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Marinated Venison Kabobs

You can buy harissa in many supermarkets now; it comes in tubes. You can also buy harissa online. And honestly, the main point is to get a good long marinade on the meat, so whatever you use should be fine -- just make sure it has some acid and some salt. If you have no venison handy, use lamb, bison or beef. One thing to be very sure about, however, is to trim off all silverskin and connective tissue. It will definitely make your kebabs gristly and tough.

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 359 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: North African

Ingredients

HARISSA
  • 8 dried guajillo, ancho, pasilla or New Mexican chiles
  • 4 to 8 dried Aleppo or cascabel chiles (these are hot)
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 1 ?2 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1 ?2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon dried mint
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 4 to 6 garlic cloves, mashed and minced
  • lemon juice
KEBABS
  • 2 pounds venison, trimmed of sinew and cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch chunks
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup harissa
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • salt
  • Various vegetables cut to the size of the venison such as mushrooms, onions, bell peppers or zucchini

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. If you are making your own harissa, start by removing the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. Tear the chiles into pieces and pour enough hot water over them to just barely cover. Weigh the chiles down with a small plate or something and let the chiles soak for an hour or two, until they are soft.
  2. Once the chiles are soft, put them and the remaining ingredients into a blender or food processor and process into a paste -- it can be smooth or rough, depending on how you like it. You might need a little bit of the soaking water to loosen things up. You can make the harissa days or even weeks in advance and store it in the refrigerator; it lasts for months that way.
  3. To marinate the venison, mix the harissa and the red wine vinegar into a slurry in a bowl. Massage the marinade into the venison and pour the whole shebang into a lidded container. Refrigerate for at least a few hours, and as long as a day.
  4. When you are ready to cook, remove the venison from the marinade. Cut the various vegetables into pieces roughly the size of the venison. Carefully skewer them onto two skewers -- doing this makes it much easier to turn the kebabs. I say carefully because you want to watch out for the pointy ends; I've stabbed myself a couple times when I get distracted. When you've made all your skewers, salt everything well and put them back in the fridge.
  5. Get your grill nice and hot. Make sure the grill grates are clean. When your grill is ready, soak a paper towel in some vegetable oil and use tongs to wipe down the grates. Lay the skewers down on the grill so they are not touching. Grill for 6 to 10 minutes on the top and bottom of the skewers, plus another 1 to 2 minutes on the sides to "kiss" the edges. Use the finger test for doneness to determine how you want your venison.
  6. Let the kebabs rest for 5 minutes, then pull the meat off the skewers and serve.

Notes

  • I like to serve these kebabs with something simple, like grilled potatoes or bread or if I am feeling like a low-carb day, cole slaw. The cole slaw in the picture is a recipe from my friend Elise over at Simply Recipes.

Nutrition Information

Calories 359kcal (18%) Carbohydrates 21g (7%) Protein 38g (76%) Fat 14g (22%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Cholesterol 129mg (43%) Sodium 880mg (37%) Potassium 1012mg (29%) Fiber 8g (32%) Sugar 12g (24%) Vitamin A 7425IU (149%) Vitamin C 9mg (10%) Calcium 26mg (3%) Iron 7mg (39%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 359

% Daily Value*

Calories 359kcal 18%
Carbohydrates 21g 7%
Protein 38g 76%
Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 129mg 43%
Sodium 880mg 37%
Potassium 1012mg 22%
Fiber 8g 32%
Sugar 12g 24%
Vitamin A 7425IU 149%
Vitamin C 9mg 10%
Calcium 26mg 3%
Iron 7mg 39%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.