How About Crock Pot BBQ Venison

October 1 is fast approaching and with it is the 2011 Deer Season!!!! I get goose bumps just thinking about it!  My thoughts turn to preparation for the season and an unlikely preparation many may forget is to  ensure you have room in the freezer.  I have been diligently working through my inventory of wild game from 2010 over the past year and only have a few of my less desirable cuts left.  As I took an inventory of the game freezer, I found four packages of hindquarter steaks.  Now, don't get me wrong, hindquarter is an okay cut, but it isn't back-strap or tenderloin.  I looked at theses numerous packages of meat and tried to envision what tasty concoction I could come up with.  Then it struck me!  "I'll make a crock-pot barbecue shredded venison!"  I didn't even know if I could find a recipe for this, but I was determined to see if it could be done.

I found a few recipes via the internet that weren't exactly what I wanted, so I took a little from one and added it to another.  The result was so tasty that even my wife and older daughter were impressed with it!

Ingredients:
1 large onion
1 venison roast or 6 venison steaks
3 strips of bacon
1 bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce

1.  Cut the venison into 1 inch cubes and throw it in the crock pot.

2,  Cut up the onion distribute it over the venison.

3.  Cut up the bacon and distribute it over the onions.

4.  Add water or beef broth or apple juice deep enough to cover the meat.

5.  Turn the crock pot on high, cover, and allow it to cook for six hours.

6.  Remove the meat and onions from the water and shred the meat with a fork.

7.  Pour the water out of the crock pot and place the meat back in the pot.

8.  Add the barbecue sauce to the meat, turn the crock pot on warm and serve on a bun.

I fixed more than we could eat in one sitting, so I have divided up the left-overs and froze them for a quick and easy meal in the near future.  This really turned out well and will be one of my stand-by recipes for the future.

Searching For The Perfect Salmon Recipe

The older I get, the more I have realized that hunting and fishing is not only about the actual taking of the fish & game animals with rods, guns and bows.  In fact, that is only half of the process.  It is also about the cooking and consumption of the fish & game animals that completes this cycle.  Without the latter, the former loses its meaning in my opinion.  So with this in mind, I have been searching for a recipe that is worthy of the wonderful Sockeye Salmon I recently caught in Alaska.

I scoured the internet and my own cookbooks to come up with the perfect method of preparation that balances simplicity with elegance.  After testing out a few fillets, I think I have found my favorite and I wanted to share.  This recipe only requires a few ingredients, but delivers a phenomenal result.  Bon Appetite!

Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon with Spice Rub

Ingredients:

Salmon fillet (best fresh caught from Alaska if possible) 

Cedar Plank

Spice Rub

- 1 TBS brown sugar

- 1 TSP coarse salt

- 2 TSP ancho chili powder

- 1 TSP ground cumin

-1/2 TSP black pepper

Instructions:

1.  Soak the cedar plank in water for about an hour and preheat grill to 350 degrees prior to cooking.  

2.  In a small bowl, mix the spice rub ingredients together thoroughly.

3.  Apply the spice rub to the salmon.

4.  Place cedar plank on grill to preheat for 3-5 minutes.  Turn plank over and place salmon fillet on plank (skin side down).  Cook for 12-15 minutes (no turning necessary).  Remove from grill and enjoy!

This recipe is simple and delivers a spicy crust for your delicious salmon!

Cryogenically Frozen Quail from 2009

I just finished signing up for my 2011 dove lease and I thought, "hey, I should grill the last of my dove!"  Well I dove into my freezer and dug up the last two unidentified ice bergs that I was confident contained last season's dove.  I placed them in a large pot of water and began the thawing process.  As the ice melted away, I was surprised to find five nice quail in my pot.  Huh, I think these are from 2009.  Wow they are old!  I hesitated for a moment, but I was committed to exert my God given right as an American to grill on the fourth of July weekend.  I began the process of preparing grilled bacon wrapped quail (see ingredients and directions below).  At the completion of the grilling process, I tentatively took my first bite and was pleasantly surprised with an awesome result!  WOW, these are super spicy, bacon wrapped quail and they taste like I shot them this afternoon!  God Bless America!

