This Elk Pot Roast is the Perfect Holiday Meal

Roast is a popular holiday meal. It's large enough to feed a multitude of people, plus it's pretty darn tasty. Often, it's served with carrots, potatoes, celery, and maybe some cornbread or a solid roll. While the traditional roast is made from beef, elk hunters are likely to have some choice cuts of elk roast on hand after what we hope was a successful elk hunting season. If not, this recipe can be made with moose or venison roast. (If you're fresh out of wild game meat, you can go the beef route too!)

Elk roast can be a tougher cut, but after hours of cooking with these prime ingredients, you will have a melt-in-your-mouth meal that your guests will rave about for weeks to come.

Oven Roasted Holiday Elk Pot Roast

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Wide Open Spaces (@wospaces)

Ingredients

• 2-2.5 pound elk roast
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons salt, more or less as needed
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, more or less as needed
• 1 large onion, large chopped
• 3 celery stalks, large chopped
• 4-5 whole carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• ½ cup red wine
• 1 (16-ounce can) tomato paste
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1.5-1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, whole

Recipe Directions

1. Remove any silver skin from the roast, then pat dry using paper towels. Season roast all over liberally with salt and black pepper. Let the roast sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 275° F.
3. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter and the olive oil. Once heated, sear the roast for 1 to 2 minutes per side until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
4. In the same Dutch oven, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add in onion and celery and sauté just until they start to become tender, 3 minutes.
5. Add in garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
6. Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any brown bits off the bottom. Add in tomato paste and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stirring often.
7. Add in beef broth and return to a simmer. Once simmering, add the venison roast back into the Dutch oven. Add in carrots and potatoes around the roast. Place a sprig of rosemary and thyme on top. Cover with the lid and cook until the roast, carrots, and potatoes are fork tender, about 2.5-3 hours.
8. Remove the roast and shred it with two forks. Arrange the carrots and potatoes around the roast for serving. Pour some of the cooking juices over the top and garnish with additional rosemary and thyme if desired.

READ MORE: The Perfect Winter Morning Meal: Elk Gravy and Biscuit Casserole