RSS

Category Archives: Recipes

Hunters, This is a Game-Changer! Sous Vide Cooking for Wild Game

I’ve never thought of myself as a trend setter. Nor have I ever been one of those people who stands in line to be the first to own the newest gadget. More of a traditionalist, I’d say. I keep my phone until is seizes up and takes its last breath. I don’t need Alexa or Siri interfering in my personal affairs. But I came across a contraption recently that has changed the way I look at wild game cookery. I think I’d stand in line for one of these.

My college-aged nephew introduced me to SOUS VIDE cooking. During a recent visit to his place, I had noticed something peculiar on the counter in his kitchen. He told me that, about 3 hours earlier, he had plopped a frozen, vacuum-sealed venison football roast into a regular pot of water with a sous-vide contraption clamped to the side of the pot. He showed me how he set the temperature and time by pressing some buttons.

This is a football roast that I prepared. It was not frozen when it went into the water so I set the time for 2 hours rather than 3.

(I believe incantations surely must have been chanted.) When the three hours were up, I watched, mesmerized, as he removed the meat from its hot water bath, freed it from the plastic bag, seared that puppy up for color in a smoking hot skillet and served me some of the best venison roast I have ever had (and I’ve had a lot!)

The meat was juicy, flavorful and as tender as backstrap or tenderloin. It was wonderfully medium rare from edge to edge. I reeled!

“This Changes everything!”, I stammered.

Deerslayer agreed as he sampled the roast. The ability to season raw meat, place it in a vacuum-sealed or zip-lock bag, drop it in a pot of hottish water (not boiling) and walk away blew my mind. No stove, no crock pot. This cooking method is perfect for the 107 degree summer days in south Texas. It brings the meat just to the perfect temperature for your desired doneness (obviously medium rare) and then keeps it there until you are ready for it… without overcooking it or heating up the kitchen! The only conventional stove usage is at the very end for a beautiful sear. Done.

I’m so excited about this new method of preparing venison that I want to share my experiences. I plan to experiment with other varieties of wild game as well. However, I will not be providing a review of my Anova because, as I discovered, there’s plenty of information on the internet for you to check out on your own and videos available. I’ll let you know when I find some great sous vide tips and where I find them. I hope you will follow me as I delve into these new uncharted waters. I’ll keep you posted!

4 Comments

Posted by thedeerslayerswife on September 20, 2018 in Cooking, Recipes, Uncategorized, Venison

Tags: sous vide, venison sous vide cooking

Leftover Venison Shanks! Yay!

01 Jan

Of course it was a wonderful Christmas holiday! The family was together and there was no shortage of food. As a special treat for our older daughter, I prepared Hank Shaw’s Venison Shanks in Garlic Wine sauce using meat from the deer that she harvested over Thanksgiving. Since she’s moved out on her own while she works on a doctorate, it was also a training session. It’s always beneficial to cook for yourself when you have healthy lean meat at your disposal. But when you can get a second meal, all the better.

I had already shared with her that she could kill two birds with one stone by doubling up on the sauce. Rather than preparing Hank’s recipe as written, it’s better to double the amount of sauce so there will be some left. If there’s also meat left over, all the better.

Chopped Venison Shank with Mushrooms in Garlic and White Wine over Noodles

8 oz. of sliced mushrooms
a bit of butter
a sprinkle of salt and pepper
leftover sauce
chopped, leftover shank meat (or cook-all-day meat, or whatever cooked meat bits you happen to have)
a package of egg noodles (prepared as directed)

In a cast iron skillet, melt a bit of butter and sauté mushrooms. Add a touch salt and pepper.

Add leftover sauce (it may be a bit gelatinous) to the skillet and stir in, lowering heat to a simmer until sauce is heated through.

Add any leftover meat and heat through.

Serve over egg noodles with a side of nice veggies.

Hunters, Read This Before It’s Too Late!

08 Dec

Okay, this isn’t actually an emergency. But it IS one of those things that needs to be said early in the hunting season. Read on.

As many of you know, I’m a huge fan of Hank Shaw, celebrated author of several outstanding wild game cookbooks and my go-to source for anything related to cooking wild game, foraging or fishing. About a year ago, as I was leafing through my copy of Hank’s cookbook, Buck, Buck, Moose (available at Amazon, walmart.com, and Barnes & Noble) I stumbled upon several recipes that really piqued my interest. Unfortunately, the recipes required venison shanks. It never really dawned on me that I wouldn’t have the correct cut of meat needed to prepare the feast. I’ve always been a huge proponent of using every inch of any animal that my Deerslayer harvests. And yet I stood in front of an open freezer looking for a key ingredient that I didn’t have.

