Venison Shank Tacos with Apple Slaw

Name: Venison Shank Tacos with Apple Slaw
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 8 h 30 min
Yield: 24 tacos
Ingredients: 5 large ancho chiles (more if they're small); 4 large pasilla chiles (more if they're small); 6 cloves garlic; 1 onion, quartered; 3 chipotles in adobo sauce; 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 2 tablespoon honey; ½ cup olive oil; 4 venison shanks, about 4.5 lb total (I used 2 hind shanks and 2 front shanks); salt and black pepper, to taste; 2 tablespoon pork lard (or other cooking fat); 2 cinnamon sticks; 3 bay leaves; 6 cups stock (wild game, beef, etc.); 4 cups savoy cabbage, shredded (about ½ small cabbage); 2 cups granny smith apples, shredded (about 2 medium apples - wait until other ingredients are prepped before shredding); ⅓ cup cilantro, finely chopped; ⅓ cup green onions, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon jalapeno, finely diced; ¼ cup sour cream; ¼ cup mayonnaise; ¼ cup fresh lime juice; 2 teaspoon lime zest; ¼ teaspoon garlic, minced; salt and pepper, to taste; 24 corn tortillas; Lime wedges, for serving

User Reviews

5.0

3 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
8 hrs 30 mins
Marinating Time
8 hrs
Servings
24 tacos
Calories
165 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Mexican

Venison Shank Tacos with Apple Slaw

Zara Evans

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Fork-tender venison shank meat is braised in a rich and flavorful homemade chile sauce and topped with a crisp and tangy apple slaw.

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Ingredients

Servings

Chile Sauce:

5 large ancho chiles (more if they're small)
4 large pasilla chiles (more if they're small)
6 cloves garlic
1 onion, quartered
3 chipotles in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon honey
½ cup olive oil

Meat:

4 venison shanks, about 4.5 lb total (I used 2 hind shanks and 2 front shanks)
salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoon pork lard (or other cooking fat)

Other Marinade Ingredients:

2 cinnamon sticks
3 bay leaves
6 cups stock (wild game, beef, etc.)

Apple Slaw:

4 cups savoy cabbage, shredded (about ½ small cabbage)
2 cups granny smith apples, shredded (about 2 medium apples - wait until other ingredients are prepped before shredding)
⅓ cup cilantro, finely chopped
⅓ cup green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon jalapeno, finely diced
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoon lime zest
¼ teaspoon garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

Other Ingredients:

24 corn tortillas
Lime wedges, for serving

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Instructions

Meat:

Place chiles in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1.5 minutes or until chiles are soft and flexible. Remove stems and seeds from chiles. Add chiles to the blender. Add remaining chile sauce ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
Season shanks all over with salt and pepper. Heat lard or oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Sear shanks on all sides possible until browned, about 2 minutes per side. They are a unique shape, so do your best to get all of the sides.
Place seared shanks into the crock pot insert. Add more lard to the dutch oven if there is not enough left to coat the bottom of the pan. Add in chile sauce. Stir frequently until fragrant and slightly browned, about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add in stock and stir until combined. Pour the liquid over the shanks in the crock pot. Make sure the shanks are fully submerged. Add more stock or water if necessary. Add cinnamon sticks and bay leaves to the crock pot. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, remove the crock pot insert from the fridge and place it in the crock pot. Cook on high for 2 hours, or until the liquid is simmering. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 6 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bones.
Remove the meat to a plate. Remove the bones and connective tissue and shred the meat. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Use a spoon to push as much of the chile sauce through the strainer as possible.
Add the sauce and meat back to the crock pot and cook on low for 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Apple Slaw:

Prepare apple slaw at least 1 hour before serving or up to 8 hours before serving.
Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl (sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, salt, and black pepper).
Combine cabbage, apples, cilantro, and green onions in a medium bowl. Pour the dressing over the other ingredients and toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Assembly:

Warm tortillas. To each tortilla, add shredded meat and apple slaw. Serve with lime wedges.

Freezing Instructions:

If you have meat leftover, it freezes well! Place meat with enough sauce to cover the meat in a freezer-zippered bag or vacuum bag. Squeeze the air out and freeze flat on a sheet pan. Freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw and reheat using the boil-in-bag method (if stored in a heat-safe bag) or reheat in a pan on the stove.

Equipments used:

Notes

This recipe uses the whole shank to make the sauce velvety smooth from the connective tissue. You can use another bone-in cut of meat like shoulder or neck if you don't have shanks.
Dried whole chiles provide a much deeper flavor than standard chili powder. This recipe uses a mix of ancho chiles, pasilla chiles, and smoky chipotles. The combination of the three makes these tacos super flavorful with a very mild heat. You can use other varieties of chiles to change the flavor profile or use what you have available to you.
I like to have wild game stock on hand for braising but you can also use beef broth or beef stock if you don't have any on hand.
Corn tortillas are my favorite for this style of tacos because the flavor and texture complement the meat well. But you can also use flour tortillas or your favorite taco shell.
The crunchy apple slaw is the perfect topping to add texture and flavor to these tacos. But, you can also add your favorite toppings or keep it simple with fresh toppings like diced onion, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.
I like to use a Dutch oven to sear the shanks and prepare the chile sauce all in one cooking vessel. But, you can also use a cast iron skillet or other large skillet.
This recipe uses a crock pot to braise the meat. You can use another type of slow cooker or a Dutch oven. For faster cooking, you can use a pressure cooker like an Instant Pot.
Leftover venison taco meat freezes really well! Place meat with a few cups of the braising liquid (or enough sauce to cover the meat) in a freezer-zippered bag or vacuum seal bag. Squeeze the air out and freeze flat on a sheet pan. Freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw and reheat using the boil-in-bag method (if stored in a heat-safe bag) or reheat in a pan on the stove.
Prepare all ingredients except for the apples first. Shred the apples right before preparing the slaw to avoid browning. The lime juice in the slaw dressing will keep them from browning once the slaw is prepared.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 165kcal (8%) Carbohydrates 18g (6%) Protein 12g (24%) Fat 6g (9%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 2g Trans Fat 0.004g Cholesterol 35mg (12%) Sodium 148mg (6%) Potassium 361mg (10%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 947IU (19%) Vitamin C 16mg (18%) Calcium 47mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 24tacos

Amount Per Serving

Calories 165 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	165kcal	8%
Carbohydrates	18g	6%
Protein	12g	24%
Fat	6g	9%
Saturated Fat	1g	5%
Polyunsaturated Fat	2g	12%
Monounsaturated Fat	2g	10%
Trans Fat	0.004g	0%
Cholesterol	35mg	12%
Sodium	148mg	6%
Potassium	361mg	8%
Fiber	4g	16%
Sugar	4g	8%
Vitamin A	947IU	19%
Vitamin C	16mg	18%
Calcium	47mg	5%
Iron	2mg	11%