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Dispatch from Turkey: How to Make Venison Kebaps

Online Editors — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:58:47 -0400

by David Draper

I've been traveling through Turkey for the past couple of weeks, both in Istanbul and along the Mediterranean coast. Most of my time was spent doing lots of “research” a.k.a. eating, and if there's one thing I took away from all this hard work it's that Turkey is a street-food country. Everywhere I traveled, there was someone on a street corner selling something to eat, whether it be roasted corn or chestnuts, simit (sort of like a sesame-encrusted bagel), rice-stuffed mussels, fresh melon, or, like most places in Europe, some type of grilled or roasted meat on a skewer.

Of the skewered meats, one of my favorites was an adana kebap, like those from Musam Ocakbasi just a block or so off Istanbul’s Taksim Square. Adana, or kiyma, kebap is made from ground meat, usually lamb, that gets molded onto a long, flat skewer and grilled over coals. A little crunchy on the outside and moist in the middle, the kebap is served with a warm flatbread and zerzavat, an onion salad (see recipe below). Some places also provide either a yogurt or spicy tomato sauce as well.

I couldn't help but think an adana kebap could translate into something from the Wild Chef freezer, so I did a little research and came up with this recipe using ground venison in place of the lamb. If you mix your ground venison a little heavy on the pork or beef tallow, all the better, as you want to keep the mixture as moist as possible. In the following recipe, I added an egg to help hold everything together.

Venison Adana Kebaps

Ingredients
- 1 pound ground venison
- 1 egg
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped fine
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. salt

Directions
1. Add the ingredients to a large bowl and, using your hands, mix everything together quickly, but thoroughly. Cover and place the bowl in the refrigerator for about an hour to let the flavors combine and mixture set.

2. Remove the meat mix from the refrigerator and pull off a piece about the size of an egg. Form this tightly and evenly along the length of a flat skewer. (Try to find the widest, flattest skewers you can. These are close to what they use in Turkey, though not exact.) And if you don't have a flat skewer, you can form elongated patties, sort of like a flattened sausage. Repeat with the remaining mix.

3. Place the skewers over a medium-hot fire and grill, turning often, until the outside is a bit charred and the inside is cooked through. Serve with warm flat bread and zerzavat.

Zerzavat

Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion, sliced thin
- 1 tsp. sumac
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped fine
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 4 lemon wedges

Directions
Mix first four ingredients together and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Food Fight Friday: Venison Shanks vs. Turkey Tenders

Sarah Smith — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:36:21 -0400

by David Draper

Although both of these dishes were cooked within the last week or so, stylistically they’re of two very different seasons. The first, a hearty braise of venison shanks, reminds me of winter, when roasting meats is the affair of long days trapped inside. In the second, that icon of April—the wild turkey—is prepared simply and quickly. Served with asparagus and mushrooms, it’s just the thing to get you in the mood for spring.

Braised Venison Shanks

You’re probably tired of hearing this, but I’ll say it again anyway: Venison shanks are the best cut a deer or elk has to offer. Braised long enough, the meat falls off the bone, offering a rich and tasty alternative to plain old pot roast. These were served with a Dijon mustard pan sauce and garlicky cannellini beans and tomatoes. The only thing missing was a big chunk of crusty bread with which to clean my plate.

Spring Pasta With Turkey and Mushrooms

For the traveling turkey hunter, spring is a sleep-deprived blur. I got home from my most recent trip to find a fridge that was virtually empty, save for a bunch of asparagus and some mushrooms, both of which were nearing the end of their lifespan. Luckily, I also had some fresh turkey breasts in tow, from which I peeled the tenders, diced them and served up in a quick and simple pasta before hitting the sack for some much needed sleep.

Think you’ve got a great food photo? Put it to the test in an upcoming Food Fight Friday. Just send you photos, along with a short description, to fswildchef@gmail.com.

The 35 Best Photos From Field & Stream's 2012 Spring Trail Cam Contest: Round II

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:15:02 -0400

Who says trail cams are only fun in the fall? Set yours out this spring, then send us your best photos. You could win a new Bushnell Trophy Cam HD (MSRP $323.95).

Here's how it works. This contest will have three rounds. The first, Round I, began, March 12, and closed on April 12. Round II ran from April 12 to May 12, and Round III from May 14 to June 14. We're giving away three Bushnell Trophy Cam HDs (MSRP: $323.95) in each round, one cam each to the top three entries, as chosen by our editors.

Congrats to users luna, mod70 and Semibald, who each have won a Trophy Cam for their shots in Round II.

