Crock Pot Venison Roast

Who doesn’t love their crock pot? I can only imagine someone who has never used one before would be the only person who could possibly not love this wonderful creation. I turn it on at night and wake up to bone broth in the morning. I throw ingredients in before church every week and come home to the amazing smell of spicy black bean soup. My husband says it “smells like Sunday”.

Tonight I came home to a fully cooked venison roast. It was a happy return home after an exhausting leg workout. I had already eaten my homemade chocolate banana bread protein bars on the way home but I was still hungry and ready for dinner. My good friends had blessed me with a deer roast (which I have never cooked before) so I cooked it like I would a beef roast and it turned out to be perfection! I haven’t had deer meat since I was a child. I did not like it then. It tasted quite “gamey” and I was ruined. I swore to my parents that I would never eat deer meat again and when I grew up I would certainly not force my children to eat such a terribly tasting food… such injustice!

So when making this roast, I worried as to how my kids would like it. I prepped them by talking it up as if it were the most amazing meat ever in preparation for possible turned up noses. Much to my surprise we all LOVED the dinner. My kiddos even ate up the cabbage (which is usually not my children’s favorite side dish). I would even go so far to say that I liked the deer much better than any beef roast I have ever made. My dad’s beef roast has to be hands down the best ever but I can never replicate it. So, this roast was a winner for us!

You could use a beef roast for this recipe but I highly recommend you try venison if you happen to get your hands on some.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lb deer (or beef) roast
• 1 head of cabbage
• 1 lb of carrots
• 1 onion
• optional: a couple celery stalks (I had some so I threw a couple in)
• 1/2 cup chicken (beef or vegetable) broth (you could use water if you like but I liked the added flavor of broth)
• salt, pepper, garlic powder
• 1 TBS coconut oil

Directions:

1. Place your venison (or beef) roast in a crock pot.

2. Cut up carrots and place them in with the roast.

I used these pretty heirloom carrots I got from Trader Joes.

3. Season the roast by sprinkling salt, pepper, and garlic pepper on top of the roast.

4. Cut up your head of cabbage into small wedges and place into the crock pot.

5. Cut up an onion into chunks and place into the crock pot.

6. If using celery throw a couple stalks into the crock pot.

7. Scoop a TBS of coconut oil and place it on top of the roast/veggies.

8. Set your crock pot to high, cover, and let cook for about 2-3 hours. The internal temperature should be NO LESS THAN 145 degrees (for those who like rare meat), 160 degrees for medium, and 170 degrees for well done.

I cooked mine slightly too long (3 1/2 hrs). If I ever get to make this again I think I will aim for 2 1/2 hours. It was still amazing and I don’t love well done meat.

9.  Place meat on a platter with the veggies to serve.

Here is my plate.

Fantastic! What do you think about venison? Ever have it? Do you like it or have you had an awful experience like I did when I was a child. Maybe I was just picky? 🙂

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