Makin' wild things great

Face it ... Living in North Idaho very often involves eating wild critters. From trout to grouse, bear to elk, many times it is the result of a day afield that we serve up in a variety of ways. Here are a few simple tips and techniques to making your next meal from the wild ... taste just the opposite.

First and foremost is the care of the critter, in this case venison from the time it is taken. It should be a known fact that meat starts to break down above forty two degrees, so unless hanging in a controlled environment, it needs to be deboned and handled efficiently.

When it comes to packing it out, there are several options. In some cases a simple wheelbarrow will work, in others a pack frame, and yet others a mule or horse. There are many lightweight foldable carts that will work. Check at Far North, North 40, or Cabela’s for different models of game carts.

Second, realize that plastic is a true enemy of game meat… you would be better off to use an old bed sheet to wrap the meat in to keep it clean, rather than the omnipresent trash bag that many hunters use. Personally, once again I use a good quality game bag — of cloth construction — these can be used many times and should be in every sportsmen’s arsenal.

And it goes without saying that a bit of knife work in the field will result in a better overall meal at the table. By this I mean be extremely critical in your trimming, excess fat and hide leads to hair on the meat and extra weight. So take your time, get spread out and take the animal apart, and systematically, bag and hang it. If you have to leave it overnight, try to keep an article of clothing with the animal, or better yet a light tarp over all if you cannot hang it in a tree.

For most critters, a good bone saw, a sharp knife, a whet rock or stone, and a supply of game bags will let you remove it in one or two trips. Each circumstance is different, so you usually have to adapt your method to meet the terrain. One thing to remember if halving an animal, is to be sure and pull the back straps, as this contains a great deal of very good eating and is easily removed from the carcass.

Once you have the animal to the truck, continue with temperature in mind. In short, ice and salt everything as you pack it into coolers, etc. This will allow you to transport it efficiently to the point of freezing or processing. Remember throughout this process to leave the evidence of sex as indicated for the species, until you get it to a processor, home, or walk-in whatever, and if you divide the animal be sure to include a proxy statement. For the home processor this is where the next facet of work begins.

First and foremost, trim away all but the quality cuts of meat... in many instances if it is white in color it will not taste good on the table. For some fish, this will be red in color. And of course any soiled meat, etc. that has made it this far with me, which is rare, gets trimmed away.

If you are going to freeze the meat, at this point I usually bag and wrap it in freezer paper. Or vacuum seal the cut, waiting to treat it until I rethaw it. Be sure to label the meat clearly — I fell prey to that this past fall, as stew meat blended in with back strap steaks etc. It is also at this point that many hunters elect to carry their meat to the processor. If you choose to do so, make sure that he has the ample supplies needed to make smokies, ground meat, etc.

Many processors choose to supply their own ingredients, insuring that they have a quality product... but remember meat that is handled inefficiently is just that, and the taste will reflect that as well.

I have one hard rule about game meat... and that is if I can smell the odor of the animal, I really ain’t lookin’ forward to eating it. So use a good sharp knife and trim the meat hard. Remember you are looking for good quality cuts of meat, in my country upbringing I can make squirrels head stew, squirrel being a game animal in many states, but it is not necessarily what I want to eat. Trim it hard.

It is then that we begin the final phase of eating wild and enjoying it. That is preparation for cooking, seasoning, and the act itself. First and foremost, we need to address the aging issue, for elk size game I would say definitely, for deer... it really is not that important. There has been many a day at my hunting lodges that we have served meat from animals taken that morning for dinner that evening.

This first step in preparation to serving contains the key. Flush the trimmed meat with water, and then place in a bowl of salted water. I use table salt available in the five pound box. Change the salt water perhaps twice a day, for a day or so, and you will notice the meat will begin to turn white in color as the blood is removed... and then do it all again… and again…

I do this with all birds and venison, and quite literally soak it until the water remains clear, then you can drain and marinate, cube it whatever. It even makes great nuggets just trimmed and dry battered and fried… just be sure you have a cooker that gets the grease hot enough. It can even be smoked or grilled then, once again long and slow for the smoking, hot and fast for grilling.

Printed with this column there is a simple recipe that I use to make great cube steaks, while it gives me time to go hunting or watch the football game. Served with rice and mashed potatoes it is unmatched. I actually cube the steaks myself. Instead of using a cuber I use a tenderizing hammer allowing me to tailor each piece as to thickness etc.

So there you have it. In a quick review. Remove the meat from the field as clean as possible and avoid trash bags to store or transport the actual meat, a quality freezer bag or vacuum seal bag to freeze it is OK. Keep the temperature as much as possible under 42 degrees. Trim it down hard, remove all cartilage, fat, gristle. Soak in salt water for a day or so prior to marinating for final use. It is hard to beat a bit of worchestire and salt and pepper for most cuts. Soak some more in salt water, flush, then marinate. Soak some more in salt water while you think about how to cook it, and finally jot this recipe down for deer steaks that literally will melt in your mouth.

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JIM NABORS … THE LIFE

Born and raised in the mystique and aura surrounding the field trial plantations of the Deep South. Jim Nabors is an author/host that has made a living in the wild country. His “Ty Cantrell” series of books and the popular podcast Wild N True, both draw on spinning tales like few would know from years spent as a rancher, horseman, and outdoorsman that is familiar with the wildlife, and mountain basins and peaks which he now calls home. Be sure to check out the Wild N True the podcast, on Apple iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and his books are available through Amazon.

CAJUN BOTTOMS CUBED STEAK N’ GRAVY

This is a typically southern oriented recipe, a pinch of this or a bit of that, but you will get the gist of the basics. First pick out six to eight pieces of meat, hindquarter or backstrap steaks work great. Flush in salt water and cube.

Mix about a 1/4 cup of self-rising flour and a teaspoon of creole seasoning in a small bowl. For anyone from the south Zatarain’s or Tony Cachere’s creole seasoning is the best... also sprinkle the meat with Alpine Touch.

Preheat a skillet with olive oil, being careful not to burn the oil... just enough to coat the bottom. Dredge the meat in the flour coating and brown in the skillet about three to five minutes per side. Remove the browned pieces and place in the bottom of an oven safe pan, greased with Crisco or sprayed with a grease covering. Once complete sprinkle the remaining flour mixture across the top of steaks, along with one package of dry onion soup mix. Add one can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, and use chicken broth, about a 1/2 cup, adding in place of water. I also tend to add the drippings from the skillet. Spread the mixture in the nook and crannies amongst the steak and add thinly sliced onions across the top of the entire pan. Cover with foil and bake for about an hour at 350 degrees, then remove foil and brown the top for about fifteen minutes. Your meat and gravy is in one pan, and serve with rice or mashed potatoes, or both.