Recipes / The Cookbook

After lets see those kills and views from your stands, how about let’s see some recipes?
Here’s some venison spaghetti. Antler fro presentation purposes only.

 

I will not take credit for this venison recipe. I have duplicated it at home many times it is absolutely awesome. It also utilizes the shank which is often overlooked or discarded. This recipe will make you wish a deer had 8 legs!
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Post by tallburnedmidget » Sun Nov 17, 2013 12:43 am

I promised this recipe was coming. Made the dish today and damn was it good! I forgot to take pictures though as we all were ready to dig in and it slipped my mind. This is the only way, in my opinion, to deal with shanks and has made the venison shank (including the heel) my favorite piece of the deer! Here it is, enjoy

Braised Venison Shanks
This recipe is pretty simple but takes a few steps and dirties more dishes than I like but is totally worth it. I took a braised short rib recipe and tweaked it until I came up with this recipe and man it one of my favorite and everyone who has it, loves it.

Cook Time: 4hr 15min
Serves 3 people with second servings, or 5 - 6 people but everyone wants seconds so not realistic lol

Ingredients:

-4 lbs of venison shanks (heels left on rear shanks makes for more meat)
-Cooking oil (Canola preferred but any will work)
-Salt and black pepper
-1 large white or yellow onion, sliced or diced (not a red onion)
-3 Roma tomatoes cut into eights
-3 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped (or crushed well if easier)
-1 cup of Merlot wine (you can use Chardonnay if you have no Merlot) [Update: been using Carlos Rossi Burgandy in the giant jug, its thin and cheap making for a great sauce]
-2 cups of beef broth (can use beef bouillon to make broth)
-3 Tablespoons of Dijon Mustard (optional if you do not have, no big deal)
-1 pound of pasta or 2 cups of long grain dry rice (i prefer rice with this dish)
-Garlic Powder
-Onion Powder
-Large oven roasting pan or turkey roasting pan (I use disposable turkey roasting pan)
-Foil
-Blender


Directions:
-Place an oven rack at the half way notch in the oven
-Lightly oil the roasting pan and one side of foil that will cover the pan
-Place shanks in pan
-Season shanks all around with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder
-Add to the pan the wine, onion, garlic, tomato, Dijon mustard, and the beef broth
-Cover the pan with the foil (oil side down)
-Place pan on middle rack in oven
-Cook at 350 degrees for 4 hours, meat should be fork tender
-At the 3 hour and 30 minute point begin cooking the pasta/rice, it should finish before the shanks finish braising
-After shanks have completed cooking time remove pan from oven
-Uncover and debone meat from shanks, be sure not to burn yourself, dispose of the bones once cleaned of meat and tender tissue
-Pour sauce with the veggies into blender without adding meat to the blender
-Before blending, let the sauce set in the blender until fat pools at the top
-Scoop away fat from the broth in the blender
-Blend the sauce with veggies in the blender, taste and add salt/pepper to taste if needed and reblend
-Add blended sauce back to the meat in the pan and cover the pan with foil again
-Place back in the oven for 15 minutes to rewarm the sauce as it cools down quickly
-Remove from oven and serve meat and sauce/gravy over rice or pasta

Enjoy!

[Edit: Added an image and description]
Cooked, meat removed from bones, sauce blended into gravy, and all put back together in the original cooking pan to place in the oven and keep warm
Credit to TBM on the 300 BLK forum.

 

Rebels Tater Soup
I have cooked this for a group of 85 year old southern ladies who said it was the best ever.

You'll need a big pot.
5 lbs of peeled potatoes, diced
chicken broth
AP flour
Bacon(of course)
whole milk
Butter

Boil 2/3 of the potatoes in chicken broth, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 tblspns of butter and salt until tender
Reserve some of the broth, add to 4 tblspns of flour in a separate bowl and stir into a roux.
Pour out the remainder of the broth ( I always leave a bit in ) and add roux and whole milk to cover potatoes
Add another 2 tblspns of butter
Bring to a slow boil stirring often
add the remainder of the potatoes
The bacon you have been frying to crisp has made a few tblspns of flavor in the form of grease-add it along with a 1/2 a cup of asiago, parmesan, and romano cheese mixture.
At this point I lower the heat to a simmer, taste add salt if needed and black pepper
Add cayenne pepper to taste, I like mine a bit spicy
Some fresh parsley and a bit of thyme
When the last potatoes you have put in are tender, it is ready to serve.
Sprinkle the bacon on top!
The first potatoes make a thick broth and you may need to adjust your cheese depending on your thickness preference.
This is Comfort food for my wife and I and is perfectly suited for a cold day. Enjoy.

