Crock Pot Venison Stew With Bacon And Mushrooms - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs venison stew meat, trimmed of fat, tenderized by pounding and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
salt and pepper
2 slices smoky bacon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, cut in half and sliced into half moons
2 carrots, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup dry red wine or 2/3 cup dry sherry
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can beef broth
12 ounces fresh mushrooms (sliced or quartered)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preparation

Season the venison with salt and pepper.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp; transfer to paper towels and crumble.
Add the oil to the bacon drippings and brown the meat in batches on all sides, about 10 minutes total.
Transfer to the slow cooker as you finish each batch.
Add the onion, carrots and garlic to the skillet and cook. stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with the flour, stir and transfer to the cooker.
Add the wine to the skillet, bring to a boil and cook, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pan, until the wine has thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes.
Pour into cooker.
Add the bay leaf, thyme and broth; stir to evenly distribute.
Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours.
Add the mushrooms and crumbled bacon and stir to combine.
Cover and continue to cook on LOW until the venison is tender enough to cut with a fork, another 3 hours.
Remove the bay leaf and stir in the vinegar.
Serve.