This delicious bolognese style ragu is made with venison mince and packed full of flavour.
If you know a keen hunter, chances are they have kindly given you some meat! It's always such a treat and I like to make the most it by cooking lots of delicious meals as soon as possible. My Venison Ragu is a great way to use venison. It makes a bolognese style sauce which is delicious served with pasta, baked potatoes or in a lasagne.
For this meal I actually ground the mince myself using my Kitchen Aid mincing attachment. However this step is not necessary to make this meal, store bought venison or beef mince will make this recipe super easy.
Because venison is such a lean meat I like to add in pork sausages to the recipe for a bit of flavour and fat. You could use other types of sausages if you prefer, or even a little bit of pork mince if you have some to use up. This recipe makes enough for 3-4 meals which means you can add some to the freezer for later. Check out my questions below for ideas on how to use it.
HOW TO MAKE venison ragu:
To start, preheat the oven to 180.C fanbake. Then heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish before sautéing the onion and garlic for a few minutes. Remove the sausage meat from the skin, then add it to the venison mince. Brown the mince mixture in two batches. Break up any lumps with a wooden spoon. Next, mix the BBQ sauce, worcestershire and tomato paste with beef stock.
Add the sauce mix to the casserole dish, stir it all together then season with salt and pepper. Once it has all heated through cover with a lid (or tinfoil) and bake for 30 minutes. After this time, remove the lid and stir. Bake for another 20 minutes until some of the liquid has reduced. Serve it straight away with cooked pasta or on top of baked potatoes!
For more easy one pot recipes using mince, check out my mid-week favourites One-Pot Mince and Pasta and Italian Style Pork Meatballs with Creamy Tomato Sauce
What other meals could I use this for? As with any mince based ragu, this recipe works well on pasta, in lasagne or even on top of baked kumara. If you make these meals up straight away, you can freeze in bread bags until ready to use. Add frozen lasagne dish to a cold oven and bake for 40-80 mins at 180.C until golden and cooked through, then serve with salad and garlic bread.
I have meat but no mincer, can I get someone else to grind the meat for me? Absolutely! Take your cuts of meat to your local butcher to grind up.
Where is my cast iron casserole dish from? It is the Oval casserole dish from KitCo by Pepper & Me. Such amazing quality and a great price.
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*Disclaimer*
If you want to make this recipe gluten free: Always check the label on processed foods, including sauce bottles.
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Venison Ragu
A versatile ragu that can be used in lots of different meals.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1.2kg venison or beef mince
- 3 pork/beef sausages
- 3 Tbsp BBQ sauce
- 3 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup beef stock, I use an oxo cube & boiling water
- 1 Tbsp Italian herbs
- 1 carrots, diced
- 1 can crushed tomatoes (400g)
- Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C fanbake. Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish, sauté onion and garlic for a few minutes.
- Brown mince in two batches, remove sausages from skin and brown with the meat. Break up with a wooden spoon.
- Mix BBQ sauce, worcestershire and tomato paste with beef stock.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to casserole dish and stir it all together. Season with salt and pepper.
- Once it has come up to a simmer on the stovetop cover with a lid (or tinfoil) and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove lid and stir. Bake for another 20 minutes until some of the liquid has reduced.
Notes
Always check the label on processed foods, including sauce bottles, to ensure they are completely gluten free.
- Serve with cooked pasta or on top of baked potatoes.
- Once the ragu has cooled make it into lasagne or stuff baked kumara and top with cheese.
- Freeze in ovenproof dishes covered with a bread bag or airtight containers until ready to use. Add frozen lasagne dish to a cold oven and bake for 40-80 mins at 180.C until golden and cooked through, then serve with salad and garlic bread.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 246Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 259mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 35g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
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