Thus the warning! Don’t toss those shanks away. If you know that a delicious meal can be had, why would you?

These are the fore and hind shanks from one animal. They provided 2 meals.

The recipe that I decided to try was Hank’s Braised Venison Shanks with Garlic.

You can find his recipe and directions here.

: The recipe calls for the shanks to be browned on all sides (except the shin side) in a container large enough to hold them. That was tricky. The only thing I could find large enough to accommodate the shanks was my turkey roaster. I have to admit that it didn’t work great because it doesn’t conduct heat like cast iron but it got the job done.

Because of the width of my turkey roaster, I doubled the ingredients needed for the braising liquid. It turned out for the best because the braising liquid is then used to make a sauce that is superb! There was sauce left over. You’ll want to use it on leftovers, pasta, anything.

Everything fits and it’s ready for the lid.

The meat is on a cookie sheet ready to be basted with the sauce I prepared and glazed in the oven for some more time to optimize the roasted garlic flavor.

The masterful photographs that accompany Mr. Shaw’s recipes are beyond compare. When I tried to serve my shanks “on the bone”, they rolled off the plate and made a mess. I cut the meat from the bones, which didn’t make as beautiful a presentation, but saved my tablecloth… and rug and clothing.

An outstanding dish…. loved by all.

Save the leftovers. I have another recipe for them!

7 Comments

Posted by thedeerslayerswife on December 8, 2017 in Axis, Hunting, hunting in South Texas, Processing wild game, Recipes, Uncategorized, Venison, Wild Pork

Tags: processing venison, venison recipes, venison shanks

Grocery List for Three Meals at the Hunting Camp

18 Oct

For me, one of the most difficult things to plan for when heading out for a weekend at the hunting camp is what groceries to take. I don’t want to take so much food that it will end up back in the cooler and brought home again. Also, we don’t always want to grill for every meal so I figured out a way to get three meals out of one evening at the BBQ grill.

With the list of groceries that I’m going to share, you can prepare grilled chicken and vegetables, huevos rancheros, and grilled chicken tacos; one evening at the grill, three meals. Of course some of the veggies can vary according to preference. The veggies needed for the tacos and huevos rancheros will be indicated.

Grocery list:

chicken thighs (about 2 for each person plus one extra per person for the tacos)
one red bell pepper per person (bell pepper will also be used in the tacos)
1 small onion per person, thinly sliced (can be served with the chicken, will be used in huevos rancheros and tacos)
1 jalapenño per person, stem end, seeds removed (will be used in the huevos rancheros and tacos)
other veggie of choice to grill for dinner the first night, suggestions include, asparagus, yellow or zucchini squash (or calabaza if you can get it), or whatever you prefer
olive oil or olive oil cooking spray
seasoned salt
2 eggs per person
2 cans of fire roasted tomatoes
Flour tortillas, the cook-yourself kind if you can find them in the refrigerated biscuit section of your grocer
grated cheddar cheese for tacos

Along with the items on the grocery list, pick up a stack of small aluminum pans. They make clean up so much easier.

Cut ends off peppers, remove seeds and inner membrane, remove stem from squash and quarter length-wise, quarter onion, coat with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with seasoned salt

Set hot charcoal on one side. Place aluminum pan with seasoned chicken on opposite side.

After chicken has cooked for a while, add veggies and cook until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.

Meal one.

Meal two: Take leftover onions, jalapeno pepper, and half can of fire-roasted tomatoes. Heat through. Push off to one side. Add eggs and cook as desired. We prefer our eggs over easy.

My favorite canned tomatoes!

Meal Three: Chicken Tacos. Heat up some flour tortillas.

Chop up leftover chicken.

Combine and heat chicken, other half of the canned tomatoes, any leftover grilled onion and jalapeno.

Great chicken tacos

7 Comments

Posted by thedeerslayerswife on October 18, 2017 in camping, camping in South Texas, Hunting, hunting in South Texas, Hunting property, Recipes

Tags: food to pack for hunting trip, grocery list for hunting, recipes for hunting camp

TexMex Venison and/or Wild Pork Enchiladas

31 Aug

It’s really hot outside. And, yet, it’s time to start preparing for deer season. It’s time to fill feeders and fix feeder pens. And check on the game cameras. It’s time to clean out coolers.

For the Deerslayer’s Wife, it’s also time to start thinking about meals that can be packaged up ahead and prepared in a jiffy but still be worthy of the hunter that made them possible.

Enchiladas are great because they can be prepared ahead, frozen, packaged, and served a few at a time depending on how many you need.

