Curried Axis Shanks with Wild Lambsquarters
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These axis shanks (listen here to learn more about axis deer and the different types of deer in North America) were gifted to me by fellow Field Staff Writer John Vile while we were together in Texas. They’d somehow made it into the back of my freezer and languished there for a couple of years until I recently found them. Thank goodness for modern vacuum sealing, these shanks didn’t have a lick of frost bite on them!
Axis are relatively small deer and a single shank can feed one hungry Adam, or maybe two normal people, so it’s up to you to serve them one per person on the bone, or to shred the meat after it’s cooked and mix it into the curry sauce in order to serve it to more people.
Lambsquarters (also known as goosefoot) are a common wild green from the amaranth family that is enjoyed the world over… except for here, where it’s considered a weed. Instead of yanking and tossing it, try bringing it home to eat! This stuff is healthy, delicious, and free – what could be better?
Lambsquarters usually come up in areas with disturbed soil in the summertime. I’ll often have it growing up opportunistically in my vegetable garden. I just leave it there until it looks like the picture below, and then I’ll pull the whole plant and harvest the tender leaves and tops, discarding the tough stems.
If you don’t have access to lambsquarters, feel free to use stinging nettle, or store-bought/homegrown spinach, which will work just fine in this recipe.
Serves: 2 very hungry people, or 4 regular
Time to make: 3.5 hours
Special Equipment: Dutch oven
Also make with: any shank or bone-in shoulder or neck cuts for the meat, any wild green (nettle, ramps, etc.) or domestic green (spinach, kale, etc.) for the lambsquarters
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Curried Axis Shanks with Wild Lambsquarters
2-4
servings30
minutes3
hours30
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
2 tablespoons lard or oil
2 bone-in axis (or small venison) shanks
Kosher salt
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon garam masala
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 ” piece ginger, peeled and minced
1 tomato chopped
Black pepper
1 cup chicken or venison stock
1 can coconut milk
4 cups lambsquarters leaves and tops (hard stems discarded), washed and loosely packed
Fresh mint or cilantro for garnish
Basmati rice to serve
Preparation
- Heat lard or oil over high heat in a Dutch oven.
- Season the shanks generously with kosher salt, then add them to the hot oil. Sear on both sides until well-browned, about 7-10 minutes total.
- Remove the shanks from the pot and reduce heat to medium-high. Add the onion and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 3 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn.
- Add the tomato paste, curry powder, and garam masala and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, or until the tomato paste begins to brown and the oil begins separating.
- Add the chopped tomato and a few cranks of black pepper, and cook 2 more minutes.
- Add the stock and coconut milk and bring to a strong simmer.
- Add the shanks back in, cover the pot, then reduce to low. Cook for 3 hours, or until shanks are very tender. Remove the shanks and set aside.
- Add the lambsquarters and cook for 5-10 more minutes (more if using kale). If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered until it thickens to your desired consistency. If too thick, add 1/4 cup water or stock at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Serve with basmati rice, placing the shanks on top of the rice, then spooning over the gravy and greens. Garnish with mint or cilantro. Enjoy!
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