So go set your trail cams up already. And have fun! --The Editors

Click here for more info on the prizes.

Click here to enter ROUND III of the 2012 SPRING TRAIL CAM CONTEST

Wild Chef's Best: Fish and Turkey Recipes

Online Editors — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:16:11 -0400

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos from April 2012

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 02 May 2012 09:25:49 -0400

Each month, Field & Stream editors review the hundreds of photos submitted by readers to our Trophy Room. If your photo is chosen to be printed in the Game Faces section of the magazine, you’ll win a Rapala Fish ‘N Fillet knife!

Submit your photos here!

Here are the other best reader photo collections from this year:

January 2012

February 2012

March 2012

Wild Sides: Squash and Broccoli Bake

Sarah Smith — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:24:01 -0400

by David Draper

The recipe would probably be more appropriate posted in the fall, but the other day, in my root cellar, I (literally) stumbled over a milk crate full of spaghetti squash that I’d overlooked all winter. Normally I use the pasta substitute as a delivery system for some marinara or venison ragù, but here they were, forgotten in the basement. Suffice to say, I’ll be cooking a lot of squash in the coming weeks and will be trying some new recipes, like this simple squash-and-vegetable bake.

Squash and Broccoli Bake

Ingredients:
-1 spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise
-1 tsp. salt
-1 small head broccoli, rinsed and chopped
-2 Tbsp. olive oil
-1 Tbsp. butter
-1 medium onion, diced
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
-1 ½ tsp. dried parsley
-1 ½ tsp. dried thyme
-Salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove seeds and pulp from one of the squash halves. (Bag and save second half for later use.) Salt and pepper the open face of the squash. Place the squash open-side down in an oven-safe baking dish. Add water to a depth of about 1 inch. Bake in oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until the tip of a knife pierces the skin easily.

2. Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of water and 1 tsp. salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add broccoli and blanch for 3 to 4 minutes to set color. Drain and reserve.

3. Heat olive oil and butter in a sauté pan set over medium heat. Add onion and cook until just translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Toss drained broccoli with onions and garlic and sauté briefly. Remove from heat.

4. When the squash is cooked, remove it from the oven. Using a fork, pull the meat from the squash, transferring it to a large bowl. Toss the squash with the broccoli, onions, and garlic. Stir in the Parmesan, along with the herbs and salt and pepper. Scoop mix back into the squash half and place in the oven. Bake until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

The Toast: A Review of Crown Royal Black

Online Editors — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:22:33 -0400

By Colin Kearns

Draper and I have been talking about adding another regular on the blog — something to help wash down all of the great game and fish that’s served here. So, we present The Toast. Every now and then we’ll bring reviews, recipes and stories of our favorite drinks (and, no, not all will be booze) to enjoy with a meal or just to celebrate a good day outdoors.

I’ll kick The Toast off with some notes about a new whiskey I was lucky to enjoy over the last month: Crown Royal Black. I’m definitely more of a bourbon and rye guy, but I enjoy Canadian whiskey now and then. I’ve always liked classic Crown — but now I like Black more.

Black (90 proof) is stronger than Crown Royal (80 proof), and, as it’s name suggests, is darker in color — thanks to the added oak flavor. The whiskey is a little sweet, with notes of maple and vanilla. And, man, is it smooth. A couple Fridays ago, at the end of the workday, a few of us at the office enjoyed a drink of Black, neat. We were all impressed by how easy it went down.

I was curious how Black would work in a cocktail, so last night, with the last of my bottle, I mixed an Old Fashioned. I took one sip and wished I’d used the entire bottle for this cocktail. It was bold. It was smooth. It was balanced. I mean, it was really good. If only I could’ve made another…

I’ve written about the Old Fashioned before, but what follows is what I’ve found to be the absolute perfect recipe. (The “research” was grueling, let me tell you.) I hope you enjoy.

The (Perfect) Old Fashioned

Ingredients
1/4 ounce rich simple syrup*
3 dashes Angostura bitters
2 ounces Crown Royal Black (or a good rye or bourbon)
Orange peel for garnish

*Unlike simple syrup, which is equal parts sugar and water, a rich simple syrup is two parts sugar to one part water. Add two cups of turbinado sugar and one cup water to a sauce pan. Heat over medium low, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. As soon as the syrup shows signs of boiling, remove it from the heat and let cool. The syrup will last about a month.

Directions
Add the syrup and bitters to a rocks glass and stir. Add the whiskey. Add ice (preferably one large block) and stir about 20 to 30 times, or until you feel the outside of the glass turn cold. Let the cocktail sit.

