Hunters wives recipes?

My boyfriend is a hunter. If there's a season for it (or even sometimes if theres' NOT a season for it...) it's going to be hunted. And even though I don't agree with this method of entertainment, it's something I am willing to overlook, as long as he doesn't drag me along with him. That being said. I end up with all different kinds of meat to cook with, and since this is not something that I grew up with I've never done it before. Any good ideas on how to cook stuff? ANYTHING, from deer, to fish, to dove, to duck, to anything. If you've had it, I've probably either had it or will soon... recipes would be appreciated.

Replies

  • HannahJDiaz25
    HannahJDiaz25 Posts: 329 Member
    I don't have any recipes right on hand, I generally cook game meat the same way I cook any other meat. But here is something you may find helpful. If the meat tastes too gamey, marinate the meat in butter milk to remove the blood from the meat and then marinate in whatever you generally use. It helps cut down on some of the gamey taste of the animal he bagged was older...

    Actually, I just remembered a Cajun style rabbit recipe I have cooked before
    http://www.dartagnan.com/t50/59126/rp1803/Game-Meats/Rabbit-Etouffee.html (I generally substitute the ingredients they want you to order for what I have on hand/ is available at the local stores.)]

    Also a very good game recipe blog is
    http://www.fishersnet.com/archive.html
    In fact every recipe I have tried on here is delicious. ... Good luck cooking
  • Thank you!
  • AmyJMadison
    AmyJMadison Posts: 143 Member
    Oh Lucky you! And venison and other game meats can be so healthy and low fat! I hope some good recipes pop up here. I do a similar thing and just substitute deer or other for beef or pork and move ahead... I used to make a mean schnitzel but the frying had to stop... so no more of that!
  • DenyseMarieL
    DenyseMarieL Posts: 673 Member
    My slow cooker is the way I go with any wild meat. Deer, moose, etc. The deer sausage I will bake with onions and peppers.
    Fish, I will dip in egg, bread crushed soda crackers (the salt gives it super flavor) and fry up in some butter.
  • Mama_Jag
    Mama_Jag Posts: 474 Member
    Just did some venison and bear in a skillet with lots of butter and onions. Not much else needed! I love having a hunter, my freezer is always full!
  • AndreaL0918
    AndreaL0918 Posts: 47 Member
    bump... need recipes we have meat and I want to like it!
  • jenlarz
    jenlarz Posts: 813 Member
    Roasts in the crock pot with a can of cola work well. My guess is if you google it lots of recipes will pop up also
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    This title might be missing an apostrophe or two, I can't tell.
  • DontStopB_Leakin
    DontStopB_Leakin Posts: 3,863 Member
    Seriously thought you were wanting to know how to cook a hunter's wife..


    *leaves*
  • DenyseMarieL
    DenyseMarieL Posts: 673 Member
    This title might be missing an apostrophe or two, I can't tell.



    Every good hunter has a good recipe in which to prepare his wife.
  • dorianaldyn
    dorianaldyn Posts: 611 Member
    My paternal grandfather used to hunt a lot and I remember having some venison sausage that was actually really good. My sister's husband hunts a lot and I know she makes lots of jerky with her food dehydrator.
  • Pbgrl04
    Pbgrl04 Posts: 129
    My boyfriend is a hunter. If there's a season for it (or even sometimes if theres' NOT a season for it...) it's going to be hunted. And even though I don't agree with this method of entertainment, it's something I am willing to overlook, as long as he doesn't drag me along with him. That being said. I end up with all different kinds of meat to cook with, and since this is not something that I grew up with I've never done it before. Any good ideas on how to cook stuff? ANYTHING, from deer, to fish, to dove, to duck, to anything. If you've had it, I've probably either had it or will soon... recipes would be appreciated.
    I'm in the same boat too. My boyfriend likes to hunt dove and deer. I havnt had a chance to cook the deer yet he just got it and we have been out of town. But i have a really good dove recipe if you want it. Feel free to add me!
  • oregonzoo
    oregonzoo Posts: 4,251 Member
    Seriously thought you were wanting to know how to cook a hunter's wife..


    *leaves*
    Well for starters send said hunters wife out hunting with d*ck Cheney. after that, it's easy.
  • tabbydog
    tabbydog Posts: 4,925 Member
    BUMP
  • brittlynn8907
    brittlynn8907 Posts: 92 Member
    My dad wraps deer meat in bacon and marinates it over night in dale's sauce and then grills it. He does the same with turkey but marinates it in dr. pepper instead of dale's sauce. They are both really good.
  • aerochic42
    aerochic42 Posts: 843 Member
    I know form experience that venison in particular is drier (lower fat). In order to prevent it drying out or burning, I usually have to cook it at a lower temperature and will add sometimes add some extra liquid. Ground venison can be used as substitute for ground beef or other ground meats; burgers, meatballs, hamburger helper type, tacos, etc. I just brown it at medium low heat instead of medium and try to stir it more often. Venison sausage can be easily used in place of pork sausage and breakfast patties.

    One of my favorite fish recipes is after the fish is skinned, filleted, and belly fat and blood lines removed (it "wastes" more of the fish but it tastes SOOOO much better, that I think it's worth it), put the fillets in a ziploc bag. Place the sealed bag in bowl of ice water in the fridge for at least 4 hours, overnight is better. it will firm up and any remaining blood will leech out.

    the fillets are then sprinkled (or coated tastes will vary) in lemon pepper, garlic powder, onion powder sometimes, little bit of sea salt, and some fresh ground peper on both sides. in a pan melt some butter or margarine at medium to medium high until it begins to bubble. add the fish cook on each side until golden brown and flip (only a few minutes so don't walk away). obviously thinner pieces require shorter time.

    one other suggestion since hunting is often a shared family past-time, ask his mom or dad for suggestions. they will probably have some recipes they are willing to share.
  • My husband hunts a lot and while I don't want to hunt, I do go and deal with the pack horses because I am a horse trainer and my husband is not a fan of dealing with them. Plus, less hiking for him if I bring the horses in after he gets something. I also cook and deal with camp for the guys. I am not aginist hunting but I am aginist poching, not to mention if your boyfriend gets caught it's gonna mess up his life. The DOW is not nice about that, and they actually have the most power out of the law enforcment agencies so keep that in mind.