5 whole quail (or whatever you have)
5 pieces of bacon (maple is best)
1 bottle of Cajun seasoning
15 slices of jalapeno peppers (Olive Mountain)
5 toothpicks

Directions: After defrosting quail, soak them in saltwater for 1-2 hours then place them on a plate and sprinkle the cajun seasoning liberally.  Then place 3 jalapeno pepper slices on each breast and wrap each bird with a single slice of bacon (use a toothpick to keep the bacon in place once it is wrapped).  Pre-heat grill and place on a low indirect heat for 10 minutes (breast side down first) and then turn for another 10 minutes.   Remove and cool before eating.

They Taste Better Than They Look!

Styrofoam or Beef Stew?

So a few weekends ago was the "girls weekend".  What I mean is that my oldest daughter had a Cheer banquet to attend on Sunday and my youngest daughter had a Dance convention thing all weekend and my wife was attending both events.  My job was to watch whichever daughter was home  and to be available when they were coming back and forth to their activities.  My movements were limited, but I enjoy my time with the girls.  Especially when we have one on one father-daughter time.

On Saturday around Noon it was damp, cold, and windy and there wasn't much else to do except cook lunch.  It was a perfect opportunity to test out my new backpack stove and backpacker dehydrated food!  I tried to convince my oldest daughter that this would be fun, but she gave me one of those looks.  You know the kind that says your "old, weird, and I am not doing that" without her saying anything other than "Dad".  I was not discouraged though.  I proceeded to dig out my new MSR Pocket Rocket stove and a packet of Mountain House beef stew.  I bought this stove for my potential elk hunting trip that I may take this year and other backpacking trips I would like to take in the future, but since I am a planner by nature, I needed to test the equipment and the cuisine under controlled conditions (i.e. if I don't like the food I can get a Whataburger instead).

I started by getting out the stove and reading the instructions.  Amazingly there were about 5 different sets of instructions with various languages.  I had no idea this was such a global product.  It appeared to be easy enough.  I remove the stove from the box and screw it on to the fuel canister, turn the valve and light it.  When the stove lit, it made a satisfying "foom" sound that means we are cooking with gas!  I then place my "all-in-one" cooking pot/cup on top with about 16 ounces of water to be heated to a boil.

On the menu is beef stew.  I am skeptical to say the least.  When I think of beef stew ready made, I think of hungry man soup, full of vegetables and hunks of beef!  I anticipate this being more like styrofoam in brown water.

The instructions say to heat 16 ounces of water to a rolling boil, then pour the water into the packet and reseal.  Wait 8-10 minutes and then enjoy your beef stew!  No I know I didn't have to heat the water on my little stove since I was home, but I wanted the full effect.

After following the directions and waiting the prescribed amount of time, I opened the packet and was pleasantly surprised!  It smelled fantastic and looked good too.  There was nothing styrofoamy about this dish.  I ate nearly the whole thing (with my compact camping spork I might add).  Check this test off as a success for both the stove (it was really easy to use) and the beef stew (this is will hit the spot on a cold night)!

I tried to get my oldest daughter to try a bite and although she was appreciative of my offer, there was no way she was eating stew in a bag.  I think I ruined it when I showed her the bag before I cooked it and demonstrated how dry and crunchy everything sounded inside.

The weekend ended with some time spent with my youngest.  We headed for the indoor rock climbing wall at the gym.  We both love to climb and enjoy encouraging each other as we attempt different routes along the walls.  This is my daughter in the picture below nearly to the top of the wall.

Just to prove that this old man can still climb, here is another photo I took of her while she is climbing after I had already reached the top.  We both climb until our hands and arms are completely weak from exhaustion and we love every minute of it!

