I was planning to make some jerky out of mine, but I'm betting it's gonna be tough and stringy.
What do YOU do with your venison shank?

Braise it in the oven or crock-pot it.  Treat it like you would lamb/veal shank for osso buco.

Brown it, and remove.
Add some diced onion, celery, carrot, and garlic to the oil.  Cook for a few minutes.
Add some wine (your choice red or white), chicken broth, diced tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, and ground pepper.  Bring to a boil  (if braising).

Add the meat back in and lower to a simmer (if braising).

Cook for 2-3 hours in a 300 degree oven.

For a crock pot, after browning the meat in a pan, add it to the pot, then fry the veggies in the remaining oil and add them to the pot, then add in the liquid ingredients to the pot, cover and set it for 8 hours on medium.  The gentle heat will give you the same result.

Al Dente has it right.  Good stuff!

Claudia

I grind it into burger. I love venison burger.

I leave mine on the bone and put the bones in a big pot to make stock. After the stock is made I remove the meat from the bone and put it in the fridge (what I don't eat) so we can have it cold on sandwiches. It tastes beautiful with all the flavour from the vegies in the stock

Grind mine up for sausage...you can never have to much italian sausage or bratwurst

Ground into burger for me  

Kevin.

I can all my deer meat except for the steaks and back straps. It goes somthing like this. Strip all meat from the bone and take all fat from the meat also. Then you take the meat and soak overnight in salt water "preferably" sea salt . Then you take your canning jars and boil them and the lids. Take a onion if you choose, slice into 1/4" slices, put one in the bottom of the jar. I also put a hot pepper ring or two in the bottom. Stuff the jar with venison up to 2" from the top of jar. Add 1 tablespoon of sea salt, more hot peppers and top with onion. Cap the jar and put aside and repeat steps for remainder of venison. Put jars in oven at 200 degrees for four hours. Take a towel and put on a counter top and sit the jars on the towel. If you do not do this, the jars will cool to fast and they will break. Do not be afraid, if you put the towel down you are good to go. After you put them on the counter top, 15 to 20 minutes later you will hear the jars lids pull down as they cool. It kind of sounds like popcorn. This is all good stuff and you do not have to be choosey of what meat you use. Its all so tender when done and it tastes so good. Good luck all, have fun it takes me about 6 hours to do a deer not including cooking time. The deer meat is good for years, if need be, but I can't say for sure because mine never makes it past one year.

Shank meat makes the best stew and sausage.

Hey,

I'm not sure if Al Dente is a profesional cook, but he gave you sound pro-chef level advise for those shanks.

Braise em. He describes a classic braising technique by browning the meat first. If you also lightly brown the root vegetables and then the tomato slightly, then deglaze with the wine and proceed as he tells you, it has to be good. Cooking time will vary with the age and size of the animal. Those shanks make great stew as well. Most of the good hunters I know are pretty good cooks too.

Chef Dan Hugelier

Hey that jindydiver has great advise too. shanks make the best stock and soup you could ever hope for. Reason is they are rich in collagen which turns into gelatine under moist heat cooking.

Venison, barley soup........................
you guys need to open your own wild game restaurant!

Dan Hugelier

Oh yeah,

the canning is also a great idea....same reasons,

Dan Hugelier

Al Dente has got it. The only thing I would add is when you remove it from the oven let the shanks stay in the liquid until cool.
Meat is like a sponge and will absorb the liquid. This type of preparation is always best served the next day. The flavors marry
and it always tastes better the second day. Leftover or if you need to stretch it cut all the meat up and toss it with some pasta.
Good eating!

I too love to keep the bone for soup stock. However with my braised shank meat, I like to crock it with some sliced anaheims, reds, yellows, and green peppers. I will also throw in a nice hot onion(sliced of course).
I am not going for a stew effect here, so I use enough El Pato sauce to make the meat nice and moist.
8 hours should be enough in the crock----serve with tortillas and some fresh citrus fruit.

DEEEELISH!

Thank you for the compliments.  I was a professional chef, until I became burned out from the grueling schedule.  I've always loved to cook, and more importantly, I love to eat.  I wish I had either an extra mouth, or another stomach.  Enjoy!!!

Al Dente and Chef Paul,

Pretty cool to have Chefs on line that also hunt trad. Been working in prof. kitchens for 42 years. Be fun to share a hunting camp fire one day.

Learning that a lot of "Real" hunters are also great cooks.....Dean Torges is quite the Charcuterie and Shaun Web is as good a cook as he is an excellent woodsman and hunter.

The best part about trad gang is everyone is willing to share their passion and craftsmanship freely.....

Wish you both a great spring turkey season,

Dan

Al Dente and Chef Paul,

Pretty cool to have Chefs on line that also hunt trad. Been working in prof. kitchens for 42 years. Be fun to share a hunting camp fire one day.

Learning that a lot of "Real" hunters are also great cooks.....Dean Torges is quite the Charcuterie and Shaun Web is as good a cook as he is an excellent woodsman and hunter.

The best part about trad gang is everyone is willing to share their passion and craftsmanship freely.....

Wish you both a great spring turkey season,

Dan

Al Dente and Chef Paul,

Pretty cool to have Chefs on line that also hunt trad. Been working in prof. kitchens for 42 years. Be fun to share a hunting camp fire one day.

Learning that a lot of "Real" hunters are also great cooks.....Dean Torges is quite the Charcuterie and Shaun Web is as good a cook as he is an excellent woodsman and hunter.

The best part about trad gang is everyone is willing to share their passion and craftsmanship freely.....

Wish you both a great spring turkey season,

Dan

Sharing is Caring, and Caring is Sharing.  Always willing to help out if I can.

Good luck to you too.  We open on May 1st.  Looking forward to it.  Only had 8 days of bowhunting last year.

HI Dan,

Thanks for the kind words. I have been a professional chef for 25 yrs. Then decided to teach culinary arts and have been doing so for the last 13 yrs. When knowledged is shared everyone learns.
May the sprits bless you all and guide your arrows to the mark. Good hunting this season!


Chef Paul