Shredded Italian Venison Sandwiches

There’s nothing quite like turning a hearty venison roast into a rich, melt-in-your-mouth sandwich that’s perfect for game day, family dinners, or feeding a hungry crew after time in the woods. These Shredded Italian Venison Sandwiches are slow-cooked to perfection in a flavorful broth with onions, garlic, and just the right balance of tangy pepperoncini juice and savory herbs. The result is fork-tender venison that’s juicy and full of Italian-inspired flavor. Pile it high on a toasted French bread roll, top it with provolone cheese, and finish it off with a spoonful of zesty giardiniera for that authentic Chicago-style kick. Whether you use a Dutch oven or let it simmer all day in the slow cooker, this recipe transforms your wild harvest into a crowd-pleasing sandwich that’ll quickly become a go-to in your wild game lineup.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6–8 hours
Total Time: 6–8 hours 15 minutes

Servings: 6–8

Ingredients

2–4 lbs Venison Roast (shoulder, neck, or hindquarter)

2 tsp Garlic Powder

2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Black Pepper

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 Large Onion, sliced

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 tbsp Beef Bouillon Paste (such as Better Than Bouillon)

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

2–3 tbsp Pepperoncini Juice (from the jar, no peppers)

3-4 cups Beef Broth

2 Bay Leaves

½ tsp Rosemary

For Serving

French Bread Rolls

Chicago Style Hot or Mild Giardiniera

Provolone Cheese Slices

Recipe Directions

Dutch Oven Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Remove all silver skin and unwanted pieces from venison roast. Pat the roast dry and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder all over.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown roast on all sides. Once browned, remove the roast from the Dutch oven and set aside.
4. In the now empty pot, add onions, and saute until translucent. Then add in garlic and sauté until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
5. Stir in bouillon paste, Worcestershire, and pepperoncini juice. Scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
6. Pour in enough beef broth so that the liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the roast- not fully submerge it. Then add in rosemary, bay leaves.
7. Cover your Dutch oven and cook at 300°F for 4–5 hours, until the venison is fork tender.
8. Remove bay leaves, then the venison roast, shred with forks, and return to juices.
9. Serve on toasted French bread with provolone cheese and then top with giardiniera.
   
   

Slow Cooker Method

1. Season venison all over with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
2. Optional: Sear the venison roast on all sides.
3. Add venison to a slow cooker with onion, garlic, bouillon paste, Worcestershire, banana pepper juice, broth, bay leaves and rosemary.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours, until venison shreds easily.
5. Shred meat, return to juices, taste and add any additional salt and pepper if needed.
6. Serve on toasted French bread with provolone cheese, spoon over some jus from the pot and then top with giardiniera.