Venison in Dark Beer

Trim the meat of membranes and any sinew, and cut into 3-4 cm cubes. Pat the meat dry with paper towels and lightly season with salt and pepper.

Peel the carrots, celeriac, and parsley root and cut into thicker slices or batons. roughly chop the onion, peel the garlic, and lightly crush it. If using, prepare thyme sprigs, a bay leaf, and allspice in a small muslin bag or spice mesh.

Prepare the beef stock and measure out the beer and tomato paste. have sugar and butter ready to finish the sauce.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in two to three batches so the pot isn't overcrowded - sear each batch on all sides until a deep golden-brown crust forms (about 4-5 minutes per batch). Remove the browned meat and set aside.

Add the onion to the pan juices and sauté over medium heat until the edges brown (4-6 minutes), then add the garlic and cook briefly (30-60 seconds). Add the prepared root vegetables and sauté another 5-7 minutes until they begin to caramelize.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook briefly (1-2 minutes), then sprinkle in a teaspoon of sugar. Return the meat to the pot, add the bay leaf, allspice, whole peppercorns, and thyme sprigs (or place the spices in the muslin).

Pour in the dark beer and add beef stock so the meat is almost covered. Bring to a boil and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot while occasionally stirring.

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for approximately 2 hours, checking every half hour and adding stock as needed. The meat is done when tender and easily pierced with a fork. the sauce should thicken.

Finally, remove the bay leaf, the spice bag, and the thyme sprigs. Taste and adjust the sauce with salt. If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered briefly to reduce. for a smoother texture, purée part of the vegetables directly in the sauce with an immersion blender or mash them with a wooden masher. Stir in a knob of cold butter at the end for gloss and richness.

Serve the venison topped with the thick sauce alongside bread dumplings or potato dumplings, or boiled potatoes. Garnish with a sprig of thyme and, if desired, skim any excess fat from the surface of the sauce.