In the meantime, cut a chunk of peel from an orange. (You want the peel only. The white pith will make the drink bitter.) Hold the peel over the glass, and squeeze the oils in to the drink. Then run the peel around the rim of the glass before dropping it into the drink. Stir the cocktail a couple more times. Cheers.

The 50 Best Photos From Field & Stream's 2012 Spring Trail Cam Contest: Round I

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:22:02 -0400

Who says trail cams are only fun in the fall? Set yours out this spring, then send us your best photos. You could win a new Bushnell Trophy Cam HD (MSRP $323.95).

Here's how it works. This contest will have three rounds. The first, Round I, starts today, March 12, and closes on April 12. Round II runs from April 12 to May 12, and Round III from May 12 to June 12. We're giving away three Bushnell Trophy Cam HDs (MSRP: $323.95) in each round, one cam each to the top three entries, as chosen by our editors.

Congratulations to users Kim Doucette Kelly, Isham C. Shelby and Stephen Schimacher who each will receive a camera for their entries in Round!

So go set your trail cams up already. And have fun! --The Editors

Click here for more info on the prizes.

Click here to enter ROUND II of the 2012 SPRING TRAIL CAM CONTEST

Eating Red Meat Makes You Happier

Online Editors — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:25:13 -0400

by David Draper

I learned not so long ago that if you don’t like what science is telling you, keep reading the newspapers because surely another study will come along that supports your belief system. You might remember my post last month railing against Harvard post-doctorate fellow An Pan’s study claiming those of us who ate red meat had a 20 percent greater chance of dying. (Kudos to commenter Beerbear who noted: Huh, so I move from 100 percent into the 120 percent chance of dying category...I’ll be danged.)

Well, I knew if I kept searching, I’d find some equally smart folks who would tell me it was okay to eat red meat. This study reported in The Telegraph gives proof to something I’ve known all along: Eating meat makes you happy.

Professor Felice Jacka, who led the research by Deakin University in Victoria [Australia] said: We had originally thought that red meat might not be good for mental health but it turns out that it actually may be quite important. When we looked at women consuming less than the recommended amount of red meat in our study, we found that they were twice as likely to have a diagnosed depressive or anxiety disorder as those consuming the recommended amount.

Now, because I called out An Pan for generalizing, I will admit to doing the same and point out the link between happiness and eating didn’t extend to all meats.

"Interestingly, there was no relationship between other forms of protein, such as chicken, pork, fish or plant-based proteins, and mental health. Vegetarianism was not the explanation either.”

However, I’m not a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard who is trying to support an empirical fact, but instead, just a humble blogger looking to justify his diet and kick-start the conversation supporting my belief (not fact) that all food-based research is biased one way or the other. So, I’m going to keep eating like I do until my own mortality gets too scary to bear, at which time I’ll probably just lie to my doctor.

I think Wild Chef reader Crowman said it best in my previous post: Eat right, exercise daily, die anyway.

Recipe: Smoked Turkey Legs

Sarah Smith — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:32:48 -0400

by David Draper

I had no pressing plans Saturday, so it was a perfect time to fire up the smoker. Plus, forever the optimist, I thought I needed to make a little room in the freezer in advance of this weekend’s turkey opener, and there were still some turkey legs* in there from last fall that needed to be cooked, or in this case, smoked.

I started the process the night before by submerging three turkey legs in a gallon of Game Bird & Poultry Brine from Hi Mountain Seasonings. You can also make a simple brine by mixing ¼ cup each of kosher salt and sugar per quart of water, throwing in whatever additional seasonings and spices you like.

Saturday morning, I pulled the legs and brine from the fridge, rinsed and dried the legs, then applied some Hi Mountain Poultry Rub to two of the legs and a Mountain Man Bourbon Rub from Cabela’s on the third. I then let all three sit for an hour before I got the Smoke Vault rolling to 200 degrees.

In addition to three turkey legs, I threw in a chunk of venison backstrap and about five pounds of goose jerky. No sense wasting all that delicious alder smoke. It was a bit windy, so keeping the temperature up in the smoker took a little babysitting, but that’s really just an excuse to sit on a lawn chair outside drinking a few cans of High Life. After about four hours at 200 degrees, I bumped the heat up to 250 to get the birds to a finished temperature of 170 degrees. (The backstrap and jerky had come out much earlier.)

Not unlike the giant turkey legs you see people gnawing on at county fairs, mine came out a bit tough to eat off the bone, but darn tasty. I stripped the meat with a knife and will be using it all this week as salad toppings, in sandwiches, and for plenty of afternoon snacks.

