly what you need and how best to proceed in our guide.

First, it's important to determine which venison is suitable for goulash. There are different cuts of venison that are suited to different recipes: back, leg, and shoulder. Furthermore, not every cut is used for specific products, such as sausage , schnitzel, minced meat, or burgers .

The back contains both the fillet and the back loin. The back is a muscle strand along the spine. Thus, the fillet represents the inner muscle, and the back loin the outer muscle. It is also the most tender and lean meat of the animal. And because it is so low in fat and therefore easily digestible, it is also ideal for beginners.

This makes it the most exquisite cut of the entire animal. For this reason, it's not suitable for goulash, but rather for preparation as steaks or roasted whole. Fun fact: Back fillets are also called medallions.

The leg is suitable for roasting. Parts of the leg can be used for schnitzel. The leg is also suitable for goulash. While the leg can be used for goulash, it's better to make a roast. This is easy to prepare and only takes a little time.

Finally, there's the shoulder. You can also use it as a roast and even prepare it similarly to the leg. Schnitzel also comes from the venison shoulder. Butchers generally use the shoulder to make goulash, minced meat, and burgers . So, this is the cut you need for your goulash. But does venison goulash look the same?

Although roe deer belong to the deer family, they are completely different animals. Their habitat in the forest is also different. Roe deer live at the edge of the forest, while roe deer are at home in the forest interior. The animals' sizes also vary, as does the food they eat. This affects the taste and texture of the meat . There's more information on this on our YouTube channel .

If you want to learn more about venison goulash , take a look here .

The commonality: The venison cuts are treated the same as those of venison. There are no differences in preparation either. The spices and methods are the same. Because venison is in season in autumn and winter, suitable seasonal side dishes also overlap. Now it's important to clarify whether red wine or game stock is better for venison .

For a great recipe, you need to do the right preparation. First, bring your meat to room temperature. If your meat is frozen, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

The origin of your game also plays a role. Make sure you buy it fresh and can verify its provenance. Therefore, buy it from a butcher and avoid frozen meat from the supermarket. This way, you'll get more detailed and transparent information about the meat .

Prepare a large pot and heat it up. In our recipe, you won't be putting the goulash in a roasting pan and putting it in the oven—in fact, it's braised in a pot. You can also skip the need for a Dutch oven or any other specialty equipment. A simple large pot with a closed lid is perfectly sufficient.

If you have the whole shoulder, you'll first need to cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Typically, goulash is made with meat cut into approximately 1.5 cm pieces. This makes it easier to roast and eat.

Now dice the vegetables you're going to use. Here's a quick list of what you can use:

• onions
• Leek
• Carrots
• potatoes
• red cabbage
• Brussels sprouts
• savoy
• celery
• Dried porcini mushrooms

Brown your goulash meat with tomato paste and clarified butter (at high heat) in a pot. Once the meat is nicely seared, add your vegetables. Sauté everything for a bit. Then deglaze with game stock or red wine.

Now season with salt and pepper . Feel free to add rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, and juniper berries. We also recommend our own spice blend – Burger Seasoning . This blend goes well with any meat dish and gives your recipe an extra kick.

Reduce heat to medium and stir everything. Then reduce heat to low to simmer gently to make the venison goulash extra tender. Caution: From this point on, you have a long cooking time. You need to let the goulash simmer or braise for about three to four hours. This way, nothing can burn and nothing can go wrong during cooking. At the end of the braising time, you can serve your goulash with side dishes.

For a flavorful venison goulash, you should choose side dishes that complement the flavor of the venison goulash. While goulash is wonderfully tender and delicious on its own, the right side dish gives it that extra something. Traditionally, it's served with spaetzle and red cabbage with cranberry jam. Bread dumplings and red cabbage are also common. These traditional side dishes harmonize perfectly with the meat and sauce of the goulash. Tip: This also goes excellently with the roasted meat from the leg and shoulder.

But there's much more to venison goulash than that. Croquettes, beans in bacon, or even fried potatoes are good choices. If you'd prefer something simpler, you can also opt for pasta. This is especially recommended for leftovers from the day before. For a lower-calorie version, you can also opt for boiled rice.