Instant Pot Sweet and Sticky Venison

An easy and delicious meal that is perfect for busy weeknights or as a weekend "fake away" treat!

Venison is a staple in our household and features in the majority of our meals. I often end up adapting existing recipes to incorporate venison, such as this sweet and sticky venison dish. Originally discovered on Six Sisters' Stuff, it has become a beloved favourite at our table. This dish is easily prepared in the Instant Pot and delivers a delicious taste in no time!

Since we are using the Instant Pot, I recommend using a tougher cut for this dish. Stay away from the prime cuts like steak and backstrap, rather opt for cuts from the flank or even pieces that would traditionally be turned into sausage or stew meat. The soy sauce acts as a wonderful tenderiser and the Instant Pot works it's magic, leaving you with deliciously tender pieces of meat.

I have quite successfully used fallow deer and kudu for this recipe, but it will work for any type of red meat!

How to make Instant Pot Sweet and Sticky Venison

Ingredients

• 1 kg venison meat, cut into strips

• 1 tablespoon oil

• 2 cloves garlic (or 2 teaspoons garlic from a jar)

• 1/2 cup soy sauce

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/2 cup sugar (brown sugar is preferred, but white works just as well. I've also used Xylitol without problems)

• 1/2 fresh ginger

• 2 tablespoons corn starch

• 5 tablespoons water

• sesame seeds (optional)

Cooking instructions

1. Start by prepping your ingredients - cut the meat into strips about the length of your thumb and twice as thick, mince your garlic cloves and garlic, gather the soy sauce, sugar, water and corn starch. I actually prefer to mix the soy sauce, water and sugar together at this point, then I can just add it all to the pot without still having to measure while the garlic is frying. This recipe goes fairly quickly and it helps if you're not scrambling to get everything together.

2. Switch on your Instant Pot and press the SAUTE button. Add in a tablespoon of oil (I prefer canola for cooking at high heat).

3. Once the oil is nice and hot (sizzling, but not smoking) add the meat to brown. Don't overcrowd your Instant Pot as you want to get a nice sear on the meat. Transfer cooked meat to a plate and keep separate until everything is browned.

4. Add garlic and ginger to sauté for a minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic!

5. Return the meat to the pot, and add in soy sauce, water and sugar.

6. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set to PRESSURE COOK for 11 minutes. If your meat is cut into bigger chunks, consider cooking it for longer - I've gone up to 18 minutes before with tougher or larger chunks of meat.

7. Optional: while the meat is cooking, toast some sesame seeds in a pan over medium heat and keep separate.

8. When the cooking time is up, do a QUICK RELEASE of the pressure. TIP: place a dishcloth over the steam knob to prevent your kitchen being blasted with hot steam.

9. After the release, make a slurry by mixing the corn starch with a little bit of water (around 5 tablespoons). Then add the slurry to the pot and stir to combine.

10. Let the sauce cook for a bit to thicken (you will probably need to use the SAUTE function again). This step normally takes about 5 minutes.

11. Serve over rice or noodles. Sprinkle optional sesame seeds over the meat for extra flavour.

    
    

Notes

• Store any leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

• You can also turn this into a freezer meal by either freezing the cooked dish in individual portions, or freezing the meat, soy sauce, water, sugar, ginger and garlic in a freezer bag. When ready to cook, dump the whole bag into the Instant Pot with 1/2 cup of water and PRESSURE COOK for 25 minutes. Then follow steps 8 - 11 of the recipe above.

• Want to make this in the slow cooker? Simply cook the meat in the sauce for 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high!