Tunisian Style Braised Venison Shank with Bone Broth

Before coming to America, my grandparents on my dad’s side took a detour through North Africa. They lived on the outskirts of Tunis, where my dad was born and raised. My Nonno had an eclectic series of business ventures, from driving taxis to operating a canned fish factory. My Nonna took care of everything else. Ultimately they would leave when the climate towards Europeans shifted, but during those two decades during the 1940’s and 1950’s they absorbed a lot of the food culture from the region. This dish is reminiscent of something my Nonna would make during her time in Tunisia and something she brought with her when she immigrated to America. It’s traditionally centered around lamb, but I’ve swapped out the lamb with venison shanks. Beef would be another option that would work well. It is meant to be served family style and makes for an impressive centerpiece to the dinner table. Video of the whole process below.

Bone Broth:

Simmer deer neck (or whatever bones you are working with), onion, garlic, carrots, bay leaf, and a little salt for 4 - 6 hours until meat is tender and falling off the bone. Pull all of the meat off the bones and set aside for any recipe where shredded meat would be ideal (ie: tacos). Return the bones to the stock and continue cooking for as long as you have time for. This can be made a few days in advance.

Aromatics:

Heat up a drizzle of olive oil in a large pot to medium heat. Layer in ¼ cup of tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds, 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds, halved onion, 2 garlic cloves, salt, pepper, dried chilies to your liking, a few teaspoons of plum vinegar. Saute gently for a few minutes and then add in 2 cups of bone broth. Continue to simmer on low.

The Shanks:

Brown the meat in wood fired oven or in cast iron skillet. Transfer the shanks to the simmering broth and cover. Braise in the oven at 300F for about 4 - 6 hours until almost perfectly tender. 

While the meat is cooking, peel your carrots and squash, breaking them down to uniform medium sized chunks.With about 30 minutes to go add in the carrots, squash, pre-cooked chickpeas and ¼ cup diced dried apricots. Return to the oven, covered, and finish cooking for about another 30 minutes until all the vegetables are fork tender.

As it finishes, prepare your couscous. I like using Les Moulins Mahjoub brand which is hand made in Tunisia but you can use whatever couscous is available. Gently layer in the cooked couscous onto a platter and drizzle with a nice olive oil.

Assembly:

Remove from the oven and start layering all of the cooked vegetables on top of the cous cous. Next take the entire shank(s) and lay it on top of the mountain of couscous and vegetables. Set aside a bowl of the rendered juices to ladle on top of the individual portions. Garnish with fresh mint.