The cookie sheet can be placed directly into the freezer for a few hours until the enchiladas are frozen through.

Frozen on a cookie sheet

Easily lifted off

….and labeled to store until needed.

The trick to having fresh (not soggy) tasting enchiladas is to package up the sauce separately, heat it, and pour over the enchiladas before they are heated in the oven or on a bbq pit and served.

Sauce can be made and poured up into smaller jars that can be taken, in a cooler, to the hunting camp. I’ve used canning jars and larger plastic containers with screw-on lids.

I’ve taken several varieties on hunting/camping trips, Venison/Wild Pork Enchiladas with Creamy Poblano Sauce, Cheese Enchiladas with Venison Chili con Carne, and Pheasant (or Duck or Chicken) Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce.

This recipe is kind of a variation of a couple of the others. It has all the flavor and cheesy appeal of cheese enchiladas with the extra heartiness of a meat filled enchiladas. Everyone really enjoyed these so I thought I’d share. I always prepare enough to serve as dinner the night I fix it and freeze the rest for an upcoming hunting/camping trip.

Enchilada Filling

1 lb. cooked, shredded venison and/or wild pork (see all day cooking method in “Come and Take It”)

1 tsp.chili powder, comino (cumin) and salt or to taste

enough beef stock and/or drippings from all-day-cooked meat to moisten the mixture

about 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, divided (the more the better, I always say)

a package of corn tortillas (NOT FLOUR)

Enchilada Sauce

2-3 Tbsp. bacon grease
3 Tbsp. flour
½ green or red bell pepper, diced, seeds removed
½ onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. black pepper
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 10 oz. can tomatoes (with or w/o chilies to taste)
2 tsp. garlic salt
½ cup water

to make enchiladas

In a cast iron skillet, season shredded venison and/or wild pork with chili powder, comino, and salt to taste. Add enough stock or drippings to moisten the meat a little.

Tim's Nilgui 018

In a separate small skillet, heat about a 1/2 inch of cooking oil. When oil is just starting to shimmer, coat one corn tortilla, one side at a time, until tortilla is soft, just a couple of seconds.

I discovered these great rubber-tipped tongs that do not tear the corn tortillas! Priceless!

Lay corn tortilla on a flat surface. Spread with a line of seasoned meat and cheddar cheese.

Roll enchilada and place, seam side down, in a 9×13 baking dish or on a cookie sheet,

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Continue this process until you have rolled as many enchiladas as you have meat.

If you want, set aside the number of enchiladas you want to cook for a meal right away.

Then place the rest of the enchiladas in the freezer for several hours until frozen through.

For the sauce

Melt the bacon grease in a cast iron skillet, saute all veggies until translucent. cheese enchiladas 001

Add remaining ingredients, stir, and simmer, covered, about 1 hour until tender and cooked down to thick gravy.

cheese enchiladas 008

Stir periodically to prevent sticking to the pan. Using an emersion blender or regular blender, blend sauce until smooth.

cheese enchiladas 013

At this point, you can pour what you need over your enchiladas in an ovenproof dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake at 350º for about 30 minutes until bubbling and cheese is melted.

Pour extra sauce into jars to take on your hunting trip.

Note:

For a hunting/camping trip, preparing a meal that has as little cleanup as possible is almost always my goal. Multi-packs of small foil pans are readily available at most grocers these days. I have discovered that enough frozen enchiladas (thawed) for a meal can be placed in one of these aluminum baking containers, heated sauce poured over the top, and cheese sprinkled on. Cover and seal the pan with additional foil and place on a bbq pit off to the side of some medium hot coals for about 20 minutes or so depending on how hot the coals are. The pan should be turned a couple of times for even heating. Check the progress. The enchiladas are ready when the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted.

4 Comments

Posted by thedeerslayerswife on August 31, 2017 in camping, camping in South Texas, Hunting, hunting in South Texas, Recipes, Uncategorized, Venison, Wild Pork

Tags: cheese enchiladas with wild game, food for hunting, freezing enchiladas, packaging enchiladas for camping, using wild game in enchiladas, Venison enchiladas, Wild pork enchiladas

Axis Bacon-Wrapped Garlic Roast

12 Apr

Get a bunch of hunters sittin’ around a fire and ask ’em what they think of axis deer meat. I’m guessing that the consensus, after a couple of contemplative sips of beer and a good deal of head-nodding, is that axis meat is top notch. The flavor and texture are superlative. For several years, I’ve heard hunters say that they’d just as soon eat axis as any other variety of wild game, with the possible exception of elk. I have to agree.