The weekend is gone and Turkey season is fast approaching.  I can hear it in the distance now....yelp, yelp, yelp........ gobble, gobble....... BOOM!   Ah, the sounds of spring.

Deep Thoughts: The Last Batch of Deer Chili

So we had a return of winter weather this week and that inspired me to cook a little deer chili.  I knew I was running a little low on my ground deer meat, but I was sure that at the bottom of my freezer, under the deer steaks, quail, dove and fish, there was more.  I purchased a new grinder this winter and put in many hours of grinding so I was confident this wasn't the end.  When I started digging in the deep freeze and taking an inventory of my wild game, I realized that although I had many packages of deer steaks, I only had two ground meat packages left.  That's just enough for one more batch of chili! (cue the dramatic music, dun, dun, Da!)

Now I don't claim to be be a philosopher, but as I cooked my final batch of deer chili from the 2010 hunting season, it caused me to reflect and see similar parallels with my life.  Here I have been, going through my ground deer meat supply like it will never end.  I have been enjoying it, but not really appreciating it and treating each meal like it is the last.  That is how most of us live our lives, living each day like we have all the time in the world and that there will always be tomorrow.  Maybe it's because I am nearing 40 and am feeling my mortality creep up on me, but lately I have been thinking about the limited time I have left in my life to spend with my children before they grow up, with my wife while we are relatively young and good looking (well at least she is), and to do the things that I want to do before I am not able any more because I am to old and not able.

Now I know what your thinking, that this parallel falls apart because I can always get another deer or two next fall and your right (I didn't say it was a perfect analogy).  But, the lesson is still a good one and we should all practice what I coincidentally heard in a country song just the other day, "live like your dying".  Now I don't usually take advice from country songs, or else I would be writing about "mom, prison, and trains" (that's a reference to "you never even call me by my name" by David Allan Coe if you were wondering).  But it is a good perspective to keep in mind as I live my life and make choices about where to spend my time and who to spend it with.

In my last blog post I outlined the major big game animals of North America that I want to hunt before I am unable.   I have planned a trip this fall to pursue Elk, but I recently hurt my knee and I am unsure if I will recover in time to be able to hike the high country wilderness of Colorado.  I hope that this isn't one of those things that I thought I still had plenty of time to do and it turns out that my time has passed.

Well enough of the deep thoughts, back to the chili!  Since this is my last batch before replenishing my supply of ground deer meat, I needed to make this an extra special chili.  I used a store bought brand of chili mix that has the usual seasonings, but I added two cans of dice tomatoes, one can of kidney beans, and two bell peppers (a red one and a green one).  Add cheese and jalapenos and you have a feast!

Warm weather is approaching so it will be time to bring the grill into service and begin cooking the deer steaks!  I'll never run out of those!  Just kidding.

Red Fish Remembered "A Treasure Discovered In The Freezer!"

This morning I woke up and began to wonder what kind of dish I should make this weekend from the two whitetail bucks I had taken this fall during bow season.  I went down to my freezer and began to take an inventory the different cuts of meat I had available and as I was lifting up some back-strap steaks, I found a lone frozen fillet of Red Fish!  Immediately my thoughts turned to lunch possibilities (mmm, fish).  I pulled the fillet from the sub-zero depths of the deep freeze where it had been deposited since this past summer.  The fish was encased in ice inside of a ziploc bag, so I need to get it into some warm water to thaw it out in time for lunch.  I located a large bowl and began the thawing process.

As the fish lay there thawing, I began to think back about the trip when I caught this fish.  Since I now live in the DFW area, I don't get to saltwater fish as often as I did when I lived on the Texas coast.  So I had arranged to travel to Port Aransas and kayak fish the grass flats near the Light House Lakes for a weekend in late July.  It is a great area to kayak fish because the water is very shallow and propeller powered boats are prohibited because they damage the sea grass.  Red Fish move into these shallow flats on high tide to forage for bait fish, shrimp, and small crabs.  You can spot red fish feeding as the tips of their tails will often stick out of the water as they forage.  This was my second trip to Port Aransas, so I knew where to launch my kayak and where the fish would likely be if the weather cooperated.  As I said, it was late July and temperatures climb quickly, so the fishing takes place in the morning.  

