Confit Venison

Confit is a French term for the art of preserving meat in fat or rendered oil. The French didn’t invent the method, but they were probably the first to put a word to it. We get jars of venison chunks preserved this way and store them in the refrigerator for a quick confit dish when needed. A little prep work makes cooking confit venison quick, easy and delicious.

Use duck fat from a meat market or use fat from wild ducks you’ve killed, but keep in mind that domesticated ducks and geese are much fatter than flyway birds. The used duck fat can be retained for future confit.

4 lbs venison cubed
1/3 cup sea salt (or kosher)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp crumbled thyme
1 bay leaf crumbled
36 to 40 garlic cloves
8 cups rendered duck fat

Mix spices and sprinkle over all sides of the meat. Place in a glass dish and cover with the garlic. Cover the dish and refrigerate for 36 hours. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Drain the liquid from the marinated meat. Pat the meat, garlic and dish dry. Place meat and garlic back in the dish and cover with the rendered duck fat.

Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. The garlic will be a golden color. Using tongs, place meat into clean, sterile canning jars. Don’t fill the jars to the top, leave about 2 inches head room. Add hot filtered duck fat to the jars, covering the meat with at least 1 inch of fat. Only the meat is packed in the jars, the garlic can be saved for use in a soup. Let cool, then seal jars and store in the refrigerator. The meat will keep up to six months in the refrigerator.

Confit Venison & Rice
2 cups brown rice
4 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup peanut oil
1 red onion minced
3 garlic cloves
1 green pepper sliced thin
1 red pepper sliced thin
1 jar confit venison
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs soy sauce
salt and pepper

Prior to cooking the meat and vegetables, bring 4 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Add 2 cups of rice, cover and remove from heat. Let set for 20 to 30 minutes to finish cooking. Heat oil just short of smoking, and sauté onion until translucent. Add garlic and peppers. Sauté for 2 more minutes. Fold in sliced confit venison. Add vinegar, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer and serve.

Confit Venison