 

Chicken and Dumplings
I am cooking this tonight for my daughter. It's her favorite. These dumplings are "slick" dumplings not puffy.
Tonight I am using a half a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, so that cuts a bit of time for me.
If you boil your own chicken, you do not have to add chicken broth, but you need to skim the cooked broth.

Depending on how much you are making use a whole or have a chicken, equal parts dark and white meat.
Chicken broth and water to just cover. Cover and bring to a simmer.
In a separate pan, sweat two crushed garlic cloves, half a sweet onion, half a celery stick and some chopped carrots. Do not brown, sweat the water out of them for a bit.
Add to chicken pot.
DUMPLINGS

I do this on the counter like my Grandmaw taught me. I make more of a mess though.
A small salad bowl of AP flour, dump it on the counter or on wax paper.
Bowl of really cold ice water, not cold water, ICE water
1 tblspoon of kosher salt to the flour
2 tblspoons black pepper to the flour
Add the ice water a bit at a time until you have made a dough
Roll out on a flour covered baking sheet
Stick in the freezer for 15 min.
Remove and cut with a pizza cutter dropping a bit at a time into the now boiling chicken and veg .
Cover and cook until thickened, stirring occasionally.

This meal is a slam dunk for me because it has it all and needs nothing else with it. My Grandmaw did not use the veggies but I find it adds a depth of flavor. Of course this time of year in the South we will all have sliced tomatoes on our plate. This recipe is simple and delicious.

 

Another shank recipe (because they always get tossed out or thrown into the "grind" pile)

https://www.themeateater.com/cook/recipes/braised-shanks-osso-bucco-recipe

 

Squash Pie
I know it sounds weird, but it's a delicious way to fix those excess yellow squash!
This makes 2 pies.
2 to 21/2 cups of grated yellow squash.
4 beaten eggs.
2 tbsp.of vanilla extract
2 tbsp. of APF
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2 tbsp of lemon juice
You can use bakers coconut if you wish. The wife is allergic so I don't. If so, about a 1/4 cup.
Mix together and fill 2 frozen pie crusts.
Bake for 40 minutes @ 350 degrees.
If you like a custard, you will love it. The squash flavor is amazing with the vanilla and sugar.

 

Here is one that works for backstrap chunks or tenderloins

Ingredients:
Marinade: 1 cup buttermilk & 1 cup red wine

2-3 tbsp olive oil
1-2 lbs of venison backstraps or tenderloins, cut into 2" cubes
2 leeks, cut into 3" slices, about 1/4" thick
2 shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz whole mushrooms, quartered
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock or broth
12-15 kalamata olives, pitted and halved
3 sprigs rosemary
1 pkg angel hair pasta

Instructions:
Mix buttermilk and red wine. Put the venison in a non-reactive container and pour the mixture over the venison, ensuring that all pieces are submerged. Chill for at least 4 hours.
Remove venison pieces from the marinade and pat dry
In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering over medium heat
Add the venison to the skillet and brown all sides (about 2 minutes per side). Do not overcook! Remove from the skillet, place them on an ovenproof platter, cover with foil and place in a 170 degree oven to keep warm.
Add the leeks, shallots an garlic to the skillet and cook until leeks and shallots become translucent
Add the mushrooms and stir for one minute
Add the balsamic vinegar and reduce by half (actually it takes about 1-2 minutes for most of it to be absorbed by the mushrooms and leeks)
Add the white wine and reduce by half (about 5 minutes)
Add the chicken stock, olives and rosemary and cook until the liquid is reduced by half (approximately 10 minutes)
Remove the venison from the oven and add it and any juices to the skillet, stir until juices are incorporated
Remove the skillet from heat
Serve over angel-hair pasta

 

Pick a recipe for beef bourguignon and just substitute venison. Don’t skimp on the red wine.

 

Winner, Winner, Venison Dinner!
GotRDid.

 

Cat Head biscuits

Named for their size not ingredient.
2 cups White Lily or Southern Biscuit self rising flour sifted.
1 cup buttermilk or whole milk with a few squirts of lemon juice.
4 tblspn of shortening or butter. This MUST be refrigerator cold!

