Ciervo, red deer venison, is a staple of Patagonia's game cuisine, especially around Bariloche, El Bolson and the lake district, where red deer were introduced in the early 20th century and thrived in the wild. The meat is lean, dark and intensely flavoured, and the most common preparation is a long braise in red wine with wild berries, juniper and bay, the acid and alcohol of the wine tenderising the lean meat while the berries and juniper echo its forest flavour. Served with mashed potatoes or roasted root vegetables and a glass of Patagonian red, it is the cold-weather dish of the south, eaten in lodges and restaurants after a day in the mountains.
Dark, lean, tender venison in a glossy red-wine sauce scented with juniper and wild berries, the flavour deep and forest-like, the meat yielding. Eaten by a fire after a day in the cold mountains, deeply warming.
The technique is a long braise in wine. Venison, being very lean, needs slow cooking in acid and liquid to tenderise. The meat is cut into chunks, browned hard, then deglazed with red wine. Wild berries (maqui or rosa mosqueta), juniper berries, bay, garlic and onion are added, and the pot simmered covered for 2.5 to 3 hours. The wine's acid and alcohol break down the tough muscle fibres while the berries and juniper add forest notes that complement the gamey flavour. The long, slow cook is essential; venison cooked fast is tough and dry. The sauce is reduced at the end to a glossy glaze.
Variations
Some add mushrooms or chocolate for depth. A smoked venison version is also made.
On the Palate
Where Ciervo Patagónico sits in the Argentinian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
5 steps · 20 min
- 16 min
Brown 800g venison chunks in 3 tbsp oil with 1 chopped onion; deglaze with 400ml red wine.
Watch outBrown the lean venison hard before you add the wine — a deep sear builds the flavor base that the long braise draws on.
- 28 min
Add 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp juniper berries, 2 crushed garlic, 100g wild berries, salt and pepper.
- 36 min
Simmer covered 2.5 hours until the venison is fork-tender.
Watch outSimmer covered a slow two and a half hours until it's fork-tender — venison is so lean it only turns tender with long, gentle cooking; rushed on high heat it stays tough and dry.
- 44 min
Uncover and reduce the sauce 15 minutes until glossy.
Watch outUncover and reduce the sauce until it's glossy — this concentrates the wine and berries into a glaze that coats the meat.
- 54 min
Serve with mashed potatoes and a glass of Patagonian red wine.
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