Venison Barbacoa

I have had this Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook recipe for Venison Barbacoa bookmarked for awhile now, and earlier this fall I had My Charming Companion keep 3 lbs of a deer's front quarter whole specifically for this recipe. (Usually the front quarters get used for burger and sausage - so this made the butchering go faster!) I made the barbacoa this weekend, and it turned out super delicious. It's a really interesting recipe that uses a lot of cloves. Cloves?! I don't know if I've ever put more than 1/8 or 1/4 tsp of cloves in anything, and this recipe, which is decidedly not sweet (like most clove inclusive recipes) called for a full teaspoon?! And for whatever reason, it seems that the cloves are sort of what make this dish. It's really good, and I would never in a million years have guessed the spices in it.

If you don't have some venison front quarter hanging out in your freezer, 3 lbs of any tougher beef will also do (I found a list of all the larger, chewier cuts that get really tender in stew):
• Chuck, Chuck Shoulder, Chuck Roast, Chuck-Eye Roast, Top Chuck
• Bottom Round Roast, Bottom Eye Roast, Rump Roast, Eye Round Roast, Top Round, Round Tip Roast
• English Roast, Pot Roast, Stew Meat

I ended up cooking this recipe in the oven in a roasting pan covered in foil, which worked just fine. A crock pot or a big dutch oven would be ideal though. I also found that I had PLENTY of left over liquid (which got saved for a future chili), so I think you could go a little lighter on the broth. I have not tried it yet though.

This is the recipe exactly as written by Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook because for real, it was just so good (especially with avocado and some thinly sliced red cabbage)! I did keep out the garlic and was out of lime juice, so alter it as needed (but do use the cloves):

Serves 4-6
2 to 3 pounds venison, from the shoulder or legs
2 to 4 canned chipotles in adobo sauce 
1 red onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ cup lime juice
½ cup cider vinegar
1 quart beef or venison stock
1/4 cup lard
Smoked salt (optional)

1. Put everything in a slow cooker or Dutch oven and cook, covered, until the meat falls off the bone (if yours is on the bone!), which will be between 2 hours (for many domestic meats and young deer) and 6 hours if you have a very old animal. If you use a slow cooker, set it to “high.” If you use a regular pot, put it into the oven set to 300°F.
2. Pull all the meat from the bones and shred with forks or your fingers (this is the most laborious part of the whole thing) - I did this in another pan. Stir in the lard and as much smoked salt as you want. You want the lard or oil to coat the shreds of meat. Pour over some of the juices from the pot. Serve with whatever your version of tacos is (wrapped in lettuce or cabbage?) or as is.