Preheat oven to 450
In a large bowl combine butter/shortening to flour. Pinch the fat into the flour a bit at a time until it looks a bit crumbly.
Make a well in the middle and add 2/3 buttermilk. Roughly mix with a spoon or your hands. (note- do not over work the dough ) Add the remainder of the butter milk as needed. Dough should appear rather wet.
On a pan, place a large piece of wax paper and sift more flour to cover surface. Dump dough onto wax paper. Pick up one side of the paper and then the other until dough is coated. Gently knead out into shape. Cut biscuits out with a knife and place into a greased cast iron skillet. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Remove and rub tops with butter.

Now who wants the recipe for Sawmill gravy?

 

WILD HOG - Smoked Ham
***Warning - Don't try this recipe if you are an avid Deer Hunter, because it will ruin your season and make you change your mind on preferred hunting prey!!!

Note: Urban Legend about big pigs (anything larger than 100lbs) tasting bad... load of crap and poor excuse just to kill things and leave good meat rotting. Can't tell the difference between 350# wild hog meat and store bought pork....only caveat is hog will taste like what it eats...if eating cactus and crap then maybe tastes like cactus and crap. If eating acorns, crop, wild berries and other natural forage then should be tasty.


Meat Preparation – Ham (Rear Leg of Hog/Pig):
1. Remove Silver Skin (connective tissue) on outside of ham, which prevents cure from reaching the muscle.
2. Trim away excess fat and only leave thin layer of fat where possible. Score the fat with knife so that some of brine solution can reach the meat.
3. Bone/Shank – consider removing for easy of cooking and serving

Pickling Spice Ingredients:
Black Peppercorn (whole) 2 Tblspn
Mustard Seeds (whole) 2 Tblspn
Allspice (whole) 2 Tblspn
Coriander (whole) 1 Tblspn
Cloves (whole) 1 Tblspn
Cayenne 1-2 tspn
Cinnamon (ground) 1-2 tspn
Ginger (ground) 1-2 tspn
Mace (ground) 1 tspn
Bay Leaf 2 - 4 leaves (crushed)

Brine Solution:
Water 1 gallon
Koshure or Pickling Salt 1.5 cups
Brown Sugar 2 cups
Island Spice Jerk Rub 1 cup (Optional)
Garlic 10 Cloves (crushed)
Pink Prague Salt (sodium nitrate) Add amount as per directions on container
(very little is needed, but this is crucial and not only changes color of meat to pink but also creates the ham flavor that we are used to)
Ice 8-10 lbs bag (small bag)

Preparing the Pickling Spice & Brine Solution - Steps:
1. Preheat Cast Iron pan and toast the Black Peppercorns, Mustard Seeds, Allspice, and Coriander until aromatic (keep mixture constantly moving and don’t burn). Remove from hot pan and place in towel. Crush/crack open with the pan or mallet to release the flavor. Combine with remaining Pickling Spices.
2. Heat Water in pot and add Salt, Sugar, Jerk Spice (optional), Garlic, and Pickling Spice, but not the Pink Salt. Continue heating on Low until everything is dissolved. Taste the solution for flavor, sweetness, and heat. Remember that solution will be diluted in half once Ice is added so should be strong/robust. Adjust ingredients. If need additional Spices can use ground powder versions at this point.
3. Turn off heat and only then add the Pink Salt to the solution.
4. Once Dissolved place mixture in Bucket large Container and add Bag of Ice. Container needs to be deep enough to fully submerge the Ham in the solution.
5. Once solution has cooled to room temperature, inject some of the solution into the meat so that it will penetrate entire Muscle for consistent cure and flavor. May elect to inject a second time during the curing process.
6. Place Meat into container with solution and fully submerge. If needed, use plates as weights to help submerge the meat.
7. Place in refrigerator and cure for 2 days per each inch thickness of meat plus 2 days. 1 week minimum.
8. Flip the meat every other day so that even exposure to solution as one side is always pressed against bottom of container while weighted down.
9. Before cooking need to Soak meat in fresh water to pull out excess salt. Start by rinsing off meat, pouring out brining solution, and fill up bucket with fresh water and let ham soak for 24 - 48 hours depending upon length of brine cure and thickness of meat (1 day soak for each week of curing).
10. Final Step – Adding Rub/Exterior Seasoning before Cooking (see Rub Recipe)
Rinse and pat dry. Spread a thin coating of either honey or mustard on meat to act as binding agent for dry rub. Generously add the rub and coat all surfaces.

Cooking Time:
Cooking done on a smoker with temperature at 225F to 250F. Consider wrapping meat in aluminum foil at halfway into their cooking time.
1. Ham (Wild Pig) is leaner and dries out quick - cook to internal temperature of 145F - 150F.
(approximately 4-6 hours).
2. Ham (Farm Raised Pig) is fattier - cook to internal temperature of 165F - 170F
(approximately 6-8 hours).