*You’ve heard me preach before about using the legs from waterfowl and pheasants, and the same goes for turkeys. There is a lot of great meat on a turkey leg and thigh, and it just takes another 30 seconds or so of your time to pull them off the carcass when you’re breasting it out. Like pheasants, wild turkeys spend most of their day walking around, so their legs are tougher than that of a domestic bird, but no less tasty.

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos from March 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:00:43 -0400

Submit your photos here!

Here are the other best reader photo collections from this year:

January 2012

February 2012

Tell Us Your Favorite Kitchen Gadget, Win a Sushi Maker Winner Announced

Sarah Smith — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:41:34 -0400

by David Draper

Thanks to all the readers who took the time to tell us about their favorite kitchen gadgets. Among all the shout-outs to Kitchen Aid mixers (which I covet from afar), Ninja processors (which I’d never heard of before), and coffee makers (obvious choice), were some truly great posts. Some were funny, some were serious, and some were just plain odd. And you guys know I’m a big fan of odd.

One of my favorites posts came from usmcturkey, who, I’m pretty sure, was serious when he nominated his Moo Mixer. You’ve got to be pretty passionate about your beverage of choice and secure in your manhood to proudly sip from a frothy cup of chocolate milk that moos.

I think Wild Chef reader Sanjuancb might have an unhealthy obsession with Alton Brown, but I do have to agree with his assessment that the wooden spoon is pretty much the ultimate kitchen utensil. Even though, like Levi Banks mentions, it was many a parent’s disciplinary tool of choice when I was growing up. (You might not think a wooden spoon can’t break against an adolescent’s butt, but, trust me, it can. And, before you call child protective services, let me just say my brother totally deserved it.)

Another utensil that got some props (and stood in when mom didn’t have a wooden spoon handy) was the spatula. From reader 2lb. test:

My FoodSaver is near the top of the list but it pales in comparison to the usefulness of my sharpened spatula. It’s just a normal spatula that I grinded an edge on. Making cheesesteaks or grilled cheese? Do your stirring and flipping, pull it off and slice the sandwich to manageable size. Great for slicing pizza and even vegetables in a pinch. It’s also handy for scraping on stuck-on grime during clean up.

But the best comment, and the winner of the Sushezi, was posted over on the Field & Stream Facebook page, where reader Bob Lindsey gave props, I think, to his better half when he said without his wife, he “could barely boil water.” I’m no Dr. Phil here, but calling your wife a kitchen gadget might not be the compliment she is looking for, Bob. My advice: Be very suspect about what she’s serving you for the next few weeks lest you end up with an “accidental” case of food poisoning.

Food Fight Friday: Crappie vs. Turkey

Online Editors — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:57:26 -0400

by David Draper

Last week’s fight was closer than I thought, but I have to say the readers picked correctly. That fried pheasant was absolutely delicious—crispy skin, moist meat. But, Wild Chef reader bassman06 brought up a pretty fair point: It’s Lent, and that means fish on Friday for many of our readers. So we’ll see if the rest of the devout vote with their faith or their stomach in this week’s fish versus fowl battle.

Fresh Caught Crappie

I was having one of those days last Wednesday, so I chucked work (Sorry, Colin and the rest of my editors!) and went fishing. You couldn’t ask for a nicer day, though the catching was a bit tough—until sundown that is, when I hooked into one nice crappie and a barely legal walleye on subsequent casts. The next night, the crappie went into the pan after a light dusting of flour, salt, and pepper.

Turkey Tenders

We’re coming up on turkey season, so I fished out some of the last cuts from last season’s bounty—a four pack of turkey fillets, those tender little cuts that lay between the breast meat and keel bone. Quick-soaked in a marinade not unlike what I used in last week’s Asian quail (a little soy, a little nam pla, a little fresh ginger, a squeeze of fresh lemon, and a bit of honey and chili paste). I pan-fried the meat and paired it with jasmine rice and asparagus.

I’m holding an ace up my sleeve in the form of an amazing reader-submitted photo that deserves a worthy opponent. (Ed. Note: Seriously, this food photo is amazing!) If you think you’ve got what it takes to beat it, send your best food photo in to fswildchef@gmail.com.

Recipe for St. Patrick's Day Leftovers: Corned Goose Sandwich

Sarah Smith — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:37:28 -0400

by David Draper

In the Draper clan, dealing with leftover corned beef, or goose, the days after St. Patrick’s Day isn’t usually an issue. This year, although Mom cooked 11 pounds of brisket, there was barely a slice or two remaining after my siblings and I made our way through it and the heaping side platter of potatoes, carrots and cabbage.

