With hunting season once again upon us, it’s time to attempt to read those hurried, scribbled-down notes of some great wild-game recipes that I have received from many of the big-game hunters I have met, or hunted with, over the years. The following recipes are ones I have enjoyed. For starters, I suggest you remove as much tissue and fat, as possible, from the meat to get rid of that “gamey” taste.
Deer heart steak with vegetables
All too often, the heart is discarded, yet it is tasty! After you sit down to supper with this recipe, you’ll never discard the heart again.
Ingredients:
1 deer heart
Steak spice
Dash of pepper
Garlic salt
(Vegetable Sauté)
2 large white onions, diced
1 carrot, sliced thin on diagonal
1 cup broccoli, cut in small sections
1 can mushrooms (or cup fresh brown mushrooms)
2 green peppers, cut into 3 cm sections
3 stalks celery, sliced thin on diagonal
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder
Pepper to taste
1 beef bouillon cube
Method
Rinse the heart well under cold running water. Trim off fat. Allow to stand in cold water for about 2 hours, then place in a pot of boiling, salted water. Boil for 15–20 minutes, remove, then slice (about 2 cups). Place in hot oil in skillet and sprinkle with steak spice, pepper and garlic salt. Fry, like steak, on both sides for about 15 minutes.
(Prepare vegetables): Sauté onions in oil for 5 minutes, then add remaining vegetables and sprinkle with rosemary, thyme, garlic powder and pepper. Dissolve bouillon a cup of hot water and add to vegetables. Simmer 10 minutes or to desired tenderness.
Milk venison steak
Once again, be sure to remove tissue and fat.
Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs. venison (round) steak
3 cups whole milk
½ cup flour
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
¼ cup butter, melted
Method
Place steak in a ceramic bowl and add milk until steaks are submerged. Place in refrigerator and marinate for at least 8 hours. Mix flour, salt and pepper. When you are ready to cook, remove the steaks from the milk (do not rinse the milk from the steak). Dredge steaks in flour mixture and place in melted butter in a skillet. On medium heat, brown steaks on both sides.
Curried deer steak
Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs. lean deer meat
1 large white onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tsp. mild curry powder
1 – 6 oz. can tomato paste
¼ tsp. cloves (powder)
2 cups beef stock
4 carrots, diced
½ cup raisins
1 apple, diced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
Cut meat into cubes (2 cups). Lightly brown with onions and garlic in a large oiled skillet. Add curry powder and tomato paste. Mix well. Add beef stock and stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer for 1 ½ hours.
Roast venison
Ingredients:
2-inch-thick slab of venison
½ cup flour
4 tsp. bacon fat
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp.pepper
2 cups boiling water
1 tbsp. white onion, chopped
1 tbsp. celery, chopped
Method
Lay venison on cutting board and pound flour into it. Melt fat in a large frying pan and brown the venison. Add seasonings and vegetables, and half of the water. Cover and simmer for an hour, then add the rest of the water and simmer until tender.
Venison meatloaf
Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground venison
1 egg, beaten
1 can tomato soup
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ cup dry bread crumbs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. parsley, chopped
½ cup white onions, chopped
Dash of pepper
Method
Combine ingredients.
Mix well and shape into a loaf. Place in a shallow baking dish and bake in moderate oven at 350 F for 1 ¼ hours.
Classic spinach dip
(A treat not to pass up …)
Excellent as dip with or without bread. Great on crackers.
Ingredients
10 oz. pkg. fresh spinach, chopped fine
10 oz. can water chestnuts, drained
1 cup regular mayonnaise
3 green onions, chopped
2 cups sour cream
1 pkg. vegetable soup mix
1 large round sourdough or pumpernickel loaf
Method
In a medium bowl, combine ingredients (except bread) and stir well. Scoop a large hollow out of the top of the loaf and fill with dip (reserve bread that was scooped out). Cover and refrigerate dip for at least 2 hours. Cut reserved bread into cubes and serve with the dip. Makes 4 cups.