This trip I focused on the east side of Light House Lakes area.  I was on the water before the sun was up and had paddled to my spot by the time the sun peaked over the horizon.  I love being out early in the morning, as the water just begins to move after high tide.  The environment was alive with activity.  Small bait fish and shrimp are erupting from the surface as they attempt to escape the larger fish below, looking to make a meal out of anything that isn't fast enough.  I paddle into the first cove and immediately I spot a couple tails near the mangroves on the other side of the small shallow lake.  I stealthily paddle within casting range.  My gold spoon lure lands on target as I now work it into the path of the Red Fish.  Stealth is the name of the game in these waters.  Because of the sea grass, the water clarity is about like a swimming pool.  If I can see them and they can see me, so you can't get to close.  My lure is on a collision course with the feeding Reds.  It passes by them and nothing happens.  I casted again, but this time my lure landed to close to their location and they were spooked.  I was dejected.  I had drifted across this small opening of water and I was about to paddle back out to the larger South Bay area when I saw another red feeding within my casting range.  I quickly put my gold spoon in  his effective range.  He spotted what he thought was a bait fish and as he quickly swam toward my lure.  The water swelled like a submarine was traveling beneath the surface at ramming speed.  Then BAM, he inhaled the lure!  The reason I love catching Reds is because they are great to eat and they are STRONG!  This fish is two feet long and full of muscle.  You should always loosen your drag when fishing for Reds because they will run and take your line with them.  If you don't, he will break your line and be gone.  This fish was no different.  Immediately my reel was screaming as the fish pulled out the line as he went on a run.  You have to play the fish and not try to horse him in.  I allow the line to run out and then reel him in as he turns.  As I bring him closer to the Kayak, he then becomes aware of my presence and again goes on another run.  Finally he begins to tire out and I ready my net.  I get him in the kayak and have to admire this majestic fish.  Red fish are actually a bronze color and normally have one black spot on their tail.  This is to confuse other fish so they don't know which end is the head (or so I have been told).  Sometimes they have more spots than just the on the tail and, as you can tell from my pic, he had six.  

It was a great weekend as I caught several fish each day, had the pleasure of paddling in beautiful waters and staying in a small "efficiency" cabin (that is code for one room) right on the coast.  I fished during the mornings, napped in the afternoons and enjoyed visiting with the locals about their fishing stories. 

Back to my lunch, the fish was thawed by 11:30 so I assembled my ingredients.  I intended to grill the fish because this is a no hassle, no mess way to cook fish.  I place two sheets of aluminum foil on the counter.  They need to be big enough to fold over the fish and then wrap the edges so that it creates a sealed packet.  I take a pat of butter and cut into tiny pieces to be placed under and on top of the fish.  I then grab some Cajun spice mix that I like and liberally apply to the fillet.  Any kind of seasoning will work.  I have used Italian seasoning as well and had great results.  Seal up the foil packet and place it on the grill for 8-10 minutes then turn it over and cook it about another 5-8 minutes (depending upon the size and thickness of the fillet).  I then grabbed it from the grill and open the foil.  The sweet aroma of fresh grilled fish is awesome.  Add a side of ranch style beans and you have lunch fit for a king.

All thawed out and ready to go!

Special Seasoning

Apply liberally and add butter

Low to medium heat, turning once after about 8 minutes, then another 8 to go

Can't you smell it?

Add Ranch Style Beans and Dr. Pepper, now that is a meal!

