Venison Gumbo Recipe - Cajun Gumbo with Venison | Hank Shaw (2024)

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5 from 10 votes

By Hank Shaw

January 29, 2022 | Updated June 06, 2022

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This venison gumbo is dark, savory and rich, a classic Cajun gumbo with no tomato and a dark roux. It’s wonderful for cold nights.

Venison Gumbo Recipe - Cajun Gumbo with Venison | Hank Shaw (2)

Note that there is no tomato in this gumbo. If you want a Cajun dish that does have tomato in it, try my recipe for Venison Sauce Piquante. Or if you want a gumbo where tomatoes play a larger role, try my Creole gumbo.

Typically I will use rando bits of venison for this gumbo, like stew meat, or a stray shank or bit of neck roast. You don’t want to use backstrap or tenderloin here.

But I will also make a “venison gumbo” with that plus whatever other old game meats lurking in the freezer. So long as they have been vacuum-sealed, there is no reason you cannot use meats that are more than a year old — they will not be as nice as younger meats, but hey, that’s what this gumbo is for.

A good Cajun gumbo relies on its roux, a cooked flour-and-fat combination that can range from ivory to black, but which is best from blonde to dark chocolate. It really is your call here. I really like the flavor of the dark chocolate roux, but cooking the flour that long will damage its ability to thicken the gumbo.

So in that case, I add okra when it’s in season, unless I have some dried okra in my pantry, or I will use file gumbo, the powdered leaves of the sassafras tree. I rarely use all three.

Venison Gumbo Recipe - Cajun Gumbo with Venison | Hank Shaw (3)

Another tip is to add your sausage late in the process. This prevents all the fat from cooking out. I almost always use homemade Cajun andouille sausage, but I’ve used Conecuh from Alabama, and that’s good, too. Any smoked sausage will work in a pinch.

The critical factor in making venison gumbo is time. Take your time making the roux, and take your time cooking the gumbo. It might take 4 hours for some tough cuts to submit. Just drink a few beers and relax; it’ll all come out well in the end.

If you are not a hunter, your cooking time will be less. I would suggest the following combination: venison shoulder, shank or neck, some turkey legs, a ham hock, and smoked andouille sausage.

5 from 10 votes

Venison Gumbo

Any cut of venison will do, as will similar meats like beef, goat, bison and such. This is the gumbo to make when you have really random meats.

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Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Cajun

Servings: 10 people

Author: Hank Shaw

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup peanut oil, lard or bacon fat
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 large minced green peppers
  • 2 minced medium onions
  • 4 minced celery stalks
  • 6 minced cloves garlic
  • 3 to 4 pounds venison or other game meats
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon celery seed
  • 3 quarts game stock, chicken stock or water
  • 1 pound smoked andouille sausage, cut into rings
  • 2 tablespoons file powder
  • 2 green onions and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley per person

Instructions

  • Bringthe stock to a gentle simmer.

  • In a Dutch oven or large pot, add the cup of oil to the pot, and turn the heat to medium-high. Whisk in the flour, and stir this frequently until it turns the color of chocolate. You can go as dark as dark chocolate brown, but under no circ*mstances can you let this roux burn. Keep in mind that this takes time, maybe 15 to 25 minutes of frequent stirring.

  • When the roux is ready, add the peppers, onions, celery and garlic and stir to combine. Cook this, stirring often, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the veggies are soft.

  • Meanwhile, mix all the dry spices together except the filé powder.

  • When the veggies are soft, ladle in the stock with one hand while stirring with the other. Stir in each ladle of stock before adding another. Turn the heat to high to bring the gumbo to a strong simmer.

  • Add half the spices, stir to combine, and add the meats except the sausage, if using. Taste and add more salt or spices if you want. Drop the heat to a simmer, cover and cook gently for at least 90 minutes, but probably more like 2 to 3 hours. Check the status of the meats every half-hourafter 90 minutes have elapsed.When the meats are about falling off the bone, fish them out and when they cool enough to handle them, pick the meat off the bones. Return the meats to the gumbo and add the andouille. Cook for another 15 minutes or so.

  • Add the filé powder, the green onions and parsley. Cook for 3 minutes more.Serve with rice or all by itself.

Notes

You will want to get somefilé powder, which is powdered sassafrass. It is an important flavor component here, and the filé (FEE-lay) needs to be added at the end of the process. If you cannot find it, do without. But be sure to look at least before you omit.

If you have it, okra can substitute for the file powder. Use up to 1 pound, sliced into coins.

Nutrition

Calories: 475kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 497mg | Potassium: 531mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 885IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @huntgathercook or tag #hankshaw!