Suggestion for serving to Anyone who is hesitant - make "Sliders" (mini BBQ sandwiches)
Hawaiian Rolls, Dill Pickle Slices, Pickled Jalapeno Slices, fresh coleslaw, and your favorite BBQ sauce

 

Just so you know its worth the effort

This is a smoked hog leg (not brine cured)...it tastes fine, but not the Ham flavor... more like white roast beef


The brine process changes the color of the meat and adds a lot of flavor, specifically the Pink Salt helps create the "Ham" flavor that we expect and pinkish color.


Note the slightly grey brown ribbon of meat in middle of the ham. This area did not get reached by the brine solution so retained it's natural color. As a result I have added injecting as part of process to ensure that even sealed muscle groups (no exposed end) will get cured.

 

Guess someone should put up a desert recipe or two then:

Ice Cream Sundae Pie
1 Keebler Ready Crust (Chocolate flavor) pie crust
2 pints strawberry ice cream
hot fudge sauce or chocolate syrup
chopped nuts if desired
whipped cream or topping
Maraschino cherries

Allow ice cream to soften or stir with a spoon until pliable. Spoon softened ice cream into pie crust, cover and freeze until firm or 3+ hours. Use the clear cover that comes with the crust package as a cover for the pie. Cut like a regular pie, serve with hot fudge or chocolate syrup, nuts and other toppings of your choice.

Cherry Cream Cheese Pie
1 Keebler Ready Crust Graham cracker flavor
1 8oz pkg of cream cheese, soften
1 14oz can Sweetened Condensed milk, NOT evaporated milk
1/3 cup lemon juice, fresh or bottled, NOT extract
1 tsp vanilla flavor
1 21oz can cheery pie filling

Let cream cheese stand at room temp until soft, in medium bowl beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Slowly ad sweetened condensed milk, beating until smooth, stir in lemon juice and vanilla until well mixed. Pour into crust, use the clear cover as above, chill for 3+ hours or until firm, add cherry pie filling

Lemonade Pie or Tarts
1 Keebler Ready Crust Graham cracker flavor OR
the Keebler ready crust Pie Tarts, same as above but just smaller (4 or 6 to a pack)
1 half gal of vanilla ice cream, softened
1 6oz can of frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

Soften Ice cream in decent size bowl, stir/mix in lemonade concentrate well, pour the ice cream mix into the pie shell or spoon into the tart shells, use the clear covers in the package as covers, and freeze until firm.

These are super easy to do, I make 'em on a regular basis, not very heavy after a big meal. Enjoy and watch your waistline grow from a good meal.

 

Best backstrap recipe- natural lump charcoal , large amount so there's lots of heat. Melt two sticks butter 4 table spoons crushed oregano leaves , one teaspoon black pepper, one teaspoon garlic powder. Mix, and then slosh your backstrap to saturate . 90% of the spice and butter will drip off during the cooking. The high heat will create a crispy blackened outside and pink inside. The butter acts to seal in moisture so they don't dry out at all. The little bit of spice that remains is absolutely perfect along with the natural wood flavor of lump charcoal. Cook time is about 2-3 minutes each side. People who have eaten venison their whole lives have told me they never had venison this good ever.

 

Already time to make this a sticky!

And Rebel, I ain't met ya in person but dude, you eat that all the time I know a good cardiovascular surgeon!!!

 

Not all the time snert. I'm sure no one wants a steamed broccoli recipe

 

Good stuff Rebel. Almost exactly how my mom makes biscuits. She says Key is not to work the dough.
You know how to eat!!! Glad I’m headed to lunch now, got my mouth watering.

 

Those of us who love biscuits in all forms have had the experience of using the wrong flour for biscuits. I had to learn the hard way by using 'northern' hard wheat flour the first few times. After a quick phone call to my grandmother, I was walking the proper path using soft wheat flour. I kid you not, the texture of those wonderful southern biscuits is unmistakable. Ask any southern woman which flour she uses for biscuits and she'll either say White Lily, Southern Biscuit or Martha White. The self-rising versions are used frequently. The soft wheat flour has less protein and therefore is softer inside the biscuit.

Enjoy!

 

This is my favorite for back straps.

 

Thank you sir, Yankees just don't understand.
As far as biscuits go I prefer to place them a bit apart to rise and connect. Then they steam which makes a super fluffy, soft biscuit.