OK folks, here it is: The best recipe for a deer’s front shoulder I’ve yet to find.
Mexican barbacoa, a mildly spicy, long-braised variant on barbecue works perfectly with the tough, sinewy front legs on a deer, or really any animal. Historically I’ve mostly used front legs for stew and for grinding, but this is even better. The meat cooks very slowly, and all that connective tissue dissolves into the broth and makes everything richer and just a little slick. Keeps your lips shiny.
Barbacoa, if you’ve never had it, is more warming than picante. Yes, there are chipotles in adobo in it, which can be bought in every Latin market I’ve ever been in, but not so many that your head blows off. The cloves are a stronger element, as are the cumin and bay.
If you want to test this recipe before making it, go to your nearest Chipotle restaurant and try their barbacoa: this recipe is virtually identical.
Serve it in tacos, burritos or over rice. And be sure to have at least a few of the traditional accompaniments, like cilantro, crumbled queso seco cheese, chopped onions, sour cream, fresh or pickled chiles, avocados — basically anything that works well on a taco.
You can buy chipotles in adobo in many supermarkets, and definitely in Latin markets or online.
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Still not convinced? Well, barbacoa may well be in the Top 5 Easiest Recipes on this website. It’s literally a crockpot-it-and-go dish. Minimal chopping, and the only thing you need to do as a cook is to shred the meat.
Want to up your barbacoa game even more? Smoke your venison neck, shanks or shoulder first. Real simple, just salt it well let it sit overnight, then smoke it for a few hours at about 200°F. Then proceed with the recipe. You’re welcome. No, seriously, doing this makes your barbacoa smack-yo-momma-in-the-face good!
Stupid crazy easy. Try it and you will not be sad. If you want a cool variant of this recipe, try my Venison Yucatan.
One more thing: This stuff reheats beautifully, so make a big batch.
- 2 to 3 pounds venison, from the shoulder or legs
- 2 to 4 chipotles in adobo, canned
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ cup lime juice
- ½ cup cider vinegar
- 1 quart beef or venison stock
- 1/4 cup lard or vegetable oil
- Smoked salt (optional)
- Cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocados and hot sauce for garnish
- Put everything in a slow cooker or Dutch oven and cook, covered, until the meat falls off the bone, which will be between 2 hours (for many domestic meats and young deer) and 6 hours if you have a very old animal. If you use a slow cooker, set it to “high.” If you use a regular pot, put it into the oven set to 300°F.
- Pull all the meat from the bones and shred with forks or your fingers. Stir in the lard and as much smoked salt as you want. You want the lard or oil to coat the shreds of meat. Pour over some of the juices from the pot and put the meat in a pan for the table. Serve with tacos, in a burrito or on a bun.
Have lots of accompaniments for your barbacoa: It's a base for a meal, the do-it-yourself construction of your tacos is more than half the fun!
More Venison Recipes
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Combined these seasonings with the liquids a little thick like a paste, slathered in on to a shoulder, wrapped in foil, and did it on indirect heat on the grill. Awe-some!
I used this recipe on two pronghorn roasts. Cooked them for 5-6 hours in the slow cooker then took it out and put it all in the fridge. When I was ready to serve I separated the meat from the liquids. I reheated the meat in a skillet with a little veggie oil and broke the meat up with a wooden spoon. I then reduced the liquids down in a saucepan to make an amazing sauce that I drizzled over the meat and served with tortillas. Fantastic!!
Hank, I just wanted to say thank you! Your website and books are fantastic and have helped me escape the Scandinavian/German flavorless food of the Upper Midwest. This recipe opened my mind to new ideas of what I could do with venison and converted my wife into a hunter. It’s simple and easy to make and full of flavor. WAY better than ground beef & Tone’s taco seasoning!
I’ve been using this recipe for a few years and it never disappoints. Thank you so much!
Made this for the first time tonight. Had a venison roast in the freezer I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with. This recipe is phenomenal! Family loved it. Followed the advice of a couple others and reduced the liquid down by about half in a cast iron skillet (cooked meat in the crock pot). Definitely a keeper!