Outdoor & Wild Game Recipes

Taking a newcomer on a turkey, pheasant or duck hunting trip is a great way to introduce them to our great sport. The first time they go take them to your favorite place, so they see lots of birds, and get lots of shooting. Don't take them through the heavy brush or make them walk too far the first time, you want them to enjoy it. Don't take them on a cold, windy, rainy day for the same reason.

Field Preparation of Birds

As soon as you can, field-dress any birds you shoot, removing all the entrails. Remove the breast sponge from turkeys. You can pluck the bird if you want, but if you are going to transport waterfowl be sure to leave one wing and the head and neck feathered for identification. Chill the meat as soon as possible.

Skinning and Plucking

If you are going to skin the bird cut off the neck and wings near the body, and the legs at the knees. Slit the skin near the end of the breastbone and pull the skin over the breast, then pull skin away from the rest of the body. If you are going to cook birds with the skin on they should be plucked as soon as possible, because the pinfeathers are hard to remove after the skin has cooled. Leave the head and legs on the bird, and dip it in hot paraffin, or in almost boiling water. Allow the paraffin to harden then pull off paraffin and feathers. If you don't use paraffin just pull the feathers off. If any fuzz remains singe with a lighter or over an open flame.

Storage

If you don't know how you will cook the bird I suggest you refrigerate or freeze it whole. But, because there is little meat on the legs and wings of most game birds, you can remove the entrails, skin the breast and cut the breast out in two fillets. Put the fillets in a zip lock bag and refrigerate or freeze. Store the bird with the skin on, it will help reduce freezer burn of the meat. If you are frying the bird you can remove the skin before you cook it.

Bird Brine

To remove the gamy taste and blood spots birds can be soaked overnight in the refrigerator in 2 tablespoons salt per quart of water with 1teaspoon baking soda added. If ducks are to be refrigerated for a couple of days place an onion inside the cavity to remove more gamy taste. Remove and discard the onion before cooking.

Cooking Preparation

Whole game birds should be washed thoroughly inside and out, and sprinkled inside with salt and pepper before cooking. Most game birds taste best when stuffed. You can stuff the bird, using one of the stuffings in the book. When you stuff the bird, stuff it firmly but do not pack, allow room for the stuffing to expand. Serve with long grain and wild rice, choice of vegetable, home made rolls or sourdough bread, and pumpkin pie with ice cream or frozen cream topping.

From T.R. Michels Outdoorsman's Cookbook Volume 1: Camp & Backyard Cooking ($9.95) available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products catalog.

Turkey Hunting

If you want a real challenge, try turkey hunting. There isn't anything more exciting than calling in a big gobbler on a spring morning. Wild turkey has a slight nutty taste, probably from eating acorns. It does not need to be soaked in bird brine.

Lazy Man's Roast Turkey

T.R. Michels

1 wild turkey 8-12 lb.

1 tsp. seasoned salt

1 tsp. lemon pepper

Rub salt and pepper inside and outside the bird. Stuff with peanut or other dressing, and cover the breast with bacon strips fastened with toothpicks. Roast until done.

From T.R. Michels Outdoorsman's Cookbook Volume 1: Camp & Backyard Cooking ($9.95) available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products catalog.

Lazy Man's Wild Turkey Breast

If you want your turkey quick and easy, remove the breast from the bird, place it in the skillet with about 1/2 cup of water, and simmer until done. You can pour barbecue sauce over the meat and cook five more minutes. Serve with wild or white rice, dressing and dinner rolls.

From T.R. Michels Outdoorsman's Cookbook Volume 1: Camp & Backyard Cooking ($9.95) available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products catalog.

Waterfowl Recipes
Goose Breasts in Gravy

2 goose breasts

1/2 c. butter flour

Dice goose breasts and place in crockpot or Dutch oven. Cover with water and cook until tender. Blend in butter and flour to make gravy. Serve over wild or white rice, baking soda biscuits, mashed potatoes, or with dumplings.

From T.R. Michels Outdoorsman's Cookbook Volume 1: Camp & Backyard Cooking ($9.95) available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products catalog.

Small Game Recipes
Wild Pot Luck Stew

Use any kind of meat you have: bird, small game, cubed big game; meat that is tough. Cut meat into serving size pieces. Dredge in seasoned flour and fry in hot bacon grease until well browned. Place meat in Dutch oven, crockpot or casserole. Remove meat.

In the drippings sauté:

1/2 c. chopped celery

1/2 c. chopped parsley

1/2 c. rice

Stir mixture in the drippings until rice is evenly browned. Add 2 cups water and boil for 10 minutes. Place meat back in pot.

6 medium onions

6 whole cloves

1/2 tsp. dried herbs

1 bay leaf

2 tbs. tomato ketchup

1/2 sliced lemon

2 tbs. Butter

Stick a clove in each onion and add them and the other ingredients to the pot with enough water to cover. Cover pot and cook over low heat for 3-4 hours, until meat is tender. Add more water or wine if needed. Make a paste of 2 tbs. flour in a cup of water and add to stew to thicken.

From T.R. Michels Outdoorsman's Cookbook Volume 1: Camp & Backyard Cooking ($9.95) available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products catalog.

Recipes

Lazy Man's Venison Swiss Steak

This is for pot roasting a thick piece of meat, or a tough piece you didn't marinate.

Hammer a 1 1/2-2 inch steak on both sides with a meat hammer or the edge of a saucer until tender. Add salt and pepper, and dredge with flour. Let it stand for 1 hour, adding more flour to coat thoroughly. Place in a lightly greased skillet and sear both sides. Add 1 can of mushroom soup, and enough water to cover the steak. Cover the skillet and cook at 350 degrees for about 2 hours. You can cook this in a crockpot, or in a Dutch oven over a fire.

From T.R. Michels' Outdoorsmen's Cookbook, Volume 1.

Barbecued Venison

4 cups shredded cooked roast

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 cup butter

2 chopped med. onions

1/4 cup sugar 1 tbs. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. chili powder

1/2 cup water 4 tsp. mustard

Combine ingredients in a Dutch oven or crockpot. Simmer several hours until onions are transparent.

From T.R. Michels' Outdoorsmen's Cookbook, Volume 1.

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E-mail: trmichels@yahoo.com Website: www.TRMichels.com

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