Sous Vide Venison Pot Roast with Harissa

One of the challenges when cooking very lean wild game is cooking it long enough to break down the muscle while also keeping moisture in the meat. Sous vide solves this problem with precise temperature control in a fully humid environment. The texture of sous vide slow-cooked game like this pot roast is simply superior to traditional techniques. For this recipe we are cooking at 155°F (68°C) for 30 hours. Any cut of roast from any wild game animal will work.

Author

Connor Gabbot

Prep Time: 00:30

Recipe Time: 30:00

Temperature : 155F / 68.3C

Ingredients

• 1 (3- to 4-lb) venison roast
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• ½ cup harissa paste
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp fine salt, divided
• ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
• ⅓ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup goat cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 10 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped
• 5 sprigs fresh mint, chopped
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pack instant gravy mix

Directions

1. Attach an Anova Precision Cooker to a vessel of water and set the temperature to 155°F (68°C).
2. Trim the venison roast of all fat and connective tissue and truss with butcher's twine to maintain its shape while cooking. Transfer to a vacuum-seal bag with the butter.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the harissa, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Add to the bag with the roast.
4. Vacuum seal the bag with the roast and transfer to the water bath. Cook for 30 hours.
5. When the roast is close to finished, make the yogurt sauce: In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt, sour cream, goat cheese, garlic, cilantro, mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt until well combined.

Finishing Steps

1. Remove the roast from the bag and transfer to a cutting board. Pour the cooking liquid into a pot. Bring the cooking liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat and whisk in enough gravy mix, still simmering, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
2. Slice the roast into ¼-inch-thick pieces, place into the gravy, and bring to a gentle simmer to heat through.
3. Serve the pot roast with the yogurt sauce and the sides of your choice.