Wild Game Blog

We just finished conducting wild game cooking seminars at the International Sportsmen’s Expo in Sacramento California. An ever-growing crowd was treated to one of the largest sporting expo’s in the country. Exhibits, Products and Seminars from leading authorities from the hunting and fishing community were there for everyone to enjoy. They even added a Dutch Oven cooking competition this year.

At our demonstrations we covered the “links of success” how to get the most out of your wild game meats, which of course covered “dry aging” and its benefits & broken down a 21 day dry aged mule deer leg. We identify all the muscle groups in the leg of a big game animal and what are the appropriate cooking techniques for that cut. On Saturday we cooked the venison and the attendees where treated to the most delicate, tender piece of venison that they have ever had. Of course, we had rubbed it with our famous Juniperberry & Peppercorn Rub. After the seminar we went back to our booth and managed to cook up a little more of the venison much to the delight our neighboring booths. The fairground never smelled so good!

Hanging out with Champion Elk Caller and Primos Pro Staff – Matt Brimmer at hunting camp getting ready to dig in on “meat on a stick”!

Our good friend and hunting buddy, Matt Brimmer from the Primos Pro Staff, Klamath Falls, Oregon won the professional division of the “Best of the West” Elk Calling Competition. In addition, perennial winner Greg Hubbell Jr. Belmont, California continued his domination, in the adult division, after multiple championships in the youth division. They’ll both be moving on to the RMEF National Convention in Reno for the National Championship February 20-23, 2008. As will we continuing our efforts to educate our fellow outdoorsmen and women to improve their wild game cooking experience.

But first we’re on to share the WildEats Way with our friends from FNAWS and the Mule Deer Foundation at their National Contention(s) @ the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah Feb. 6-9, 2008. Follow your nose and come say hello.

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All of us at WildEats would like to wish everyone a safe, healthy and fulfilling NEW YEAR!

2008 looks to be a very busy year. Although we weren’t able to finish our new cookbook , we are putting the finishing touches on our new package design and looking forward to getting all our delicious blends on store shelves very soon.

We are also working on a new Lamb marinade for Atkins Ranch for Whole Foods…stay tuned!

Our CARNIVORE’S KITCHEN …Eating Wild column in RMEF’s BUGLE Magazine is attracting alot of attention and for the second straight year we are happy to be assisting RMEF with their fund raising efforts through their vendor direct program. Go out and help raise money for wildlife habitat. Be a part of history!

Winter is Show Time and we are getting ready for Wild Game Cooking Seminars at ISE San Mateo (1-10/13), ISE Sacramento (1-17/20), Western Hunting & Conservation Expo, Salt Lake City (2-6/9) and RMEF National Reno (2-21/24). Be sure and stop by to say hello, we’re sure to have a hot pot simmering close by.

Be sure and visit the new FREE Mossyoaks.com website and my Pro BLOG section. It’s a great resource for any hunting fanatic!

Please, don’t forget to say “THANKS” when you see a member of our military. Our freedom comes from them.

And lastly, although life seems to run by us at a very alarming rate these days try share the wonders of nature with a young person. They are the future.

Make it a GREAT year!

See Ya in the field

John McGannon<—1a1a039bd024e3e62ad70ffc99d4dd2e—><—1a1a039bd024e3e62ad70ffc99d4dd2e—><—1a1a039bd024e3e62ad70ffc99d4dd2e—><—1a1a039bd024e3e62ad70ffc99d4dd2e—>

It has been brought to our attention that there were typo’s in the “Attitude Adjusting” Elk Stuffed Bell Peppers recipe in BUGLE Magazine Jan/Feb Issue.

That 5 lbs. recipe will yield 20 stuffed bell peppers (not 40)
And requires 20 whole bell peppers cut in half (not 6)

Sorry for the oversight. The correct recipe is listed below.

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yields 20 stuffed bell peppers

5 lbs. Ground elk meat (which has been allowed to drain in a colander overnight) or any other wild game meat
1 med. Onion, diced finely
½ can V8 juice (save the rest for sauce)
1 cup raw basmati rice (you can also use regular whole grain rice)
1 cup dried breadcrumbs
½ cup Wildeats San Francisco Pepper Rub (optional, but recommended)
4 eggs

10 red or yellow bell peppers, cut in half and seeds removed

3 qts. V8 tomato juice
garnish – optional – sprigs of fresh thyme or oregano
Mix the meat thoroughly with all the other ingredients in the first section. Arrange the cut bell peppers in a shallow roasting pan, season the inside of the peppers with salt and pepper and fill each one with the meat filling. Place the stuffed peppers in a pre-heat oven @ 350° F and roast for 45 minutes or until the filling starts to turn a golden brown. Top the peppers with the V8, cover the pan with aluminum foil, turn down the oven to 325°F and continue to cook for another hour.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

This type of dish can also be frozen and served at a later date. Let me tell you, this year while at archery elk camps in Montana and Wyoming this dish turned the frowns of frustration into smiles of pleasure that certainly contributed to maintaining a positive approach to our hunt.

