Butchering & Cooking Turkeys, Ducks, Geese, Pheasants, and Quail

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.