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Cast Iron Contest: Our Dutch Oven Winner & A New Skillet Up For Grabs

Online Editors — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:40:29 -0500

by Colin Kearns

We had a bunch of terrific entries for the Dutch oven contest. As I read them today, I kept getting hungrier and hungrier. If nothing else, you all proved that the best-tasting and most memorable meals are often enjoyed outdoors.

But, there was one meal that I wanted try more than any other. And it came from Beekeeper:

About 10 years ago on a coastal feral hog hunt, I used my old Dutch oven to make one of the best gumbos I've ever made. A half hour at low tide with a castnet provided fresh white shrimp and five or six blue crabs. I also picked up and shucked out oysters from a small shell bar. Back at camp a simple broth was made from the shrimp heads and shells while I was making a nice dark roux.

Recipe: Dutch Oven Stuffed French Toast

Sarah Smith — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:00:59 -0500

by Colin Kearns

If you haven’t had breakfast yet, you might consider this delicious morning meal, courtesy of new Lodge Cast Iron Cooking cookbook. And, if you haven’t shared your favorite Dutch oven meal, get on it! The Wild Chef reader with the best-sounding dish will win a brand new Lodge Dutch oven.

Stuffed French Toast

Ingredients
- 1 French bread loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 dozen large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1⁄3 cup maple syrup
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes and softened

Valentine's Day Soup Recipe + Contest Winner Announced

Online Editors — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:12:35 -0500

by David Draper

The Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From January 2012

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:06:52 -0500

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos of January.

Contest: What’s Your Best Super Bowl Snack?

Sarah Smith — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:08:53 -0500

by David Draper

There are a lot of great ways to get wild on Super Bowl Sunday. You could paint yourself in team colors, go streaking, and post the resulting video (and arrest) on YouTube. Or you could just dip into the larder and cook up a fish or wild-game inspired dish to share with your friends during the game. I’m not going to encourage you to do the former, but I will help you along with the latter by throwing a Super Bowl Snack Contest.

Post your favorite fish or game dish below in the comments section below, along with a few sentences on why it’s the perfect food for this year’s Super Bowl party. The most creative idea will win a box of assorted cooking/food-related goodies from Camp Chef, Hi-Mountain Seasonings, Cabela’s, and other generous folks. To be eligible to win, post your entry by Saturday, February 4 at 6:00 p.m. MST. I’ll announce the winner next week.

The Best Shotguns of 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:56:43 -0500

These are the best new shotguns of 2012.

Why Wild Game Should Matter in the Mainstream

Sarah Smith — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:51:50 -0500

by David Draper

Last Friday, at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, while waiting for the weekend shift of working girls to deplane, I picked up a bottle of water and some reading material for my flight home. On the rack, there were the usual periodicals that often make their way into my carry-on: The Atlantic (which my swollen head couldn’t fathom at that moment); Surfer (not really the inspiration I needed for a trip home to Nebraska), and Esquire (didn’t want to be seen reading a magazine with a picture of Bill Clinton on the cover).

What I did find was a copy of Saveur, a food magazine whose Jan/Feb issue annually lists their Top 100 people, places, and ingredients for the food-obsessed. The Saveur 100 issue serves as great inspiration in the kitchen and fuels many a daydream for food-related road (and plane) trips should I ever win the lottery. It’s the kind of best-of list where you’ll find meatloaf next to something called mugua ji, or a treatise on the Czech Republic’s microbrews matched with Frito Pie.

The Best New Rifles of 2012

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:41:18 -0500

The Best New Rifles of 2012.

My Dinner With Charlie Palmer and Remington at SHOT Show

Sarah Smith — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:07:25 -0500

by David Draper

On the first night of last week’s SHOT Show, the Field and Stream editorial staff gathered around the table for dinner at the Las Vegas outpost of Thomas Keller’s legendary Bouchon restaurant. Remembering the damage I did to his M&E budget the previous year, Field and Stream editor-in-chief, Anthony Licata didn’t invite me to join them until he was absolutely sure I already had reservations somewhere else. And after my meal at Aureole, I’m okay with that.

SHOT Show 2012 From The Floor: Day 3

Online Editors — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 01:48:52 -0500

Photos from the floor of SHOT Show 2012, Day 2.