This is the beginning of my comparison between Axis and whitetail meat. After a sip of beer, I’ll share my experience.

This is a football roast from a small axis. It is from the hindquarter. It’s larger than that of a whitetail. Also, notice the thick layer of silverskin. I discovered that it isn’t as tough or chewy as whitetail. The roast has been placed on a roasting rack and placed over a small oven-proof pan to catch drippings. I have to admit that this set-up is a little precarious and requires some coordination when it comes to placing the roast in the oven. What can I say? I ride the ragged edge of disaster. Use a roasting pan that is larger than the rack if you wish. Problem solved.

Notice the rich, mahogany color of the meat. I cut the roast most of the way through, then filled the cavity with minced garlic and salt and pepper.

I tied up the roast on the roasting rack.

I covered the entire top of the roast with more minced garlic. Yeah, it’s a lot. A lot of fabulous!

Take thick-sliced, maple bacon, cut each slice in half and lay across the top of the roast. Place in a 350 degree oven. Roast for about one hour.

I always throw a pan of root veggies in the oven at the same time as the roast. I add sliced onions, carrots, potatoes, cubed sweet potatoes, a drizzle of olive oil, plenty of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, all tossed together with my hands in a 9×13 baking dish. Add about a cup of water or stock to the pan. This can go into the oven with the roast and will be ready at the same time!

3 Comments

Posted by thedeerslayerswife on April 12, 2017 in Axis, Hunting, Processing wild game, Recipes, Uncategorized, Venison

Tags: Axis deer, Axis deer recipes, axis vs. white tail deer, bacon-wrapped axis roast

Backstrap Scraps with Mushroom and Onion Gravy

06 Mar

Every hunter knows that the backstrap is one of the most prized cuts of meat from a deer hunting harvest. Seared or fried up into steaks, it just doesn’t get any better. However, up near the neck of the deer, there’s some meat that is technically still backstrap but doesn’t lend itself to the traditional applications. The meat is just as tender and succulent as the delicious lower portion, it’s just ummm… scrappy and shouldn’t be wasted.

Recently, I grabbed some meat from the freezer that had been appropriately labeled “axis backstrap neck meat”. It was indeed pretty scrappy.

I cleaned it up, removing the fascia or silver skin from the meat. Then I cut it into chunks.

Notice the pile of tissue that I removed from the meat. DON’T THROW IT AWAY! Bag it up, put it in the freezer and save it to use for stock or toss it in with your cook-all-day meat.

I liberally seasoned the meat with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then I sprinkled flour over the whole mess and tossed to coat.

I browned it on all sides in a hot skillet with melted butter just for a couple of minutes so that meat stayed medium rare.

Then I removed the meat to a plate and set it in warm oven.

I sauted an onion, thinly sliced, in the same skillet with a little more butter until browned and softened, almost caramelized. I added mushrooms and stirred until the mushrooms were also browned. I set those aside in a bowl so I could make the gravy.

I melted a quarter cup of butter in the skillet. I added two tablespoons of flour and stirred until smooth scraping up all the tasty, browned bits to make a roux. I whisked in a cup of stock, a quarter cup of red wine, and about a quarter cup of Worcestershire (more or less to taste), stirring constantly. I heated it on low/medium heat just until slightly thickened. I added the mushrooms and onions back into the sauce and mixed until combined.

I served the gravy over the backstrap scraps and some lovely garlic mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

about 2 lbs. of scrappy backstrap neck meat, chunked
liberal amount of salt and pepper mix
enough flour to coat meat chunks
2-3 tbsp. butter, another 2-3 tbsp. butter, about a quarter cup of butter (Alright, about a stick of butter, divided)
a medium onion, sliced thinly
8 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced
about 2 tbsp. flour for the gravy
1 cup dark stock (beef or venison)
¼ cup red wine
about ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

2 Comments

Posted by thedeerslayerswife on March 6, 2017 in Axis, Recipes, Uncategorized, Venison

Tags: Axis deer recipes, backstrap and mushrooms, backstrap reipes, venison recipes

The Deerslayer's Wife

Category Archives: Recipes

Hunters, This is a Game-Changer! Sous Vide Cooking for Wild Game

Leftover Venison Shanks! Yay!

Hunters, Read This Before It’s Too Late!

Grocery List for Three Meals at the Hunting Camp

TexMex Venison and/or Wild Pork Enchiladas

Axis Bacon-Wrapped Garlic Roast

Backstrap Scraps with Mushroom and Onion Gravy

Ingredients:

Follow Blog via Email

Follow me on Twitter

Recent Posts

Archives

Categories

Meta

Blogs I Follow