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My 2007 Hunting season started off with a bunch of (probably a little too much) anticipation and excitement. I had drawn five big game tags for mule deer (MT), elk (MT & WY), blacktail deer (CA) and antelope (SD). Luckily I was able to postpone my antelope hunt until 2008.

After getting reacquainted to my wife and kids…and yes I do have a very understanding wife, thanks Judy!

It was time to head up to Northern California for a late season blacktail deer hunt. This year the deer gods would show their force and provide all the necessary conditions to set up a hunt of a lifetime (for several of us). Unseasonable early storms had pushed through this region four to five weeks earlier than normal. These storms drove the entire deer herd down the mountain to their wintering grounds that kick started their rut almost a month early. Our hunting area was inundated with gigantic herds of deer, the likes of which hadn’t been seen in decades. On one hunt I stopped counting deer at 200 with over a dozen legal bucks. This is what hunting dreams are made of. In addition to eating some of the finest wild game cuisine at deer camp we were treated to record harvests.

Northern California Hunting Group

John’s record book blacktail “bootleg” (26×18 4×4 with 4 1/2 inch eye guards) 160 class SCI buck

Boone & Crockett doesn’t recognized this migrating deer herd as Blacktails because they are East of Interstate 5, but SCI does. In any case, we were all blessed to have everything line up to have the opportunity to take these bucks. We had the top three bucks in the region for the year! This will be hard to match, but that’s what makes hunting so much fun and is what keeps us dreaming for the years to come.

As the weather cools down there’s nothing like a slow braised venison or elk roast using an old European tradition.

I feel like I’m back at Grandma’s kitchen again!

This one is dedicated to her as well as one of our newest hunters – 13 year old Mike Keenan of Redwood City, CA who scored on a black bear, mule deer and a bull moose last month up in British Columbia. Way to keep the tradition alive!

VENISON SAUERBRATEN

4 Venison bottom rounds (or shoulder roast)
apr. 2 ½ lbs. each, tied with butchers twine *

Curing brine1 tbsp. Pickling spice
4 tbsp. Kosher salt
5 tbsp. Sugar
4 tbsp. WildEats Ginger Citrus & Pepper Rub
1 ½ tbsp. Ground black pepper
3 bay leaves

2 qts. Cold water
1 cup cider vinegar

1 lg. Onion, sliced
2 lg. Carrots
2 stalks celery

oil for browning

to finish the braising sauce
3 oz. tomato paste
10 ginger snap cookies, (added after meat is cooked to thicken the sauce)

Blend all the ingredients for the curing brine. Place the tied venison into the brine. Cover and place in the refrigerator for three days. Remove the meat from the brine, pat dry. Heat the oil in a heavy gauge pan. Brown all the meat and hold on the side. Now you want to deglaze all that flavorful residue from the bottom on the pan. Strain the vegetables form the brine and add them to the browning pan. Cook them until golden brown, add the brining liquid and tomato product. Stir the sauce to break up the clumps of tomato paste and scrape the bits and pieces from the bottom of the pan. Place the browned venison into a deep roasting pan and cover with the tomato brine liquid. Cover with aluminum foil and place into a pre-heated 350° F over for about 2 – 21/2 hours or until the meat slides off of a fork. Remove the venison to a pan and cover with foil. Place the sauce into an appropriate pot and simmer for a couple of minutes. Be sure to skim any fat, oil or scum that forms on the top of the sauce. Crumble the ginger snaps and add them to the sauce as you stir. Let the sauce come to a simmer. The cookies will thicken the sauce. You want a medium constancy for your sauce. The sauce will continue to thicken, so don’t be too quick to add more cookies. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, a splash of vinegar or sugar, depending on your personal taste if necessary. Strain the sauce through a fine strainer. The finished sauce should be balance between sweet and acidic and have a brilliant shine.

Allow the meat to rest for at least 30 minutes before cutting. This type of dish will also do very well prepared the day before. Cutting the meat when its cold and slowly heating it up in the sauce will give you a nice uniform look. Serve with traditional, spaetzle, potato dumplings, potato pancakes or buttery mashed potatoes. A great way to warm your soul on a cold night.

* Tying or trussing a roast or bird helps to maintain uniform cooking throughout the piece of meat

*** Meat that is cooked this way actually benefits from sitting a day or two. It allows all the flavors to blend and mature. <—c981ae4f09e43e910da322b0e0ce6c65—><—11a477019163052906b697cf078c2c88—><—11a477019163052906b697cf078c2c88—><—11a477019163052906b697cf078c2c88—>