This Venison and Barley Stew Recipe is mighty tasty, especially when served hot in a 14-ounce Yeti Rambler mug on a chilly night at camp. (Jessyca Sortillon photo)
October 06, 2021
By Jessyca Sortillon
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A hearty serving of this Venison and Barley Stew – with its tender chunks of venison, chewy barley, and buttery, golden potatoes in a hot, savory broth – is just the thing you need to warm up at deer camp this year.
Venison chili and Dutch-oven spaghetti are excellent camp dishes, but nothing satisfies a hungry camper more than a tasty venison stew. This Venison and Barley Stew recipe is a great one-pot meal to make at camp because it is made in a CanCooker, so it won’t take as long to cook as ordinary stews and there will be minimal cleanup involved afterward.
Don't have a CanCooker? No worries. You can also make this venison stew in a Dutch oven.
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You may or may not fill your tag during hunting season, but you are guaranteed to fill your belly with this delicious Venison and Barley Stew Recipe.
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Ingredients: 1-2 pounds of venison roast or stew meat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 8 cups beef or wild game broth ½ cup rinsed pearl barley* 1 pound of gold potatoes, cubed 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice 1 white onion, chopped 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 3 carrots, sliced 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 whole bay leaves 1 teaspoon black pepper Salt and pepper, to taste *Note: Rinse pearl barley thoroughly under running water to remove any dust particles or debris.
Barley has a chewy texture and adds a mild nutty flavor to soups and stews. I used pearl barley in this recipe because it cooks faster than hulled barley, but not as fast as quick barley. Do not use quick-cooking barley or it may become overcooked and mushy. (Jessyca Sortillon photo) Special Equipment: With a CanCooker and Seth McGinn's Multi-Fuel Portable Cooktop, you can make this Venison and Barley Stew Recipe at camp. The cooktop has an electric ignition and uses propane and butane fuels. It also comes with a carrying case – making it the ultimate outdoor camping stove! (Jessyca Sortillon photo) Directions: Cut venison roast or stew meat into 1-inch cubes. Set aside. Spray the inside of the CanCooker with non-stick cooking spray (so clean up will be easier later). If using a Dutch oven, coat the inside of it with enough oil to prevent food from sticking. Place greased CanCooker or Dutch oven on Multi-Fuel Portable Cooktop or another heat source. You can use almost any heat source for your CanCooker: stovetop, grill, campfire, etc. However, using a turkey fryer or fish burner to heat the CanCooker is not recommended because it can be difficult to manage the temperature. In the CanCooker or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add venison cubes to CanCooker or Dutch oven. Brown the meat on all sides without cooking it all the way through. Add remaining ingredients (broth, rinsed barley, cubed potatoes, tomatoes with juice, chopped onion, Worcestershire, sliced carrots, minced garlic, bay leaves, salt, and pepper). Stir to combine all ingredients.Stir all ingredients in the CanCooker well before latching on the lid. (Jessyca Sortillon photo) Latch lid on the CanCooker and continue to cook over medium heat. Once you see steam venting through the lid, cook for 1 hour. If using a Dutch oven, bring strew to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for one hour. Using oven mitts or pot holders, remove CanCooker or Dutch oven from the heat source and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Carefully remove the lid. Give the Venison and Barley Stew a good stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and discard bay leaves before serving.
Leftover Venison and Barley Stew? If you happen to have any leftover venison stew, store it in a resealable container and keep refrigerated for up to 3-4 days. The barley will soak up the broth the longer it sits. So, when reheating leftovers, add more broth as needed.
Get creative with your leftover Venison and Barley Stew. I like to use it as a filling for pot pie and it's delicious! (Jessyca Sortillon photo)