Categorized as:
American Recipes, Recipe, Southern, Venison

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About Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet’s largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

Read More About Me

Venison Gumbo Recipe - Cajun Gumbo with Venison | Hank Shaw (2024)

FAQs

What are the 2 rules of gumbo? ›

Thou Shalt Always Use a Bowl. If you use a plate, it is not gumbo it is rice and gravy! Thou Shalt Only Use a Wooden Spoon. There is only one kind of spoon that can enter a gumbo pot and that is a wooden one.

Is Cajun gumbo base the same as roux? ›

"A roux is the base of numerous Cajun and creole dishes. In Louisiana, natives have a joke about how long it takes to make the roux for certain dishes. Etouffee is usually a 1 beer roux while a full fledged gumbo is a 2 to 3 beer roux.

Do you cook meat before putting in gumbo? ›

This gumbo starts with a dark roux as its base. Once the roux is ready and combined with water, add sautéed chopped green bell pepper, onion and celery to the pot. Sear the chicken and sausage, too, before throwing them in, and letting the gumbo cook low and slow for hours.

Can you make gumbo the night before? ›

Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The gumbo can be partially prepared, one day ahead of time, up until the point where you add the sliced sausage and shrimp to the broth. Before serving, simply bring the broth to a simmer and then proceed with the recipe.

What not to put in a gumbo? ›

I - Thou Shalt Never Use Tomatoes If we've learned anything from the Disney folks, it's this. Any cooyon with half a brain knows "Making Gumbo 101" contains this golden rule -- it's roux-based and not tomato-based! Tomatoes are for things like spaghetti sauce.

What is the secret to good gumbo? ›

Great gumbo starts with roux, a flavorful thickening agent made from equal parts fat and flour. Once the roux is a deep golden color, add diced veggies and sausage to the mix. Then, incorporate beef bouillon, hot sauce, tomatoes, and seasonings to intensify the flavor.

What is the difference between Creole gumbo and Cajun gumbo? ›

Creole gumbos most often include tomatoes, shellfish and dark roux and often okra and filé powder, an herb made from ground leaves of sassafras trees. Cajun gumbo doesn't have tomatoes and usually also contains chicken. It's not uncommon for both Creole and Cajun gumbo to include meats such as ham or sausage as well.

Do tomatoes go in Cajun gumbo? ›

Turns out, your preference for tomatoes in gumbo comes down to whether you learned your skills from a Cajun cook or a Creole cook. (Learn about the difference here.) Cajun gumbo does not include tomatoes in the base, but Creole gumbo (typically shellfish or seafood gumbo) does call for tomatoes.

What kind of rice is best for gumbo? ›

For purposes of this discussion, we will limit our focus to plain old polished white rice. Even then, it comes in different sizes — short, long and medium grain. I prefer medium grain rice in a gumbo, because the grains puff up, the perfect medium for a gumbo. The thick gumbo juice sticks to the grains just right.

Do tomatoes not go in gumbo? ›

Gumbo is a flavorful thick stew made with andouille sausage, shrimp, tomatoes, and vegetables served over a bed of rice. Letting all of the flavors meld takes some time, but it is worth it!

Do carrots go in gumbo? ›

Spicy, creamy, made-from-scratch, slow-simmered gumbo's got your back and you will be better because of it. In this big mishmash of a gumbo bowl, we've got: carrots, onions, celery, garlic + olive oil to start. canned tomatoes + broth + spices simmered to perfection.

Does gumbo taste better the longer you cook it? ›

Cooking the gumbo for a good three to four hours on simmer is imperative. "The long cooking time adds time for flavors to develop and ensures a burst of flavor," says Biffar. Make sure to give it time to let everything mesh together, this is not a dish to be rushed!

Do you brown sausage before putting in gumbo? ›

If you want to save time, slice and cook your sausage in your gumbo. However, this adds extra fat and browning first will add to the flavor.

Can I put uncooked rice in gumbo? ›

Add both chicken and sausage to gumbo and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Add uncooked rice, stir well, and simmer on low for another 15 minutes. If rice needs additional cooking, turn heat off, leave pot covered, and let stand until rice is ready.

Why does my gumbo taste bitter? ›

Roux that is really burned is awful,bitter to taste. We always cook roux on low heat.It takes longer but is worth it.

How do you make a gumbo rule? ›

Learn How to Make a Roux for gumbo so you get the best rich Cajun flavor. Simply whisk together flour and either melted butter or oil, then simmer until you achieve a white, blonde, light brown, or dark color for all of your thickening needs.

What is the rule of roux? ›

A roux is a sauce built on a simple ratio of 1 part butter to 1 part flour. You start by melting butter, then add in flour, and cook the mixture over low heat until it's thick and lump-free.

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