While I was more than happy to stuff myself full of more than my fair share Saturday, I find myself wishing I had a bit of corned beef left over. Sure I could make a pile of hash, or mix it with potatoes and cabbages for a delicious helping of colcannon—a traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes, cabbage, and, in this case, corned beef (though usually it calls for bacon or rashers).

But what I’m really jonesing for is a big corned beef sandwich, with the meat piled high and dark rye bread slathered with Killybegs horseradish sauce. I wouldn’t even be afraid to layer on a few leaves of leftover cooked cabbage on top.

St. Patrick’s Day Leftovers Sandwich

Ingredients:
-Two slices dark rye bread
-Butter
-Killybegs horseradish sauce*
-4 ounces leftover corned beef, sliced thin
-Cooked cabbage
-Dublin cheese

*My mom clipped the recipe for this corned-beef condiment out of the March 1984 issue of Family Circle, and I don’t recall a St. Patrick’s Day since that has gone by without her making it. The sauce is simple to assemble: Mix one 8 ounce container of sour cream with 2 Tbsp. each of prepared mustard and horseradish. Refrigerate for two hours, allowing flavors to blend before enjoying.

Directions:
1. Heat a griddle or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Lightly butter one side of a slice of bread. On the other side, slather on a healthy dollop of Killybegs sauce.

2. Pile on the corned beef. Top with cooked cabbage and a slice of Dubliner cheese. Place the remaining rye bread on top and spread on a small bit of butter.

3. Place sandwich on the pre-heated pan and press down with a panini press. (If you don’t have a panini press, wrap the bottom of a tea kettle in aluminum foil and use this instead. A foil-wrapped brick works, too.) Once the bottom is toasted, about 3 minutes or so, flip and brown the second side. Enjoy with a creamy glass of Guinness.

Food Fight Friday: Upland Bird Battle

Sarah Smith — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:22:20 -0400

by David Draper

Fried Pheasant vs. Asian Quail

Congratulations to Wild Chef reader Levi Banks whose venison pizza put a pretty resounding beating on my meat loaf last week. I’m not going to lie, after eating leftover meatloaf for about three days straight, I think I would have voted for pizza, too.

This week, I’m going to pit a couple of birds against each other to see which one the readers favor. It’s pheasant vs. quail, with two very different preparations. Each were pretty tasty, but I’m going to wait to see how the vote falls before I tell you which was better.

Fried Pheasant

Fat-less pheasant pieces can dry out easily if you’re not careful while cooking them, but a salt-and-sugar brine was just the ticket for this dish. I also reduced the normal three-step breading process down to two, skipping the initial flouring and going right into the egg wash followed with a flour-cornstarch dredge. The result was moist, crispy and delicious.

Asian Quail

This Asian quail photo has actually shown up on the Wild Chef blog before, along with the recipe, but I wanted to see how it fares against some pheasant. Going up against anything fried makes it a long shot to win, but maybe you guys will surprise me this week when you find out Gentleman Bob was soy-citrus marinated with a little honey and ginger added for good measure.

If you think you can do better, prove it by sending in your best fish or game food photos to fswildchef@gmail.com.

Is All Red Meat Bad For You? (Spoiler Alert: No, It's Not)

Sarah Smith — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:02:24 -0400

by David Draper

Despite the alarmist headline in the Los Angeles Times admonishing, “All Red Meat Is Bad for You, New Study Says,” I’m taking no less pleasure in having a freezer full of venison. Beyond the headline, the article reads like a scare tactic, threatening imminent death on anyone daring to eat a filet mignon.

“…Adding just one 3-ounce serving of unprocessed red meat—picture a piece of steak no bigger than a deck of cards—to one's daily diet was associated with a 13 percent greater chance of dying during the course of the study.

“Even worse, adding an extra daily serving of processed red meat, such as a hot dog or two slices of bacon, was linked to a 20 percent higher risk of death during the study.

“‘Any red meat you eat contributes to the risk,’ said An Pan, a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and lead author of the study, published online Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine.”

Far be it from me to argue with a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard, but after a brief look through the study, I take issue with the premise that “any red meat” increases the risk of death. By his definition, red meat is labelled as “beef, pork, or lamb,” with no mention of deer, elk, or other venison.

Someone ought to point out to Mr. Pan that the same deck-of-card-sized cut of venison has just 135 calories and less than 3 grams of fat, compared to the 183 calories and 8-plus grams of fat for a similarly sized cut of beef.* You would have thought he would have learned not to generalize somewhere in his post-graduate studies, but then maybe they don’t teach that at Harvard.

