By David Draper

Do me a favor and stop reading this blog right now. Stop reading it and go downstairs, out to the garage or wherever it is you keep your deep freeze. Check to make sure it is running and everything inside is frozen solid. Do this and save yourself from the heartbreak I encountered today.

What you see in the picture is about 150 pounds of rotten game meat, made up almost exclusively of last season’s Montana mule deer and my girlfriend’s Nebraska cow elk. At some point in the last 10 days or so, my second deep-freeze, the one I keep in the tank house, quit working. I discovered it just this morning, when I went to retrieve some meat for a belated Father’s Day party. In the bottom of the freezer was about half of an inch of blood and all the meat inside was completely thawed and showing signs of rot. At first, I talked myself into believing it was salvageable, but the overpowering smell and the near-instant arrival of a swarm of flies told me otherwise. With a bitter heart and a lump in my throat, I threw it all away.

By David Draper

by David Draper

If you think about it, there’s an interesting paradox in the way we celebrate our parents. On Mother’s Day, we take to the kitchen and make our Mom (or our children’s mom) a special breakfast, but come Father’s Day, Dad takes to the grill like it was just another summer evening. Sure, he might fancy it up with a really fine cut of steak, rather than the standard Sunday-night hamburger, but Dad still does the cooking.

This Sunday, politely offer to take over grilling duties—though don’t be surprised if he doesn’t cede them so easily. There’s no small amount of pride in manning a fire and feeding the family, but pass Dad a cold one (or pour him a tumbler of his favorite bourbon) and make him a meal to remember. Just don’t forget these few basic tips.

1. Before Sunday rolls around, check the level on the grill’s propane tank. More than one Father’s Day feast has moved inside when the flame dies halfway through. Better yet, reduce your dependence on foreign oil (okay, domestic natural gas), by switching to charcoal, because grilling over coals is just the right thing to do.

By David Draper

Last week on the Honest Angler blog, Joe Cermele crept into Wild Chef territory with a post asking readers what their favorite fish seasoning was. While this was just an excuse to show off his sweet Old Bay Seasoning tattoo, I still took it as an affront. So, before he get another tattoo of McCormick’s Meat Tenderizer, I want to get the jump on him by asking, what’s your favorite steak seasoning?

For me, it’s hard to beat Jim Baldridge’s Secret Seasoning, which happens to be made just down the road from me in North Platte, Nebraska. Of all the seasoning’s I’ve tried, nothing comes close to complementing the flavor of wild game like Baldridge’s. I shake it on my backstraps, let them sit for an hour or so and then throw them on the Weber over indirect heat with a few hickory chips added for good measure. It’s my go-to meal when I’m cooking for guests and it never fails to draw rave reviews.

By David Draper

I’d like to think this week’s Food Fight is going to be a good ol’ fashioned shellacking, by you guys always have a way of surprising me so I’m going to make no predictions.

Pulled Wild Pork Sandwich

Vs.

Squirrel Pot Pie