Elk Stew with Homemade Gluten Free Egg Noodles

About a year ago, Mr. Bean bought a whole bunch of elk meat from the farmer’s market. Given my resolution to use what I already had in my pantry, the elk stew meat was the perfect candidate. I didn’t want to have your normal meat stew with potatoes and vegetables (tried that with elk and I didn’t like it at all!), so I searched on Tasty Kitchen various types of stew. The recipe I picked was REALLY good and I will probably try to make it with other meat now that all the elk is gone!

Together with the fresh pasta, this recipe is very filling and very appropriate given the cold weather that doesn’t seem to want to go away! Pair it with a glass of nice red wine to make it extra special and tasty!

Elk (or Beef) Stew

Based on this recipe: Best Ever Slow Cooker Pot Roast

1+ lb. elk or beef stew meat, cubed
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
5 small carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
Handful of mushrooms, quartered
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 tbsp. brown sugar, heaping
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. italian seasonings
Dash red pepper flakes
Cornstarch

1. In a large frying pan, brown meat in oil.
2. Dump the rest of the ingredients except the cornstarch in the slow cooker. Mix until combined.
3. Dump browned meat in slow cooker. Stir stew to evenly distribute the meat.
4. Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 5 – 6 hours.
5. Turn slow cooker to high. Mix a few tablespoons of cornstarch with water. Pour rue into stew and stir. Let stew thicken. Repeat until desired consistency.
6. While stew is thickening, if meat hasn’t already fallen apart, shred it with two forks.
7. Serve over pasta and sprinkle with cheese if desired.
8. Enjoy!

I served the stew with noodles made from scratch based on Carol of Simply Gluten Free’s Gluten Free Fresh Pasta. I did change a few things: I used a slightly different flour mixture of 2/3 c. brown rice flour, 1/3 c. sorghum flour, 1/3 c. millet flour and 2/3 c. tapioca starch. I also used guar gum instead of xanthan because I ran out. I would recommend staying with xanthan like Carol’s recipe recommends. If I were to do this again, I would also make my pasta thinner and smaller.

Have you ever tried game meat? What did you think?
Linked up to Seasonal Sunday at Real Sustenance and Gluten Free Wednesdays at the Gluten Free Homemaker.

The first photo made it onto Tastespotting.com! I’m so excited!