Game stewed in sour cream
10 servings
180 minutes
Game stewed in sour cream is a traditional dish of Russian cuisine that embodies centuries of meat preparation culture. In ancient times, hunters used available ingredients to make tough game tender and aromatic. The mixture of fried onions and garlic gives the dish a rich flavor, while sour cream turns the meat into a soft, velvety delicacy. Game meat—be it wild boar, deer or duck—has a unique rich taste that sour cream harmoniously softens. Stewing for several hours makes the meat juicy and melt-in-your-mouth tender. The dish pairs perfectly with mashed potatoes or buckwheat porridge, highlighting its rich flavor. Its taste truly unfolds in cooler weather when one craves something hearty and homey.
1
We clean 4 large onions and 2 heads of garlic, chop the onion into small squares, and either crush or finely chop the garlic.
- Onion: 4 pieces
- Garlic: 2 heads
2
Cut the meat into pieces slightly smaller than a matchbox for game, and larger for domesticated meat products (it is advisable to marinate game for 3-4 hours after cutting. For the marinade, we need finely chopped garlic, juice of half a lemon, and salt and pepper — mix with the meat and place in the refrigerator. This will help reduce the odor that often deters people from consuming wild meat.
- Meat: 1.5 kg
- Garlic: 2 heads
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
3
Place a frying pan on the stove at 9 out of 9 and pour in olive oil — let it heat up (remember the dryness of the pan). In the heated oil, add two-thirds of the onion and half of the garlic you have, sauté for half a minute and then reduce the heat to 6 out of 9 and add a pinch of salt. Cook for another 5–6 minutes until the onion turns golden. Add the meat to the pan, season with two pinches of salt and pepper, then stir.
- Olive oil: 30 ml
- Onion: 4 pieces
- Garlic: 2 heads
- Salt: to taste
- Meat: 1.5 kg
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
4
Fry the meat for 15–20 minutes, stirring every 3–4 minutes. The meat may release juice, especially game — I pour it out, we don't need it. By this time, the meat is already half-cooked, add the remaining onion and garlic and mix (if the smell of the game is too strong and unpleasant, add dried or fresh basil, it will mask it and add an interesting note to the meat's flavor). If the pan is deep enough, you don't need to transfer the meat, but if the pan is small — transfer the meat to a preheated pot and pour in sour cream. Stew for 1.5–2 hours over medium heat (5 out of 9), stirring every 15–20 minutes, partially covered with a lid.
- Onion: 4 pieces
- Garlic: 2 heads
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Sour cream 35%: 700 g