Venison in Dark Beer

Start by preparing the venison: trim off membranes and sinew, cut into 3-4 cm cubes. Pat dry with paper towels, season lightly 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 strainer.

Have the beef stock, measured dark beer, and tomato paste ready. Set aside sugar and butter for finishing the sauce.

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

Add the onion to the drippings and saute 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 saute another 5-7 minutes until they begin to caramelize.

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

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

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

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

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