Arno Bernard Gator Skin Knives

Online Editors — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:49:33 -0500

Arno Bernard makes high-quality knives with croc skin handles and sheaths made from cape buffalo skin. Incredibly, these knives range from about $100 to $400. They come in a variety of different sizes and could very well be the steal of the SHOT show.

SHOT Show 2012 From The Floor: Day 2

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:34:22 -0500

Photos from the floor of SHOT Show 2012, Day 2.

Join the Cause: Wild Game Wednesdays!

Online Editors — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:39:12 -0500

by David Draper

I don’t think I’m alone in my love-hate relationship with cookbook author/food pundit Mark Bittman. He’s taken his former (and formidable) influence as a cooking columnist at The New York Times from a place that taught us how to cook and turned it into a pulpit, or more accurately, a soapbox from which to tell us how to eat. He recently trumpeted the drop in overall meat consumption by American families, which has declined more than 12 percent in the past five years, in an op-ed piece last week.

SHOT Show 2012 From The Floor: Day I

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:48:40 -0500

Photos from the floor of SHOT Show 2012, Day 1.

How To Eat Like A Caveman

Sarah Smith — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:08:21 -0500

by David Draper

Those of us dealing with the post-holiday hangover might be thinking about losing a little weight around the middle. I know I’ve put on a few pounds this fall that will need to be shed before I hit the woods for my annual spring turkey death march. I generally don’t tend to pay much attention to any of the diet trends that come and go, but one that does intrigue me is eating Paleo, a.k.a. the caveman diet. The name alone conjures images of tearing hunks of fire-roasted meat right off the bone, something I can relate to as a hunter. But apparently there’s more to the diet than that.

To learn more about eating like a caveman, I tracked down Charles Mayfield, co-author with his wife Julie of the Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook. In addition to being cookbook authors, the Mayfields own several gyms in the Atlanta area and are hardcore fitness junkies. Charles is also a hunter, so who better to explain the Paleo lifestyle and how it can benefit hunters and wild-food lovers.

Food Fight Friday: Ground Meat Gridiron

Online Editors — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:08:40 -0500

by David Draper

Spackle Spaghetti and Meatballs vs. Venison Sloppy Joe

Looking back on the short history of Food Fight Friday, something seems to be missing—or at least be in short supply. We seem to have gotten caught up in some of the finer things you can put on a plate, while giving America’s meat short shrift. I would wager that at least 75 percent of what venison hunters eat comes in the form of ground meat: burgers, chili, tacos, or as we have here, meatballs, which I’ve put against a Sloppy Joe from Field & Stream's video editor, Michael Shea.

The Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From 2011

Dave_Maccar — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:15:14 -0500

The 60 best photos submitted by readers in 2011.

Field & Stream's Best Photo Galleries and Blogs of 2011

Dave_Maccar — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:53:52 -0500

The 25 best online stories from F&S in 2011.

The High Art of Hash

Online Editors — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:46:02 -0500

Learn how to make the perfect camp breakfast from last night's leftovers.

Camp Food Recipe: Stewed Duck With Apples and Turnips

Online Editors — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:53:30 -0500

This dish is about little clean up and cooking the whole animal.

Camp Food Recipe: Dove Potpie

Online Editors — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:42:14 -0500

There’s something soul-satisfying and even glorious about mixing up a pile of potpie.

Camp Food: Deer Dogs With Pea Soup Sauce

Online Editors — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:29:11 -0500

The secret is to keep the recipes simple and cook with what you have, while enjoying each moment.

Camp Food: Wild Boar Stew With Salsa Verde

Online Editors — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:10:02 -0500

This stew is ideal in hunting camp because it’s a one-pot wonder, and when you open the lid, it’s something very special.

Food Fight: Breakfast Burrito vs. Hash

Sarah Smith — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:13:35 -0500

by David Draper

As much as I love the freelance lifestyle, the one negative effect it has is on my waistline, much of which I attribute to the proximity of my desk to the fridge. While it is nice to have all-day access to a kitchen, it’s sometimes too easy to overeat. And much of what I overeat comes in the form of some type of breakfast dish. (Whether or not it’s before noon, doesn’t matter. Another benefit of freelancing.) Here are two simple favorites, one that has ridden a wave of popularity recently, while the other remains a humble standard served at late-night diners across the country.

The Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From December 2011

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:44:10 -0500

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos of December.