• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Forager | Chef
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Interviews
  • Partnerships
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Interviews
  • Partnerships
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Interviews
    • Partnerships
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Meat and Game

    Venison Osso Bucco with Dried Wild Mushrooms

    Published: Mar 31, 2021 Modified: Mar 24, 2023 by Alan Bergo This post may contain affiliate links Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    There is possibly nothing more satisfying than eating an entire venison shank, and one of my favorite ways to cook them is a simple braise with dried mushrooms, herbs, stock and wine. It's a good dried wild mushroom recipe if you have some laying around, as many of you do. 

    Smoked venison shanks with dried morel mushrooms

    Cutting down the shanks 

    Venison osso bucco or cross cut shanks need some preparation during butchery to look as they're pictured here. I use a one-handed reciprocating saw to cut the bones down to a manageable size before vacuum sealing and freezing.

    Smoked venison shanks osso bucco
    Cut venison shanks that have been lightly smoked. After long cooking the bone will protrude giving the dish an attractive look.

    Cutting the shanks down makes it so they can fit in a pot for cooking, as well as on a plate. A little extra work during butchery will pay off when it comes time to cook them. 

    Optional Smoking 

    I smoke the shanks lightly here since everyone loves a good pieces of smoked meat, but light is the key phrase here. If you smoke the shanks for too long the smoked flavor will be overly-dominant, and it might be hard to taste the delicate flavor of the mushrooms.

    If you don't want to smoke the shanks for only an hour, or think it impractical, I'd brown them in the pot before adding the shallots and garlic to build some good flavor for your braise. 

    I smoke a lot of shanks, but know that these are not cured, smoked venison shanks made a la pork hocks, rather the shanks are simply seasoned with salt and pepper, allowed to rest and dry-brine, then lightly smoked. 

    Dried morel mushrooms
    Dried morel mushrooms are one of the best you can use for things like this.

    Dried mushrooms 

    This is a great place to use up those dried mushrooms. Morels work especially well here, and you will notice their unique flavor, but it's also a good place to put a mish-mash of species you might have. Black trumpet mushrooms are another good choice, or dried boletes like porcini or Leccinum species. 

    Smoked venison shanks with dried morel mushrooms
    Smoked venison shanks osso bucco
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Venison Osso Bucco with Dried Mushrooms

    Rich, tender venison shanks lightly smoked and simmered with dried morels or other mushrooms, herbs and red wine make for a satisfying meal.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time4 hrs
    Dry brining time8 hrs
    Total Time12 hrs 15 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Osso Bucco, Shanks, Venison
    Servings: 2 Servings
    Calories: 803kcal
    Author: Alan Bergo

    Equipment

    • 1 Dutch oven or similar

    Ingredients

    • 2 venison shanks
    • 1 oz dried mushrooms-your choice* such as porcini or morels
    • 1 large clove garlic minced
    • 1 large 2oz shallot, minced
    • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
    • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
    • 1 cup dry red wine
    • 3 cups meat stock
    • 1 dried bay leaf
    • ½ teaspoon dried thyme

    Instructions

    Dry brine the shanks

    • Season the shanks all over with salt and pepper, then allow to rest overnight in the fridge.

    Mushrooms

    • Soak the mushrooms in the stock and wine for 30 minutes until hydrated, then agitate aggressively to help remove grit. Remove the mushrooms, cut into bite-sized pieces if necessary, and reserve.
    • After allowing the infused liquid to settle (5 minutes or so) pour the infused liquid into another container slowly, keeping an eye on the last tablespoon or two of liquid that will hold dirt from the mushrooms. Discard the last tablespoon or two so you don’t add dirt to your braise.

    Smoke the shanks (optional)

    • The next day, smoke the shanks at 250 for one hour. In a dutch oven, sweat the onion in the oil, then add the flour and cook for a minute more. Add the dried thyme, bay, stock-wine mixture and mushrooms, cover, and cook in a preheated oven at 250 for 3 hours or until fork tender.

    Chill to improve flavor and shape

    • Chill the osso bucco to help them hold their shape.

    Reheating and serving

    • To reheat and serve, gently heat the shanks in a pot with their cooking liquid, covered, reducing it down to a delicious jus. When it tastes delicious and the shanks are hot throughout, serve them, drizzling the jus over the top.

    Notes

    To plate the dish as pictured
    To plate the dish as pictured with mashed potatoes and wilted greens, put a dollop of mashed potatoes or other starch off-center in a deep bowl. Put one shank next to the mashed potatoes (you don’t put them directly on the potatoes as it will mush them). Arrange some hot wilted greens on the side, then spoon the mushrooms and cooking liquid over the top. Garnish with some chopped parsley and celery leaf, along with a few thin julienned slices of lemon zest and serve.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Shank | Calories: 803kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 106g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 390mg | Sodium: 1538mg | Potassium: 1539mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 16mg
    « How to Cook Venison Flank Steak
    Wild Goose Eggs »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Chef Alan Bergo

    HI, I'm Alan: James Beard Award-winning Chef, Author, Show Host and Forager. I've been writing about cooking wild food here for over a decade. Let me show you why foraging is the most delicious thing you'll ever do.

    More about me →

    Get The Book

    the forager chef's book of flora
    The Forager Chefs Book of Flora

    As Seen On

    Footer

    BACK TO TOP

    Privacy

    Subscribe

    Be the first to hear what I'm doing

    Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Forager | Chef®