If you ever find yourself on the Texas coast, I would highly recommend a fishing trip.  Kayak fishing has really become popular over the last decade and many fishing guides now offer complete kayak fishing trips with everything provided (kayak and gear).  Below I have posted the links to the Light House Lakes and a map of the area if you ever want to try your hand catching a Red in the grass flats.

Lighthouse Lakes Information

Satellite Map of Lighthouse Lakes with paddling routes

Dove Decoys Really Do Work!

So this post spans from September 2010 to New Year's day, but since I just recently started this blog, I think it is acceptable to give you a recap of one of my 2010 hunts.  I finally bit the bullet and paid for a dove lease.  I have never done this before because I had always been near land that I could access for free (public or private), but that was not the case this year.  I had not been dove hunting for a long, long, time so I needed some basic gear and my license.  While I was at Cabelas, I  noticed dove decoys galore.  Some were just molds resembling doves and others had wings that rotated and gave the illusion of a flapping wing.  My hunting buddy Ron is a believer in these mechanical decoys and he is usually right, so I grimaced as I plopped down the $40 required to purchase one fancy decoy and a few of the basic molded decoys.  This was after I went on the "Dove Tour" that the dove lease guys put on and man was it a crowd pleaser.  Below is a brief video that I took with my iPhone while they were explaining the ground rules to the hunting season.  I had a hard time paying attention because there were so many doves flying overhead.  I apologize for the crummy music with the video, I had to remove the ZZ Top track I had on it when I posted it on YouTube.


The Dove Tour

The Decoy Results!!!

I took off work the opening day of dove season and headed out to to a cut milo field that had been crawling with doves during my preseason scouting.  Since this was a lease, I knew there would be many other hunters, but boy was I surprised.  I had gotten to the field about an hour before daylight and I was still late, there were hunters in all the prime spots.  I was able to find my third choice spot in the dark so I began to set out my decoys and gear in the weeds where I would wait.  It was a cool cloudy day so the birds weren't flying in as I had seen them during my scouting trip, but there were good numbers.  The spots I had intended to sit were receiving great action with lots of shot opportunities, but I was patient. I looked out across the field where my decoy sat and suddenly a dove appeared flying low to the ground, headed straight for me traveling at mach 1!  I barely had time to raise my gun and shoot before he passed, BANG, I had bagged my first dove in years!  I thought to myself, he appeared to be headed straight for my decoy, that's odd.  Later, doves began to come over at much higher altitude as they were getting wise to the presence of the hunters, but several times large groups came overhead and circled to inspect my decoy attempting to land on my position, much like ducks setting their wings to come in for a landing.  This decoy is really working!  The first morning hunt was tough due to the number of hunters so I only took nine, but I was convinced that the decoy would continue to help me this season.

Over the course of the month I went out several more times, but to a pasture with multiple ponds and fields full of weeds.  Doves would hone in on my decoy like tomahawk missiles!  I had to be vigilant or I would miss prime opportunities.  I even had birds that I had shot at and missed, circle around for another pass as they continued to try to reach my decoy.  Despite the heat and mosquitos that were attempting to carry me away, I had a very successful dove season.

I saved a set of birds for a New Years get together with my hunting and fishing buddy Ron.  Ron is a great cook and I wanted him to show me how he creates his bacon wrapped grilled dove.  While I was expecting a detailed recipe with exact ingredients, I found that he winged it most of the time (no pun intended).  We grabbed every spice he had included a special seasoning he had received as a gift. We wrapped the doves in bacon with as many jalapeno slices as we could possibly fit.  The grilling proved difficult as the flames erupted from the bacon grease, but Ron's attentive flipping and repositioning of the doves was masterful.  The end result was a smokey and spicy treat that we still continue to talk about to this day.  Wow were those doves great!

The prize, start to finish!

It was a fitting end to my dove hunting experience.  As we enjoyed the fruits of the field, I told Ron tall tales about the dove hunts and how my shot to kill ratio was likely not very good.  I had seen many great sunsets, made many memories, and met a lot of great folks.  I can't wait for next season!