    We never buy meat so I cook with a lot of game meat. I also love my crock pot so...but we dont' eat super healthy so my ways of cooking it may not work for you.

    My favorite! Gound Elk/Deer/Moose Chili-I add beef broth to add extra flavor, brown the meat with oinion and garlic (lots in our house!), toss it in with a small can of tomato paste and a large can of whatever shaped tomato you like (crushed here). Then I add 1-2 can's of beef broth. My husband hates beans, but you can toss in canned (and rinsed) beans if you like. I use cumin, chili powder, and chyanne pepper to taste.

    Any type of bird is good cooked in cream of mushroom soup, or other cream soups for that matter.

    Grouse is good anyway you would cook chicken (baked, grilled, in fried rice, in strips, ect.) it looks like dark meat before cooking but is not. And it's good boiled in seasonings...we tend to end up boiling one in the seasoning from ramon noodles for dinner when we are up hunting...LOL

    Dove or other dark meat birds is good marinated in italian dressing and then grilled...and possiably wrapped in bacon....LOL We do this for family events, small peices of dove marinated, then wrapped in bacon on a toothpick and grilled.

    Deer makes good taco's (it covers up the mountian deer taste we get here), it's nice to not have to drain fat off!

    I'm not a fan of deer crock pot roast (mountian deer is too strong) so I cut it up and make jerky (I also have about 5 pounds of elk right now to make into jerky in the smoker...so much work!). We also have antelope made into jerky because we don't like it otherwise. But if your a sausage fan it is good in that. It's got a goat taste for sure.

    Steaks are good grilled, I never do much else with them. Marinade in coke (and/or beer) to tenderize and take out the game taste, then use worshire sauce while grilling, adding whatever seasoning you like.

    Ground deer/elk/moose/ect. can also be made into hambugers and either grilled or pan fried with gravy, stroganoff, meat sauce for pasta, ect.

    Wild hog is super good! Just like pork so it's easy to cook with.

    You can also get deer bacon made, it's yummy baked with chyanne pepper.

    When cooking it just make sure you don't burn it because it is so lean. Sometimes you can get it processed with a certian % of fat added (usually pork fat). And if your in a area where the wild game is very "gamey" then you will want to make more seasoned things with it. My husband went to WI to hunt a few years ago, and that deer was like beef, it's pretty much corn fed up there. Here in CO the big bull elk he got last year is better then beef! Which was suprising because he was a big old bull (huge a-typical rack! he's cool looking on my wall) and the last few years have been pretty dry here.

    Anyways, enjoy it! It's good lean meat, and much healthier for you then conventionally raised meats. Not to mention, cheaper! I always have a deep freezer full of meat which is nice for peace of mind.
  • 777Gemma888
    777Gemma888 Posts: 9,578 Member
    ... I end up with all different kinds of meat to cook with, and since this is not something that I grew up with I've never done it before. Any good ideas on how to cook stuff? ANYTHING, from deer, to fish, to dove, to duck, to anything. If you've had it, I've probably either had it or will soon... recipes would be appreciated.

    It's not as daunting as it would seem really. I always feel that the difficult part is cleaning it. And for the larger kills, my sister and I tend to marinate (basically a soak to draw out the blood smell) the pieces (the shoulders, the legs, the rump, the loins) for over 3 days in vinegar (or lemon juice)and ice - a bath, and you really do need to change it up everyday, most especially since they are wild game meats, then we'd dab dry after draining and marinate in a dry rub or a wet rub, then vacuum seal and store away.

    Once he gets a fresh kill, you may write me if and when you are stuck, for I'd grown up with the traditions of wild game hunting, skinning, gutting and cooking - for our Christmas and Easter table, from freshwater fish to wild game birds, to the four-legged varieties. One thing is for certain, as had been mentioned before, is that game meats are leaner, meaning that you can't cook it for as long as you would the store-bought farmed varieties.

    One of the easiest methods to prep game meats is to bbq it, for the duck or goose, for example you can stuff the cavity with a can of your boyfriend's favourite beer (convenient and it always works lol), place it on the barbie and smoke it to perfection. Another winner - and is very easy to do - would be the rotisserie method (or spitting) - coq au vin (when you can see that it's more fibrous - this would be the way to go).

    Edit for wild hog: I'd say the caja china is the friendliest method for a suckling crackling wild hog. They do sell those boxes out there - I personally opt for a more complex method, which is practiced in Appalachia, Texas and Arizona in the Americas, and is traditional where I hail from - which is to prep it in an earth oven for 4 hours, or if your boyfriend has an adobe oven - outdoors, that too would work.
  • 777Gemma888
    777Gemma888 Posts: 9,578 Member
    Any good ideas on how to cook stuff? ANYTHING, from deer, to fish, to dove, to duck, to anything. If you've had it, I've probably either had it or will soon... recipes would be appreciated.

    Here's a tip for fish - keep it simple. Think fresh herbs inside the cavity, salt and pepper it up, then either steam, broil or bake it.

    Don't overthink it, for many of the recipes can crossover - but just watch your timer - since you're a newbie, and most especially if he likes his steak rare.