Whenever I read anything telling me what I should or shouldn’t be eating, I think about my Grandpa Draper, who lived past his 88th birthday eating three squares a day, most of which included some type of red meat. For as long as I can remember, there was a little sign above his desk that said, quite simply: “Stop worrying. You’ll never get out of this world alive.”

*Numbers from Canada’s Deer and Elk Farmer’s Information Network.

Enter The 2012 Spring Trail Cam Photo Contest to Win a $323 Camera from Bushnell!

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:59:09 -0400

The 2012 Spring Trail Cam Photo Contest

Who says trail cams are only fun in the fall? Set yours out this spring, then send us your best photos. You could win a new Bushnell Trophy Cam HD (MSRP $323.95)!

Here's how it works. This contest will have three rounds. The first, Round I, started March 12, and closes on April 12. Round II runs from April 12 to May 12, and Round III from May 12 to June 12. We're giving away three Bushnell Trophy Cam HDs (MSRP: $323.95) in each round, one cam each to the top three entries, as chosen by our editors.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER YOUR PHOTO IN ROUND I!

Meanwhile, click through this gallery of the best photos from last year's Spring contest.

How To Make Snow Goose Sandwiches

Sarah Smith — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:08:29 -0400

by David Draper

My post last Monday asking for the best way to cook snow geese got a wide range of responses, from the wise to the wise-ass. Not unexpectedly, the old grill-them-on-a-plank-then-throw-away-the-goose-and-eat-the-plank recipe came up a few times here and on the Field & Stream Facebook page.

That joke was funny the first 754 times I’ve heard it, but now it’s just getting old. And it’s just plain wrong, no matter how it’s told. Of all the comments I got, Trey Osborn’s was the best: “Folks if you don’t like goose. DO NOT GO SHOOT THEM! Let the folks who will eat them shoot them.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Our hunt with Mike Adams and Danny Kahler of Webbed Feet Down Outfitters was pretty typical of spring snow goose hunting, in that half of our group shot six geese the first day and 66 the next. The other guys flip-flopped our success, shooting 44 on day one and 12 on day two.

No matter how many times we pulled the trigger, all of us had a blast, and I’d recommend Mike and his crew to anyone wanting to experience a great day of goose hunting just a few short hours up I-76 from downtown Denver. It’s well worth the trip, if only to watch his darling black Lab, Quinn, work her magic.

Camp Chef’s Steve McGrath and Guy Perkins also helped dispel the myth the snow geese aren’t edible by making up a big batch of snow goose sandwiches.

The birds we shot Monday morning were breasted and quick-marinated in a couple cups of milk, a few tablespoons of lemon juice and a handful of fresh, chopped garlic. We were all starving, so the geese didn’t get to soak long before Guy threw them on the grill for a few minutes, cooking them until they were just medium rare. Sliced thin, they were delicious as finger food.

The grilled breasts that survived the initial barrage of hungry hunters were layered onto a slice of bread, along with a selection of condiments and cheese. Topped with another slice of the bread, the sandwich was toasted between a hot grill and Camp Chef’s cool Bacon Panini Press. I’d challenge any of you naysayers to eat one of these and tell me snow goose doesn’t taste good.

Food Fight Friday: Venison Meatloaf vs. Venison Pizza

Online Editors — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 09:41:25 -0500

by David Draper

Venison Meatloaf vs. Venison Pizza

Leave it to Wild Chef reader and frequent Food Fighter Levi Banks to come up with an innovative way to serve up some venison—on a pizza. Levi sent this picture in a while back and I’ve been dying to feature it here to see what the rest of the peanut gallery thinks about his creation. I’m putting the pizza up against another family mealtime staple--the humble meatloaf. So, which looks better to you?

David’s Venison Meatloaf

I got a hankering for some good ol’ fashioned meatloaf the other day, so I thawed a pound of ground antelope and a few Italian venison sausage links, which I stripped from their casing. Added in some fresh bread crumbs, a couple of eggs and a few spoonfuls of garlic chili sauce. Mixed everything together quickly and made free-form loaf in my new casserole dish. Baked at 350 degrees for about an hour until interior temps made it to 160 degrees. It was darn good with some mashed potatoes, but even better the next day served cold between two slices of bread slathered with mayo.

Levi’s Venison Pizza

The pizza was made on a homemade, whole wheat crust. I used a fairly tender cut of venison, sliced it up and sautéed it to get it cooked somewhat. The vegetables on the pizza were diced red onion and bell pepper. No sauce; my wife doesn't like tomato sauce on her pizza much.

