Let's get to cooking!!

[Colorado kid]

I am fairly new to hunting and I have gained a ton of valuable I formation from this forum. I truly appreciate all of you and everything I have learned so far. I struggle with trying to supply my fair share to you all by contributing. Therefore, I thought I would offer what I can at this point. I am a certified executive chef. I graduated with a bachelor's degree from Le Cordon Bleu school of culinary arts back in the late 90s and have worked in commercial and private kitchens for the better part of 28 years. I would like to offer this thread to anyone who might have questions regarding cooking, processing, storing or anything else that has to do with food...wild game or not. I will check back often to answer any and all questions!! Good luck with hunting season this year guys and gals!!

 

[Dave N]

Very cool! I'll keep checking this thread for new ideas. Thanks!

 

[noharleyyet]

Cool thread and offer...good on you Kid.

 

[deer_shooter]

Cool idea for a thread, I'll be checking this one often

 

[Frenchy]

I am a certified "Terrible Cook" and would definitely appreciate any insight you have to offer on cooking wild game. Salt and pepper are about the extents of my Culinary acumen.

 

[Colorado kid]

I'm glad some of you seem to like the idea. I really hope it'll catch on and people will run with it.

 

[Zach]

Brine and rub recipes!

Do you travel? ha!

 

[Colorado kid]

I am a certified "Terrible Cook" and would definitely appreciate any insight you have to offer on cooking wild game. Salt and pepper are about the extents of my Culinary acumen.

With a name like Frenchy, I would assume you can cook! First and foremost, salt and pepper should be the base for anything you are seasoning, with a few exceptions like using a pre-made Cajun rub or lawreys season salt or something. Smell your seasonings, don't be afraid to taste a little of it straight....before you put it on your food. Liberal seasoning is always the rule with most protein. Fish is a slightly different story. As for cooking any animal protein, I'll start you off with the very most fundamental rule. Tender cuts should always be cooked with very high heat for a very short period of time. Tough cuts should always be cooked at low temperatures for a long time. For example, a brisket is always smoked or braised at low temps. That gives the meat time to break down and tenderize. Whereas a back strap or good roast steak should be grilled, pan seared or oven roasted at a very high temp to seal in the juices and flavors as quickly as possible. The better sear you get, the more moisture you will retain.

 

[Colorado kid]

Brine and rub recipes!

Do you travel? ha!

Ha!! I have have an known to!! The wife hates when in gone so I usually save that for hunting! Brines and rubs are such an individual thing. What one person loves, another hates. If you know the fundamentals of making a brine, its hard to screw up. Brines are very dependent on the type of meat you are using. What's in your freezer now that you want to brine? As for rubs...i always start with salt, pepper, paprika and granulated garlic. Then I mix it up from there. I really like using ground ginger on red meat for some reason. You can go overboard with it if you're not careful but done right and it adds a great flavor to the rub. Remember when making a rub that you can always add more but it's impossible to take away if you add too much of something.

 

[Walkathon]

Great idea!

 

[Nick87]

I'll be following this thread closely! Great offet

 

[Eric.MN]

Need the Like button for this thread, will be following along

 

[1_pointer]

I have a question about jerky. My family really likes the jerky I make from burger. We keep it in the fridge and 4-5 pounds (before drying) often won't make it two weeks. Any problem with making some without cure?

Further, any and all tips/recipes you have for sausages would be welcome! I've looked a bit at some of Hank Shaw's stuff and plan on trying some more complicated recipes this winter.

 

[Rzrbck918]

I have a couple roasts from an old mule deer I’d like to brine. Any suggestions?

 

[Colorado kid]

I have a question about jerky. My family really likes the jerky I make from burger. We keep it in the fridge and 4-5 pounds (before drying) often won't make it two weeks. Any problem with making some without cure?

Further, any and all tips/recipes you have for sausages would be welcome! I've looked a bit at some of Hank Shaw's stuff and plan on trying some more complicated recipes this winter.

