Tomatillo Elk Verde Stew

I love seasonal cooking especially when we have a bumper crop in the garden. It’s really rewarding to be able to prepare a meal that we harvested in the field and combine ingredients from the harvest in the garden. The older I become, the more important it is to me to know where my food is coming from and how well it was taken care of. I know not everyone has the time or space for a garden, but if you do, you’ll find every meal that you create for dinner always seems to taste so much better.

Of course, if you don’t have elk on hand, substitute with venison or antelope stew meat. It’s killer good!

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 – 2 pounds elk stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 pound tomatillos (or) 4 cups, husked and rinsed
• 2 white onions, halved
• 3 jalapenos
• 1/2 cup of cilantro
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 cups beef stock
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Garnishments: sour cream, cotija cheese, avocado slices

Husk the tomatillos and run under warm water to remove some of the stickiness. Heat an outdoor grill on high and roast the tomatillos, onions and jalapenos. Remove the tomatillos when they become soft and slightly charred. Remove the onions and jalapenos from the grill and set aside to cool. Cut the stems from the jalapeno peppers and toss in a blender. Add the tomatillos and cilantro to the blender and pulsate until smooth.

Lightly season the elk with kosher salt. Heat oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the elk and brown on all sides. You may need to do this in batches. Remove and set aside when done.

Dice up the onions and add to the skillet along with the minced garlic. Cook the onions for about 6-7 minutes until soft. Add the cumin, oregano and salt stirring to coat the onions with the seasonings. Carefully pour in the blended tomatillos along with the beef broth and add the browned elk meat. Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Cook for an hour to an hour and a half or until the meat is tender.

Garnish with sour cream, crumbled cotija cheese and avocado slices. Serve with tortilla chips or warm flour tortillas. ~Enjoy!

(As a side note, try making this recipe for Huevos Rancheros. I was inspired by another wild game home cook who did just that. Looked amazing with a couple of eggs and tortillas.)