Mostly mozzarella cheese, but some cheddar too. We make pizza frequently. The crust, onion, bell pepper, and cheese are pretty much constants—but the other toppings, or the type of cheese, really depend on what we have on hand. Oh, and of course cilantro to garnish. Baked at 450 degrees on a thoroughly heated pizza stone.

Don’t forget to send in your best food photos and we’ll feature them here in the coming weeks. Simply e-mail them in to fswildchef@gmail.com and we’ll get them in the que.

The 45 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos of February 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:46:15 -0500

Submit your photos here!

Here is the gallery of the best reader photos from January 2012.

My Five (and a Half) Favorite Books About Food

Online Editors — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:47:58 -0500

by David Draper

Throughout the history of the written word, there are many great scenes about or relating to food—from that forbidden apple in "Genesis" to a can of peaches in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. But as a genre, good writing solely about food is a bit harder to come by. Until recently, that is.

Though the blogger-turned-book-writer fad of a few years back has slowed some, our food-obsessed world continues to crank out tomes of literature about food. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a good thing, even if you have to wade through the slush pile to find a few pearls, like these 5 ½ picks (listed in no particular order) that are among my favorite books about food.

1. The Omnivore’s Dilemma, by Michael Pollan: Whatever your feelings are about Pollan and his punditry, you have to hold some admiration for a man who went to such great lengths to learn where his (and ultimately our) food comes from. This book arguably kick-started our national obsession about food. I have loaned and gifted several copies, mostly to vegetarians.

2. The Mindful Carnivore, by Tovar Cerulli: I think I’ve mentioned Tovar Cerulli and his thought-provoking blog before. Subtitled “A Vegetarian’s Hunt for Sustenance,” this new book takes a hard look at Cerulli’s life as a reformed vegan and subsequent decision to take up hunting. The questions he asks himself about what it means to take an animal’s life are ones we should all be thinking about. Expect to hear more about and from Tovar Cerulli here soon.

3. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver: The author and her family resolve to remove themselves from the agribusiness supply line for one year, eating only the food they grow on their farm or can source locally. It’s not a story about suffering, but instead one of surprising abundance, adding an exclamation point to Kingsolver’s statement: “Food is the rare moral arena in which the ethical choice is generally the one more likely to make you groan with pleasure.”

4. The Scavenger’s Guide to Haute Cuisine, by Steven Rinella: Like Kingsolver, Rinella goes on a food quest of his own, though one a bit more peculiar. Using a copy of Georges Escoffier’s 1903 Le Guide Culinaire as a guidebook, Rinella plans a game feed for friends and family using ingredients ranging from antelope bladder to young pigeons. What he goes through to obtain these ingredients is both funny and fundamental to who we are as hunters and eaters.

5. The Joy of Cooking, by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker: Okay, so this is a cookbook, but it deserves to be on any list of the best books about food. I read The Joy of Cooking cover to cover in college and would recommend anyone serious about food do the same. But not one of the new editions. Find an older version, one that still has recipes for turtle and small game, even if you have to steal it from your mother, like I did.

5 ½. Just Before Dark, Jim Harrison: Don’t take the ½ as some sort of slight against Harrison, who is a national treasure and in my mind the greatest author alive today. Only the first 50 pages or so of this collection of essays deals with food, but the writing is so damn good, any list of best food books would be remiss to omit it. His takes a subject as simple as chicken thighs and turns it into something deliciously brilliant.

I’m always looking for good books to read, so let’s hear it from you. What are your favorite books about food?

What’s the Best Way to Cook a Snow Goose?

Dave_Maccar — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 10:40:22 -0500

by David Draper

When this blog gets posted on Monday morning, I hope to be laying under a storm of falling snow—geese that is. It’s that time of year. And though we don’t get the migration numbers the central flyway does, there are still a few birds to be found—or I hope so anyway. Hunting snow geese is always a fleeting game, especially this year when the snow line is somewhere north of North Dakota.

I’ll be hunting near the South Platte River in northeastern Colorado, not far from where the river enters Nebraska. My partners will include good friend and Cabela’s communications manager, Joe Arterburn, and Camp Chef’s roving cook, Steve McGrath. Now Steve promises he has grand plans for some of the snow geese we’ll hopefully be bringing back to the lodge, but I’m looking for some good suggestions from our Wild Chef readers. If anyone knows what to do with a pile of snow geese, it’s you guys.

