Muley Caldillo (Mexican Style Mule Deer Stew)

Name: Muley Caldillo (Mexican Style Mule Deer Stew)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Cuisine: Mexican, Latin American, American
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil; 2 1/2 pounds venison roast, cut into 1” cubes, mule deer works well; 2 medium onions, roughly diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 10-oz. can Rotel; 1 14-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes; 1 8-ounce can Roasted Hatch Green Chile peppers; 1 cup tomato salsa; 1 1/2 cups salsa verde; 1 cup chicken broth; 1 tsp. salt; 1 tsp. pepper; 1 tsp. cumin; 1 1/2 lbs. red potatoes, skin on, cut into 1” cubes; 16-ounce bag of frozen sweet corn; Tortillas and lime wedges for serving

Instructions

Prep:30minCook:1h 30min

Rummaging through the depths of a nearly empty freezer the other day revealed a nice roast from last fall’s New Mexico mule deer buck. I don’t know why, but I love Tex-Mex-style recipes with mule deer. Maybe it's because they remind me of the high-desert cactus and scrub, the roadside fresh tortilla stands, and the aroma of roasting Hatch green chile peppers that fill the late September and October air. This caldillo recipe blends slow-simmered mule deer with salsas, roasted peppers, fire-roasted tomatoes, potatoes and vegetables to make an extremely flavorful stew that instantly transports me back to western hunts. We serve the stew with lime wedges for squeezing and warm corn tortillas for soaking up every last bit of the broth.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 10:04:53 GMT