Camp Skillet Venison Roast
A pot roast done in a covered skillet over a fire, because deer camp has no oven.
- calories
- 520
- weight
- 11 oz
- cal / oz
- 47
- protein
- 52 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 150 min
- total time
- 165 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Campfire coals
- Liquid fuel
- Grill grate
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Needs a cooler
- Actual cooking
Ingredients
| Venison roast | 2 to 3 lb | shoulder or rump; beef chuck works the same way |
|---|---|---|
| Salt | 1 tbsp | used in two stages |
| Black pepper | 2 tsp | |
| Garlic powder | 1 tsp | |
| Cayenne pepper | 1/2 tsp | |
| Bacon grease or vegetable oil | 2 tbsp | |
| Yellow onions | 3, sliced | they keep for weeks without a cooler |
| Beef or venison stock | 2 cups | one beer works instead; bouillon plus water is lighter to carry |
Method
- Mix half the salt with the pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne. Rub it over every side of the roast.
- Set the skillet on the grate or stove and heat the grease until the first thin smoke shows.
- Sear the roast three to four minutes a side. You want a dark crust, not a grey one. Do not move it around.
- Pile the sliced onions on top and over the roast. Scatter the rest of the salt.
- Pour in the stock, bring it to a simmer, then put the lid on and pull the skillet to the low side of the fire.
- Hold a bare simmer for about two and a half hours. Check every half hour, turn the roast once, and add a splash of water if the pan runs dry.
- Done when a fork twists in it with no resistance. Slice or pull it, then spoon the onions and pan liquid back over.
- Simmer the leftover liquid uncovered for a few minutes if you want it thicker.
A pot roast is a sear followed by a long wet cook at low heat. An oven is one way to hold that heat, but not the only one. A heavy skillet with a lid on the cool edge of a fire does the same job — the lid traps the steam, and the low side of the fire keeps the liquid at a simmer instead of a boil. A rolling boil is what makes lean meat seize up and go stringy.
Venison has almost no fat, so the grease and the onions matter more than they would with beef. The onions break down over two hours and turn the stock into something that coats the meat. This one needs a cooler for the roast and a heat source you can control for a couple of hours, which puts it at basecamp or the truck, not in a pack.
Packing
Rub the roast with the spice mix at home and bag it — it seasons on the drive. Onions ride loose. Carry bouillon cubes instead of a stock carton if space is tight.
Variations
- Halve the roast into two smaller pieces to cut the cook time to about ninety minutes.
- Bury a few whole potatoes and carrots in the liquid for the last forty-five minutes and the whole dinner is done in one pan.
- A beer in place of the stock adds a little bitterness that suits fattier beef more than lean venison.
https://realtree.com/timber-2-table-wild-game-recipes/stovetop-venison-roast