Ideas Needed: How to Prepare Wild Game

Foodies,

I have a food request:  how to prepare wild game.

 

I have a freezer full of Elk meat that Nathan shot last fall.  I would like to know how to:

 

crock pot a roast like for a Sunday dinner

seasonings that work best for it

Elk recipes

Any special tips on bottling the meat?

How about using the ground meat... any cooking considerations/alterations?

Can I just substitute the ground elk for ground beef?

 

Elk is a very lean meat so I know it doesn't cook the same way beef does, and I am skittish to taste test seasonings on my own, I'd rather hear from the experts... like Bro or Sister Adams or Bro or Sister Wright or any other hunter out there!

 

- Ros Ellsworth

 

So if you have ideas, or better yet, if you would like to teach a class on how to prepare wild game, please comment!

Fairview Foodies Class #1 - Gourmet Meals

Thank you everyone who came to our first Fairview Foodies Class #1 taught by Danette McOmber.  We had such a fun time learning new meal ideas, and sampling all the good food at the end.  If you didn't come, you missed an  awesome meal!

The goal in creating this blog is for all of us to share our most favorite, tried and true recipes.  And we can even print out a blog book once we have a good collection.  Like a cookbook in the making.  If you would like to share a recipe, or teach a class, please let us know!  We love all kinds of ideas, so post a comment if you have any, or email me at rinnaharris@gmail.com.

Upcoming Foodies class: July 2010 - we skipped May as the schedule kinda gets crazy at the end of the school year.  Our planned class for July is "School Lunches and Snacks".  I'm excited!

Thanks Danette for teaching our first class!

Here's everyone enjoying the food

Potato Galette with Ham, Rosemary, and Goat Cheese

from Robin Miller's 'Robin Rescues Dinner'

PREP TIME: 15 minutes • COOK TIME: 20 to 25 minutes

A galette is typically a rustic free-form pie that's flatter than one baked in a pie pan. This dish is a variation on that idea.  It uses thinly sliced potatoes as the crust and ham, goat cheese, and rosemary as the topping. It's outra­geously good! If you can, use a mandoline or food processor to get paper-thin potato slices and use a pizza slicer for easier serving.

Cooking spray

4 large Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 pound total), cut into l/8-inch ­thick slices

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 cups diced cooked ham

1 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray.

2. Arrange the potato slices in slightly overlapping rows on the prepared baking sheets, making a 10-inch square or slightly larger circle on each pan. Spray the potatoes with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the onion slices, ham, and goat cheese over the potatoes and sprinkle the top with rosemary, oregano, and Parmesan cheese.

3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and tender. Cut the galette into pieces and serve.

Serves 8 (MAKES TWO GALETTE'S)

Parsley-Spiked Egg Noodles with Butter

Cook 16 ounces egg noodles according to the package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. While still warm, stir in 2 to 4 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Beef Curry with Mushrooms, Snow Peas, and Water Chestnuts

from Robin Miller's 'Robin Rescues Dinner'

PREP TIME: 10 to 15 minutes • COOK TIME: 15 minutes

Curried dishes have a reputation for t-a-k-i-n-g a l-o-n-g t-i-m-e. Fact is, you can enjoy the long­-simmered flavor of traditional curry dishes in thirty minutes or less. In this meal, steak is simmered with mushrooms, snow peas, and water chestnuts in a delightfully rich and deep curry gravy. I typically serve this dish over rice or couscous or with the Parsley-Spiked Egg Noodles With Butter listed at the bottom of this recipe. My family absolutely LOVES this!!

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2-inch pieces (I've used skirt steak from Sam's Club - it's usually cheaper)

1 1/2 cups sliced cremini or button mushrooms

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 1/4 teaspoons curry powder

2 1/4 cups beef broth

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen snow peas

1 1/2 cups drained, canned sliced water chestnuts

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the steak and cook for 5 minutes, until golden brown on all sides. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes, until the mushrooms soften and release their juice.

2. Add the flour and curry powder and stir to coat the steak and mushrooms. Cook for 1 minute, until the curry is fragrant. Add the beef broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2 min­utes. Add the snow peas and water chestnuts and simmer for 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the snow peas are crisp-tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 6

Chipotle Rice with Black Beans

In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups chicken broth, 4 cups white or brown rice, two 15-ounce cans (rinsed and drained) black beans, and 2 to 4 tablespoons minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. Cook according to rice package directions. Fluff with a fork and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  --- TIP:  I actually just threw everything in my rice cooker and it came out great!

Mango-Habanero Pork over Cuban Guacamole

PREP TIME: 10 to 15 minutes· COOK TIME: 25 minutes

Sweet heat. We absolutely LOVE this dish!  Mark said it was the best pork tenderloin he'd ever had. Mango chutney takes just enough fire from the habanero to create a perfect balance of sweet and hot for the pork, which gets nestled into a blend of creamy avocado and tart pineapple. If you are worried about the heat from the habanero, you can use only half of what is called for.

Cooking spray

2 pork tenderloins (about 2 1/2 pounds total) I buy these 4 to a pkg. at Sam's Club.  You can freeze the other 2 for another recipe.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup prepared mango chutney (about 1 jar of Major Grey's Mango Chutney - located on the condiment aisle at Fry's)

1 habanero chile pepper, seeded and minced (wear gloves and don't touch your eyes!)

2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup canned crushed pineapple (1 large can)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray.

2. Season the pork allover with salt and pepper and put it in the prepared pan. In a small bowl, combine the chutney and habanero. Mix well and then spoon the mixture allover the pork.

3. Roast for 25 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the pork reads 160°F. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

4. Meanwhile, to make the guacamole, in a medium bowl, combine the avocado, pineapple, cilantro, lime juice, and cumin. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.

5. Transfer the guacamole to a serving platter. Nestle the pork slices into the guacamole and serve.

Serves 8