Here we are, smack dab in the depth of autumn. Warm breezes have switched gears and cool winds are picking up. The sun hides behind clouds more often and the leaves have all fallen from the trees. The farmer’s markets and pumpkin patches have closed yet again and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. This is the time of year that we begin to think about stews, soups and lots of warm, fresh bread. Comfort food at its finest!

Recently I was visiting my friend HoneyB’s blog, The Life and Loves of Grumpy’s Honeybunch, and found a recipe for Crockpot Venison Stew. While we do live in the heart of hunting country (which was very apparent this weekend as men stood in line at WalMart to get their hunting licenses), we are not hunters. In fact, I’ve never had venison before. However, we do buy our beef by the side and that means plenty of beef stew meat in the freezer.

I’m always on the lookout for a different way to make beef stew, I’ve posted a few different ones already:

Beef Stew with Green Peas
Beef Stew with a Mexican Twist
Chipotle Seasoned Beef Stew

So I decided to try HoneyB’s recipe, following it pretty closely. I of course changed out the venison for beef and substituted the beer with port wine. I did change the method a little, just combining and tossing things instead of just layering. The results were delicious! There was a bit of a kick to it, though I wasn’t able to put my finger on what it was.

Everyone enjoyed it, a definitely winner in this house. :) I also made some buttermilk rolls, which you’ll see below the stew recipe.

Crockpot Beef Stew
adapted from Grumpy’s Honeybunch


[printable recipe here]

2  cups  (1-inch) cubed peeled Yukon gold or red potato
2  cups  cremini mushrooms, quartered
1  cup  (1-inch) cubed onion
1  cup  (1-inch-thick) slices celery
1  cup  (1-inch-thick) slices carrot
2  teaspoons  chopped fresh oregano
1 1/2  teaspoons  chopped fresh thyme
1  teaspoon  chopped fresh rosemary
3/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1 1/2  teaspoons  sugar
1/3  cup  tomato paste
2  large garlic cloves, minced
1  bay leaf
1/4  cup  all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce)
1/8  teaspoon  salt
1/8  teaspoon  black pepper
1  pound  venison tenderloin, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1  tablespoon  canola oil
1  cup  brown ale (such as Newcastle) – I used port wine instead
1  (14-ounce) can less-sodium beef broth

Place first 11 ingredients in a bowl, toss to coat. Dump into slow cooker. Set aside bay leaf.

Combine the tomato paste and garlic. Add the broth and wine or beer to the tomato paste mixture and whisk until smooth.

Combine flour, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a shallow dish; dredge venison beef in flour mixture. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add venison beef. Cook 4 minutes or until browned on all sides, turning frequently. Add venison beef to slow cooker. Pour beer (or wine) and broth mixture over venison. Cover and cook on low 7 1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Discard bay leaf.

These buttermilk rolls were easy and tasty. What’s beef stew with some sort of fresh bread? :)

Buttermilk Rolls
from Alicia’s Recipes 

[printable recipe here]

3 cups sifted flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup chilled lard, butter or margarine
1 package dry active yeast
1/4 cup warm water, 105-15 degrees
2/3 cup lukewarm buttermilk
1 to 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

Sift dry ingredients together into large bowl and cut in lard until mixture is the texture of coarse meal. Sprinkle yeast over warm water and stir to dissolve; add buttermilk, pour into a well in flour mixture, and stir until dough comes together. Knead on a lightly floured board until elastic, about 5 minutes. Let rise in a buttered bowl, covered with cloth, in warm draft free area, about 3/4 of an hour, doubled in size. Punch down, turn onto board and knead 1 minute. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls, place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1/2 hour. Meanwhile preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush rolls with melted butter and bake 15 to 20 minutes until browned.