When speaking of venison recipes, tenderloins and backstraps tend to be the heroes, with some version of sausage or stew meat not far behind. The good-old venison roast simply doesn’t get the love and attention it deserves. In the slow-cooked meat cult of Traeger-land, a venison roast is just not as sexy as a pork butt, as seductive as a brisket, or as sensual as a spatchcocked game bird.
Well, it’s high time to take a page out of mom’s cookbook and get back to basics.
Slow-cooked pulled venison roast should be on your “to-cook” list when you’re processing your deer or having a butcher square you away. Don’t just grind them all up or relegate them to jerky. This simple crockpot recipe will give you a tender, delicious, fall-apart roast that will make enough three-bite venison sliders to feed the whole family. This isn’t a last-minute meal, so get started early if you want it for dinner tonight.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 8 hours
Crockpot Ingredients
- One frozen venison roast, 2 pounds or larger
- 16-ounce jar of medium-heat banana pepper rings
- 12 ounces hot brewed coffee (we used BRCC’s Coffee or Die roast in this recipe)
- 12 ounces water
- One packet of Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning mix
- Ground cinnamon
- Onion powder
- Herbs de Provence
Slider Ingredients
- King’s Hawaiian Rolls (at least the 12-pack)
- One block of Vermont extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- Red Hot or Sriracha mayonnaise
Directions
- Place the frozen roast directly into a large crockpot.
- Pour in water, hot brewed coffee, and the entire jar of banana peppers and juice.
- Add five generous shakes of garlic powder.
- Pour the ranch seasoning directly onto the roast.
- Add two pinches of Herbs de Provence.
- Shake ground cinnamon until it covers all ingredients.
- Turn the crockpot on high and let it cook for 8 hours (for a fully frozen roast; cut that time roughly in half if the roast is thawed).
- Once cooked, lift roast with tongs onto a large cutting board.
- The roast will fall apart, so just pull it into smaller, slider-sized pieces.
Slider prep
- Cut rolls in half and place on a large plate.
- Cut slices of cheddar cheese; place one per roll.
- Place the desired amount of pulled venison on top of the cheese.
- If you don’t have a pre-mixed bottle of Red Hot or Sriracha mayo, simply spoon some mayo into a bowl, add Red Hot or Sriracha, and mix to taste — then add to your slider.
- Serve with fries, chips, or potato salad, and don’t forget to grab a beverage.
- Enjoy your new-found culinary prowess.
If there are any leftovers (unlikely), the pulled venison is perfect with scrambled eggs and cheese for breakfast, either as a sandwich or served on a plate with toast.
Don’t forget the coffee.
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