Deer Stew with Chef Kaee Coriz

Deer stew is cooked on special occasions in Pueblo villages throughout New Mexico. Deer stew is cooked on special occasions in Pueblo villages throughout New Mexico. When the deer is brought home from a hunting trip, tribal family members honor the animal and then begin preparing stew to share among their families and community.

For this recipe, you will need a large pot, deer meat, posole, salt, and water. A covered clay pot like Chef Coriz uses will work great. The deer meat that Chef Coriz uses was harvested on a hunting trip, but if you’d like to make this recipe in another context, specialty meat markets often carry farm-raised venison. Posole is corn that has undergone a process called “nixtamalization.” Nixtamalization is a very old technique. Dried kernels are soaked in water and lime (the chemical, not the fruit), which unlocks additional nutrients in the corn, makes it possible to grind, and gives it a unique flavor. Posole is usually made with a variety of flint corn, a hard, less starchy variety that is allowed to dry on the cob before harvesting (in contrast to sweet corn, which is typically eaten fresh.) The good news is that both growing flint corn and nixtamalization are easy to accomplish at home, though posole can be purchased at many supermarkets or specialty food stores if you choose not to grow it yourself.

To prepare this dish, first bring the water to a boil and add about a teaspoon of salt. Once it is boiling, add the deer meat into the broth and let it cook until the meat is tender, about 30-40 minutes per pound (but check it with a fork to confirm). After the meat is tender, add the posole corn into the broth and the deer stew, making sure to savor the scents that emerge as the ingredients combine. Watch for the posole “blooming,” sampling it occasionally to check for proper consistency. Add additional salt to taste. Share with family and friends, and enjoy.