Venison taco lasagna

Try this interesting recipe and you’ll like it

The name of this recipe might be a little over-the-top, but it goes a long way towards describing what the recipe is. It has a bold spicy flavor, uses venison as the key ingredient and is layered like lasagna using corn tortillas instead of pasta sheets.  It is a little out of the ordinary, but what would you expect for this column. Venison taco lasagna is another interesting way to enjoy venison and hopefully you’ll give it a try.

By February, deer season is over, and it’s time to enjoy the venison packed away in your freezer.  Hopefully, everyone was successful during deer season and has a bunch of packages in their freezer labeled as venison roast, ground, tenderloin, ribs 2014 or something similar. Most of us planned to run out of similar packages from 2013 shortly after deer season began.

Sure, venison chili, spaghetti, meat loaf and many of the standard dishes are good, but by February I’ve got a hankering for something different and am experimenting, looking for something new.  Some of those experiments are good, some are okay, some just need a little help and some are beyond help.  This one went through a couple of formative stages and now has reached the point it’s good enough to share.

There are still some cold days in February, and this is a recipe that will warm you up, both with good, hearty, warm ingredients and also with a little bit of spice. This is a meal that will quickly bring the feeling back to toes and hands after a February day outside moving or removing deer stands or duck blinds. The bright yellow corn and red tomatoes, along with green peppers add a little bit of festive to it too, so it works well to celebrate finishing those end of season chores.

Several times I have mentioned that eating venison should be a little bit of celebration about having it. This is especially true when introducing people, especially youngsters, to it. If you serve this to youngsters, be sure you get mild jalapenos.

One thing for sure is that it is a hearty, complete meal and will warm you to your toes, even after following a pointer and setter all day or hiking from pool to pool in a crystal-clear mountain trout stream. Because of prep time, this will rarely be a lunchtime meal except as leftovers. However, it is an excellent evening meal after enjoying the outdoors on a cool winter day, and the leftovers make a pretty darn good lunch. I’ve even had leftovers for breakfast once, and it hit the spot there, too. Enjoy!

Venison taco lasagna

This recipe originated from looking for new ways to use venison. The general idea began in a deer-camp discussion. Shortly after the discussion turned to favorite recipes for venison, it took a detour that generated a bunch of “What ifs? and “How abouts?” that my buddies felt they couldn’t try at home but were issued as a food challenge to me.

This recipe borrows and combines things from several recipes and adds its own new twists along the way. It didn’t gel easily or immediately, but there was enough good flavor to continue trying. Nothing was inedible, but some were bland and some were exceptionally spicy. Some were too dry and others were on the verge of becoming soup. After a while it started coming together, and I won’t say I am finished tinkering with it, but it has passed the friends-and-neighbors test, so I’ll share it.

I think the final answer to those original questions is that “What if?” and “How about?” can be successfully combined. I believe it tastes pretty good, but you’ll need to decide for yourself. Because some folks have different tastes and preferences, there are several things that can be substituted. The bottom line is it is a taco-flavored, lasagna-style, layered dish that uses venison and separates the layers with tortillas instead of pasta.

This doesn’t work the best with extra-lean venison. A little fat helps, as you need a little grease in the pan to sauté the onions and help the venison pick up the flavor of the fajita seasoning and cumin. You’ll pour any drippings out before putting it all together, but it needs those drippings in the beginning.

The vegetables are drained before adding. I rinse the black beans and corn because they are packed in very salty juice. Something about the juice the Rotel tomatoes are packed in helps, and I drain but don’t rinse them or the pimentos.

I chose to season this with fajita seasoning to get a little more flavor. You can read the packages for the details, but this is ground meat, and unlike tacos, no water is added to simmer the seasoning into the meat. The meat has to pick up the flavor while browning, and this is the main reason for adding the cumin. Some flavor leaves with the drippings, which is why the onions are sautéed in them before they are removed.

Using corn or flour tortillas is optional. Flour tortillas feel and taste more like the pasta in lasagna, while corn tortillas, other than those on the bottom, will usually be crispier. I cooked in a standard 9 x 13 casserole pan, but the tortillas stay crispier when cooked in a smaller, deeper pan. Whether using corn or flour tortillas, I brown them just a little on a cookie sheet before using. I also crisp a few extra tortillas for eating with the meal.

One of the keys to adding the last bit of taste is lightly browning the top layer of cheese. Some ovens brown it well when cooking that final 5 to 8 minutes while uncovered, but for some reason, not all of them do. If your oven doesn’t brown the top layer of cheese, turn on the broiler for a minute or two. If you have to use the broiler to brown the cheese, pay close attention and remove it as soon as you see it begin browning. It only takes a minute or two.

If you try this recipe, I’m pretty sure you’ll like it enough to serve it again — especially if you like Mexican or Tex-Mex food.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound ground venison

1 medium sweet onion (chopped)

1 can kernel corn (drained and rinsed)

1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)

2 cans Rotel tomatoes with green chilies (drained)

1 small jar pimentos (drained)

1 package fajita seasonings mix (taco mix may be substituted)

2 cups shredded taco blend cheese

4 fresh jalapeno peppers (sliced)

12-24 small corn or flour tortillas

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Sour cream

Taco sauce or salsa

Hot sauce

Pam non-stick cooking spray

PREPARATION:

Lightly brown the venison with fajita seasoning and cumin. Remove venison from pan and drain drippings back into the pan. Sauté onion in venison drippings.  Drain drippings. Stir venison, corn, beans, Rotel and pimentos into pan with onions and simmer for 5 minutes, mixing well and stirring often. Lightly brown tortillas. Spray 9 x 13 casserole dish with Pam. Cover bottom with 6 tortillas. Cover tortillas with half the venison mixture. Add slices from two jalapeno peppers. Sprinkle cheese over venison and peppers. Add a double layer of tortillas (12). Cover tortillas with half the venison mixture. Add slices from 1 jalapeno pepper. Sprinkle cheese over venison and peppers. Add slices from 1 jalapeno pepper. Preheat oven to 350. Bake (covered loosely with aluminum foil) for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove cover and bake uncovered for approximately 5 to 8 more minutes until cheese is melted. If cheese doesn’t crust and bubble, switch to broil for 1 to 2 minutes and watch carefully. Allow to stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and/or salsa. I’m not a big fan of sour cream, but I prefer it to salsa with this. Add hot sauce to personal taste.

This has vegetables in the mix, but I like to have a simple lettuce-wedge salad before eating it. You can also lightly brown a few tortillas to eat with it and add a little more crunch.