Cooking With Game

Elk Osso Bucco – Traditional

Also spelled Osso Buco: an Italian dish made with veal shank containing marrowbone, stewed in wine with vegetables and seasonings.

First of all you need to acquire the meat and bones. One of our mighty hunters brought in a large cow elk, so I decided it was time to give this a try. Now I will admit it doesn’t quite fit my mission statement of “family friendly recipes” in that it is a bit of work and though it pretty much tastes like pot roast, the look of it might be intimidating to kids. Nevertheless, here we go:

Cut the shin bone, meat and all with a butcher’s saw or band saw (my husband used his saws-all) into discs that are about 2″ long. The width of the meat will vary according to where you are on the leg. What I used were about 4″ across including meat and bone. They say it’s easier if it’s slightly frozen. We don’t have that kind of freezer space!

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March 13, 2016

Hunter’s Fast Food Chili

It was game day, literally and figuratively. The Super Bowl was on and the guys were processing an elk they’d harvested 2 days before. Butchering a whole elk is hungry work, which goes much faster and is more fun when it is a team effort. Someone cutting and cleaning, someone grinding the burger, someone packaging it up. It was fitting we have chili, a Super Bowl staple and a great way to use ground elk meat. So I made up a pot, but I didn’t want to spend much time doing it since I was the one grinding and packing. This can be made in 20 minutes and held stove top for 2 hours or eaten right away.

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February 13, 2016

Salmon Chowder

What could be better on a cold night than chowder? Especially nice when served with a nice crisp green salad and crusty hot bread. What you find different about this recipe is that it uses fresh (or previously frozen) salmon, not canned or smoked. And you add the raw salmon at the end, after removing the pan from the heat, to just heat it through so it doesn’t get tough and dry. Yes, it will cook through in the simmering chowder in about 6 minutes. It is a great way to use salmon that may have been in the freezer for awhile.

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February 5, 2016

Burger Goulash

Goulash

This is an easy, versatile meal. The name goulash tells you that it is very flexible, adding what ever you have or substituting for what you don’t have. The base ingredients are ground meat, onion, tomato of some kind and the spices. Canned tomatoes can be replaced by an equal amount of fresh tomatoes. No tomato sauce, add extra tomatoes. Left over vegetables, throw them in. No rice, pasta or zoodles, serve over mashed potatoes or drain a bit and serve on a bun like a Sloppy Jo. Continue reading “Burger Goulash” →

January 7, 2016

Antelope

This August my husband got to go along on a friend’s Antelope hunt in Eastern Oregon. The hunter’s got their game! I had never had antelope before and wasn’t sure what to expect the meat to be like. After the guys cut the meat up I tried a few quick simple tests see what I could expect. I cooked the tenderloin in a little butter with some light seasonings for just a minute on each side. No special preparation, just heat and eat. It was very good. Some chew to it, but not tough. Then I tried the same with the backstop. Oh My Gosh, was that good. Again, no special prep. No brine, no tenderizer. Just cooked in butter with salt and pepper. As good as steak to me! Maybe not quite as tender as a rib-eye, but better than sirloin for sure.

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August 24, 2015

Stuffed Goose or Duck Medallions

Stuffed Goose or Duck Medallions

Adapted from a Ducks Unlimited recipe November/December 2012 issue.

Roasted garlic adds a sweet, nutty flavor to this delicious recipe

Don’t be alarmed by the amount of garlic used in this recipe. The garlic is mellowed out by roasting, which makes it soft, lightly browned, nutty, and sweet. This stuffing mixture—a blend of garlic, fresh herbs, cheese, and just enough breadcrumbs to hold everything together—also works well with duck, venison, and other game.

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May 16, 2013