Like most every other type of waterfowl, opinions on the palatability of snow geese vary widely—from virtually inedible to prime rib in the sky. I haven’t had enough experience with them to say, but I’m sure, just like ducks and Canada geese, it’s all in the preparation. So, how about it? What’s the best way to cook snow geese?

Food Fight Friday: Seared Mallard vs. Gravlax

Sarah Smith — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 10:57:34 -0500

by David Draper

Seared Mallard Breast vs. Cured Salmon (Gravlax)

We’ve got a couple of readers going head-to-head in what looks to be a pretty epic battle. Hopefully you’re not tired of waterfowl after last week’s Food Fight, because Pat Werner presents a great looking duck dish. But he faces stiff competition from Andrew Metzger who went out of his way to make one of my favorite things--gravlax. So, without further ado, let’s get down to business.

Pat Werner’s Seared Mallard Breast

This is mallard breast seared, skin on, in a cast iron skillet. We served it with rice and beans and some vegetables my wife sautéed. I didn’t ask her what veggies because I have an irrational fear of kale. It all went great with an excellent bottle of Decoy (get it?) pinot noir.

Andrew Metzger’s Cured Salmon (Gravlax)

I could not for the life of me catch a four-pound trout to make this with, so I broke down and got a piece of salmon from the store and put it in the freezer for four days at 20 degrees below. Then I cured it with canning salt, a little brown sugar, black pepper, and dill. This is the result after 48 hours wrapped up with the curing solution. The sauce is a simple mixture dill, mustard, vinegar, and oil. Sliced thin and put on some crackers, Yum! Now I just need to do this to a wild trout.

Don’t forget to send in your best food photo to fswildchef@gmail.com and we’ll feature it here.

Food Fight Friday: Top Chef Ducks

Sarah Smith — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:40:24 -0500

by David Draper

Though I snapped both the photos featured in this week’s Food Fight, I did not cook either. Both were prepared by professional chefs in two very nice restaurants. I’m presenting them here to make a point about game meat, and duck in particular. I’m tired of people, including hunters, bad-mouthing the way wild game tastes. It’s bad enough when the uneducated public does it, but every time I hear a waterfowler say, “Duck tastes like crap,” all I can do is shake my head (to keep from shaking them).

If you’re cooking duck and it tastes bad, the only thing I can tell you is you’re doing it wrong. There’s a reason duck can be found on the menus of high-end restaurants around the world and it’s not because it tastes bad. (Spare me the lecture about the difference between domestic and wild ducks. Fact is: The taste isn’t that different.) So, to otherwise convince the non-believers, here are two dishes that reaffirmed my belief that, done well (but not well done), duck is delicious.

Mario Batali’s B&B Ristorante

A perfectly cooked, crisp-skinned roast duck leg and breast, served over braised cabbage with a light drizzle of vin cotto.

Charlie Palmer’s Aureole

A wild bitter greens and caramelized bosc pear salad with duck prosciutto, shaved foie torchon and quince vinaigrette.

Enough of my ranting; let’s vote. Though I’m not sure I could tell you which dish tasted better, I’m leaving it to you to tell me which looks better. And if you’ve got a duck dish or fish or game photo you’d like to see here, e-mail it to fswildchef@gmail.com.

Dutch Scientists Say They Can Soon Create Artificial Meat From Bovine Stem Cells

Sarah Smith — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:38:34 -0500

by David Draper

“Test tube hamburgers to be served this year.”

While it sounds like something out of The Jetsons, that recent headline from Britain’s The Telegraph is enough to make me shudder. And I hope all of you feel the same about the article’s alarming news that scientists are creating artificial meat in a laboratory.

The article quotes Professor Mark Post of the Netherlands’ Maastricht University as saying, “In October we are going to provide a proof of concept showing out of stem cells we can make a product that looks, feels, and hopefully [Author’s Note: the emphasis is mine] tastes like meat.”

The article goes on to state:

Although it is possible to extract a limited number of stem cells from cows without killing them, Prof Post said the most efficient way of taking the process forward would still involve slaughter.

He said: "Eventually my vision is that you have a limited herd of donor animals in the world that you keep in stock and that you get your cells from [sic] there."

Each animal would be able to produce about a million times more meat through the lab-based technique than through the traditional method of butchery, he added.

While I understand the continued overpopulation of the earth is creating a demand for meat that, the article says is “…forecast to double within the next 40 years,” I will never be able to fathom even trying meat that hopefully tastes like the real thing. I think I’ll stick with feeding myself from Mother Nature, eating hunter-killed meat, which not only tastes good and is good for you, but also brings back good memories of where I was when I pulled the trigger.

That’s something some scientist in a lab will never be able to replicate.