The shank of any critter, in this case a mule deer, is one of the most underestimated and therefore flavorfully surprising pieces of meat. Because of it’s many tendons and connective tissues, it needs to be cooked very gently and slowly to loosen everything into the perfect shredded bits for your tacos, rice bowls, baked potato toppings, you name it.

This is not a quick recipe.

You’ll have to braise it for 5 hours. Before that, you’ll have to let it marinate for 10 hours. But even before that, you’ll spend several days in the forest, crossing rivers, hiking steep ridges, and not seeing any deer. Then, just moments before daybreak, you’ll peek over a rise to see 2 mule deer bucks sparring each other in the purple morning light. You and your life/ love/ now hunting partner will each harvest one just minutes and a few yards apart. The sun will break across the trees and there will be several more hours and days of hard, greatful work ahead before you can even begin thinking about cooking this recipe. But when you do, it’s the meal you’ve cared most about in your whole life.

Adobada Sauce

4 dried guajillo chiles - stems + seeds removed, torn into chunks

2 dried pasilla chiles - stems + seeds removed, torn into chunks

6 garlic cloves - smashed

2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

2 Tbs. honey

2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. cloves

1 Tbs. salt

Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat and toss in the dried chiles. Cook them until they’re blistered and pliable. Add the chiles to a bowl and cover with hot water. Place a small plate on top of them to keep them submerged. Let them soak for 1 hour.

Add the chiles, 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid, and the remaining ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth. Yields about 2 cups.

Braising the Shanks

About 3 pounds of venison shanks

1 batch of Abodoba sauce

Let your shanks rest at room temperature for a bit, and pat them dry. Rub with salt and pepper. Heat a cast iron pan to medium-high heat and sear the shanks on all sides until they’re golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Add them to a roasting dish and cover them with your abodoba sauce. Cover and refrigerate for up to 10 hours.

Heat the oven to 300F. Cover your roasting dish with tinfoil, and braise the shanks for 4.5 - 5 hours, rotating them halfway through for an even braise.

Let them rest until you can handle them enough to remove the bone and shred into shards of deliciousness.

Serve your homemade meal in a handmade dish with rice, on a taco, over a baked potato, or whatever suits your fancy.

Adobada Venison Shanks + How to Find Them