Big Game- Elk, Venison, Bear and such.

[Claude Mathis]

Venison Steaks (Mrs. Webster, The Improved Housewife, 1854)

Ingredients:

Medium size steaks
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Currant jelly
Wine
Many of the old recipes had no amounts for items used, just common knowledge of the day.

Preparation:

Take nice size steaks from the neck or haunch while having your griddle well buttered, and fire clear and hot (cook in a hot frying pan). Lay steaks on the bars and boil rapidly, turning often not to lose or a drop of juice. They will take three or four minutes longer than fine beef steaks. Have a chafing dish, a pinch of salt, a little pepper, a tablespoon of currant -jelly for every pound, and a glass of wine for every (4) pounds. This should be liquid, and warmed by boiling water under a dish, heat in a saucepan. Lay each steak in the mixture and turn over twice. Cover closely and let all heat together, with fresh hot water underneath -serve in an ordinary dish, covered.

Submitted by buck conner

 

[Claude Mathis]

Bear Hams (Mrs. Roper, Phila Cook Book, 1886)

Ingredients:

Bear meat hams
Salt
(1) ounce of saltpeter
(1/2)pound of coarse sugar
(1/2)pound of coarse salt
Juniper wood
Molasses
Juniper berries
Basil
Sage
Bay-leaves
Thyme
Many of the old recipes had no amounts for items used, just common knowledge of the day.

Preparation:

Bear meat is best roasted and may be treated the same as pork, cooking twenty minutes to every pound. Prepare the hams in the usual manner by rubbing them with common salt and draining them; Take (1) ounce of saltpeter, half a pound of coarse sugar and the same quantity of salt; rub it well into the ham, and in three days pour a pint of vinegar over it. A fine foreign flavor may also be given to the bear hams by pouring old strong beer over them and burning juniper wood while they are drying; molasses, juniper berries and highly-flavored herbs, such as basil, sage, bay-leaves and thyme mingled together, and the hams well rubbed with it, using only a sufficient quantity of salt to assist in the cure, will afford an agreeable variety.

Submitted by buck conner

 

[Claude Mathis]

Backstrap Stew

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil (more as needed)
1 1/2 to 2 lbs Venison (the cut of your choice)
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon season salt
2 medium onions
3-4 large garlic cloves
14.5 oz can beef broth
8oz can tomato sauce
3 stalks celery
2 good sized potatoes
2 large carrots (or a handful of baby carrots)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp Thyme
1/4 tsp Marjoram

Preparation

Cut the veggies into 1" chunks. (Leaving the skin on the potatos gives it more texture and a more rustic finish.) Put the flour and season salt into a plastic bag. Cut the venison into chunks and shake in the flour. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or large stock pot. Brown the meat and onion until the onion is soft and translucent. Mince the garlic and add with all of the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for a couple of hours.

Serves well with a good beer, rustic rolls and butter.

Submitted by Pork Chop

 

[Claude Mathis]

Dutch Oven Backstrap

Ingredients:

Venison back strap, onion, potatoes, flour, salt, pepper

Preparation:

Thin slice back strap, cut potatoes and onions to desired size, put in dutch oven with enough water to cover cook until potatoes are tender add a little flour, salt and pepper to taste! Don't get any better or simpler than this!

Submitted by East Texas

 

[Claude Mathis]

Slow Roast Venison Shoulder

Ingredients:

1 whole front shoulder of a small deer
Montreal Steak Seasoning

Preparation:

Large roasting pan with lid and wire rack

Coat the shoulder liberally with Steak Seaoning. Place on rack in roasting pan and cook in 275 degree oven. Turn shoulder in pan at 2 1/2 hour mark, then cook for another 2 1/2 hours. Remove from oven, let sit for 15 minutes then pull meat from bone. Great served as is, or with barbecue sauce like pulled pork, or on a tortilla like a fajita.

Submitted by: Ihuntsnook

 

[Claude Mathis]

Grilled Buffalo Steaks

Ingredients:

Buffalo steaks, I used sirloins
1 cup merlot
1/2 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon dried onion flakes

Preparation:

mix the ingredients in a ziploc bag, marinate the steaks for 3 hours in the frig, turning the bag every hour or more.

I grilled the steaks over indirect heat in a Weber grill with the coals raked to the sides, with the steaks in the middle, turning about every four minutes, pouring a little marinate on the steaks after each turn, and then finished with the steaks directly over the coals for a minute each side, total cooking time was 15 minutes.

Submitted by: will5a1

 

[Claude Mathis]

Elk Burger Gravy

Ingredients:

1LB-Elk Burger (no fat added just ground elk)
1 can campbells Cream of mushroom soup
2 cups water
Corn starch to thicken (about a heaping tablespoon)
Salt, pepper, Steak seasoning (wife uses Dean's Natural Grill Roast'n Steak) to taste

Preparation:

Brown the ground elk in a large pan (no added oil needed if you watch it)
Add Soup & water, stir in and bring to a simmer.
Thicken with corn starch.
Season to taste.
Serve over mashed potatoes, biscuits, or however you would use Hamburger Gravy.

Submitted by Sean Gadhar

 

[S.Kenton]

Venison backstrap
Fire up grill,
Butterfly the backs traps to be grilled.
Place on grill and sprinkle with onion powder, garlic powder and Montreal steak seasoning,flip over and do other side.
Grill until pink in the center.
Simple and good!

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Had this for dinner last night. Hard to tell it from beef.

Venison Corned Beef


½ Cup Canning Salt

½ Cup Mortons TenderQuick

3 Tbsp. Sugar

2 Tbsp. Pickling Spice

2 Bay Leaves

8 Pepper Corns

2 Cloves Garlic

2 Qt. Water


Combine ingredients. Heat to boil. Cool to room temp. Add meat. Soak for 4 – 5 days in refrigerator. After brine soak you can boil immediately or freeze for later.

 

[Jamie from Alberta]

Dang it!

Boys are making me hungry

 

[gds260]

Spiedies
1 cup white vinegar or wine vinegar
2 cups olive oil
8 sm. cloves of fresh garlic, minced
2 tablespoons oregano
2 teaspoon onion flakes
1 teaspoon salt (up to 3 for taste)
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
5 lbs venison (cubed into 1-1/2" +/- chunks)

Mix all ingredients except meat into a marinade. Add venison (or chicken, or lamb (with lamb: exchange the lemon juice for 2 tablespoons of dry or fresh mint leaves)) and allow to sit overnight in the refrigerator. Place 6 to 8 pieces on a skewers and grill. Figure two skewers/person. Serve on Italian bread and add Tobassco or Frank's Hot Sauce as desired.

This is like the National Food of Binghamton. Everyone has their own variation on the basics. I add 6 or 7 crushed bay leaves or a tsp. of Old Bay seasoning for variety.


Submitted by Stumpkiller

I see someone is from where I grew up.

 

[Einsiedler]

I’m an elkaholic. I always use pure lard. I dust with self rising flour, mebbe a few panko crumbs if I got em, and a good dose of Tony Chachere in with mix.
I say to he** with my cardiologist. (He gives me pills anyway!). Life is too short to not ejoy good CF elk cutlets on a regular basis!!!



Last week I served em up with hot German potatoe salad for the wifey and I.