How to Make Venison Shawarma with Quick Pickled Salad
Learn how to make Venison Shawarma with a Quick Pickled Salad with my unique and flavorful wild game twist on the classic Middle Eastern shawarma recipe.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
Venison Shawarma
- 1 whole deer or elk shank (from one leg)
- kosher salt
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teapoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 2 cups venison or beef broth
- naan bread, for serving
Quick Pickled Salad
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 ½ teapoons celery salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 store-bought can sliced pickled beets
Instructions
Slow Cooker Venison Shawarma
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Season shanks with salt
- Heat oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven on stovetop burner over medium-high heat. Add shank and fry for about 5 minutes until golden brown all over.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the dry spice mix of celery salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cardamom, cumin, coriander, and turmeric. Set aside.
- To the Dutch oven add onion, celery, broth, and ONLY HALF of the dry spice mix. Save the other half of the spice mix to add toward the end of the cooking time. Cover Dutch oven with lid or tightly with foil, and place in the oven at 350 degrees F, undisturbed, for about 3 hours.
Quick Pickled Salad
- Meanwhile, make the quick pickled salad by placing the sliced onion and cucumber into a 1-quart mason jar. Place the jar in the sink, to catch any splashes of hot vinegar later.
- In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, honey, celery salt, and pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then carefully pour the mixture into the jar over the onion and cucumber.
- Use a butter knife or spoon to press the onions down into the vinegar mixture. Let the pickled onions & cucumbers cool to room temperature (at least 30 minutes), at which point they should be pickled enough for serving.
- Cover and refrigerate leftover pickled onion and cucumbers for later. The pickled salad will be best consumed within three days, but they keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Assemble The Shawarma and Quick Pickled Salad
- Take Dutch oven out, remove lid, and use tongs or forks to shred meat off of the shank bone. Discard the bone and any undesirable tendons or fat.
- Add remaining half of the spice mix to the meat mixture and combine well.
- Serve the venison shawarma meat with the quick pickled salad and naan flatbread.
