Slow-cooked Wild Venison Barbacoa Rice Bowls

Ingredients

• 800 g diced wild venison, in 3 cm pieces
• 20 ml rapeseed oil
• 200 g onion, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 20 g chipotle paste
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 25 ml cider vinegar
• 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 400 ml low-salt beef stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 250 g dried long-grain rice
• 400 g tin black beans, drained and rinsed, about 240 g drained
• 1 avocado, about 150 g flesh, sliced
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 15 g coriander, chopped
• 1 g fine salt

Method

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 160°C, or 140°C fan. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole and brown the venison in two batches for 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

2. 2

   Cook the onion in the casserole for 6 minutes. Add the garlic, chipotle paste, cumin and oregano for 1 minute. Stir in vinegar, tomatoes, stock, bay leaf and salt, then return the meat and its juices.

3. 3

   Bring to a simmer, cover tightly and braise in the oven for about 3 hours, stirring once halfway through. Add hot water if necessary. The meat must pull apart readily with two forks; allow longer if it is still firm.

4. 4

   Check the centre of several large pieces with a clean food thermometer: the centre must stay at or above 70°C for 2 minutes and be piping hot throughout. Continue cooking if necessary. Remove the bay leaf. Pull the meat into smaller strands with clean forks and mix back into the sauce.

5. 5

   During the final 20 minutes of braising, cook the rice according to the packet. Warm the black beans in a small pan with 50 ml water for 5 minutes until piping hot, then drain any excess.

6. 6

   Serve the rice topped with the venison, black beans, avocado and coriander, with lime wedges. Keep the cold toppings separate from portions you plan to store.