What I had for dinner...

This is something I came up with after reading about traditional Italian cooking, vegetarians, beware, it is not for you! In the fall, in our local shops here in Luxembourg, we get a pretty good selection of game. Its pretty expensive (as I feel all meat should be, if it is well taken care of) so I picked up two things. One was a pre-made quail pate with pistachios and a bit of red currant jam which was very delicious, and the second was about a pound (1/2 kilo) of stewing venison. So, after reading about the Italian traditions with venison, I made a ragu (in the traditional Italian sense of long cooked meat in wine with flavorings) of venison, red wine, juniper berries, cinnamon, allspice, and rosemary. Served with pappardelle, it was really fabulous!

olive oil
one onion, finely minced
1 pound or 1/2 kilo of stewing venison
1/2 bottle of red wine (remember, the better the wine, the better the sauce)
2 Tablespoons of tomato paste (try the kind in a tube or a glass jar, its much better than canned)
10 juniper berries
1 generous teaspoon of cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon of allspice
3 large sprigs of rosemary
salt and pepper

Cover the bottom of a pan well with olive oil and add the onion. Fry on medium/medium high until softened and lightly golden. Now push to the sides and fry the venison until browned on all sides. Pour in the wine, and add all the herbs and spices. Bring to the boil, then stir in the tomato paste and turn down the heat. Simmer for 2-3 hours until the meat is very tender and the sauce is thick (I covered the pan for most of the cooking time to get the right thickness). Season with salt and pepper. Serve with noodles.