Cure vs uncured is a hot topic. There are 3 things that one must be concerned with in order to avoid bacteria growth. Temperature, moisture and oxygen. Moisture, in my opinion, is the most concerning. There are 3 reasons to cure something. A: flavor, B: to tenderize and C: to draw out the moisture. Throw a bunch of salt on a peeled tomato then throw it in the fridge for a few days and see what happens. When making jerky, if you're using a dehydrator, an oven at super low temps or a smoker, you are drawing out the moisture. As long as you are storing it properly IE vacuum seal and or fridge, there is no need to cure your ground before making your jerky. I would suggest adding salt at least simply for flavor and if you leave the salted ground in the fridge for a day or two you're actually curing it in a round about way. Stay tuned for my all time favorite sausage recipe!!

 

[Colorado kid]

I have a question about jerky. My family really likes the jerky I make from burger. We keep it in the fridge and 4-5 pounds (before drying) often won't make it two weeks. Any problem with making some without cure?

Further, any and all tips/recipes you have for sausages would be welcome! I've looked a bit at some of Hank Shaw's stuff and plan on trying some more complicated recipes this winter.

You cant really go wrong with anythin Mr. Shaw does. He is a very talented culinarian!!
When making sausage always always freeze your ingredients AND the equipment you will use.
This recipe is my go to for any basic sausage recipe. Remember that recipes are just a guideline and as long as you're following the basic technique outlined in the recipe, the ingredients can change to your liking. This is directly from the Le Cordon Bleu text book of charcuterie.

Game meat: 3.5 #
Fatback: 1.5 #
Ground white pepper: 1T
Ground ginger: 1.5t
Ground nutmeg: 1.5t
Curing salt: .25t
Sugar: 2t
Sage .5t
Salt: 4t
Ice cold water: 8oz
Sheep casing rinsed: as needed

1. Spread the meat and fastback over a sheet pan or cookie sheet
2. Sprinkle the mixed up spices over the top and incorporate well
3. Grind the mixture using first a coarse then medium then fine die.
4. Mix the ground meat with a mixer or hand blender for about 60 seconds while adding the ice cold water
5. Test poach a spoonful to check for flavor and consistency.
6. Stuff into the casing at desired size and tie off ends
7. At this point I would cold smoke my sausages but you can now cook them however you choose.
8. Try to not eat it all in one sitting!!

 

[Colorado kid]

I have a couple roasts from an old mule deer I’d like to brine. Any suggestions?

If he is a gamey old mule deer then I would suggest strong flavors and a longer brining time than normal. Have you thought about making a corned venison roast or perhaps pastrami with them? Corned venison is awful delicious and no matter how tough the deer was, it will come out tender!! Here is my basic brine recipe and to this, you can add whatever floats your boat. With venison, I would inject the brine into the roast often during the brining process. I would put it all in a large zip lock, then in the fridge for 2-3 days before cooking.

6 cups water
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 cups ice cubes

Stir together the water, salt, and sugar until dissolved. Stir in the ice and any other flavorings and cool the brine to 45°F or lower.

If you want the corned or pastrami recipes let me know.

 

[Rzrbck918]

I hadn't thought of corning the roast but Id love the recipe. Thanks in advance.

 

[Colorado kid]

I hadn't thought of corning the roast but Id love the recipe. Thanks in advance.

2 cups water
6 tablespoons of Morton quick tender (Wal-Mart has it)
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons pickling spice
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
6 cups cold water
3 – 5 pound boneless venison roast

Bring the 2 cups of water to a boil and add the spices, seasonings and sugar to dissolve the pull off the heat

Add that and the 6 cups cold water to a large container (2 gallon sized or larger). Place your roast into the brine mixture cover and plave in the fridge. Turn the meat each day for at least 5 days and as many as 7 days.

Using a crockpot or some sort of slow cooker, place the roast inside and cover with with water (or beef/chicken/venison stock) and cook on low for 7 to 10 hours.

Once it's fork tender remove it and allow it to rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature before slicing.

You can add potatoes and cabbage towards the end or even cook them in the slow cooker after you have pulled the roast.

Delicious!!

 

[Ryan2782]

Waterfowl... I usually smoke or jerky - with the occasional traditional in a cast iron.

What are your thoughts on waterfowl summer sausage or dry salami? Possible or craziness?