Step 1: Make Your First Cut

Find the point of the breast bone, then make a cut through the skin directly on that point.

Step 2: Expose the Breast Meat

Using your hands, grab both sides of the cut you just make and pull the skin back to expose the breast meat.

Step 3: Begin to Cut the Breast Meat

Choose which side of the breast to remove first. Using your knife, make a quarter-of-an-inch-deep cut right along the bone until you can see a tender along with the breast lobe.

Step 4: Remove the Lobe

Continue cutting along the breast bone until the lobe is free and can be removed.

Step 5: Remove the Tender

Head back in and cut along the breast bone again until the tender is free and can be removed. Repeat the previous three steps to remove the breast meat on the other side of the bird.

Step 6: Move On to the Legs

Cut the legs at the knee joint, where scale meets feather. Remove the lower leg.

Step 7: Expose the Thigh

Choose a leg on which to begin, then insert your knife under the skin and feathers. Cut upward toward the top of the thigh.

Step 8: Pull the Skin

Using your hands, pull the skin away from the meat.

Step 9: Separate the Hip Joint and Cut to Remove

Using your hands, press downward on the leg until you feel the hip joint dislocate. Use your knife to cut through the separated hip joint and remove your thigh. Repeat the previous three steps on the other leg.

It’s that simple. In nine short steps, we’ve gone from a bird on the ground to several pounds of meat. And remember, this process only gets easier and faster every time you clean a bird. Now that you’re prepared to process your first bird, it’s time to take to the field and harvest it.

The post Cleaning Your First Wild Turkey: An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide appeared first on onX Hunt.

Wild Turkey Pot Pie

Let’s start with chef Michael Hunter, owner of Toronto’s Antler Kitchen & Bar and author of the five-star-rated wild game cookbook, The Hunter Chef Cookbook. Chef Hunter prepares a quintessential comfort food that perfectly accompanies the often rainy spring conditions that is turkey hunting. This recipe, in fact, was adapted by Chef Hunter from page 107 of his cookbook specially for onX Hunt. We hope you try it!

Play

Wild Turkey Pot Pie

Makes 1 pie, serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 batch of Quick Puff Pastry Dough (page 224 of the Hunter Chef Cookbook) or store bought from the freezer aisle
• 2 wild turkey legs
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• Salt and pepper for seasoning
• 2 tablespoon lard or butter for searing the turkey legs
• 2 cups (500 mL) homemade wild turkey or chicken stock (see page 70) store bought is fine too
• 2 garlic cloves peeled
  
  Filling:
• 1⁄3 cup (75 mL) unsalted butter
• 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) chopped dried wild mushrooms rehydrated in 1/3 cup of boiling water and soak
• 1 small white onion diced
• 1 small carrot diced
• 1 stalk celery diced
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) chopped fresh rosemary
• 1⁄3 cup (75 mL) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (250 mL) whole milk
• 1 cup (250 mL) homemade wild turkey or chicken stock (see page 70) store bought is fine too
• 2 cups (500 mL) shredded cooked turkey leg meat from the two legs above
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) kosher salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of milk, lightly beaten, for egg wash

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
2. Preheat a large pan on high heat and season the turkey legs with salt and pepper. Add the lard to the pan and add the turkey legs skin side down and sear for 2-3 minutes. Add the thyme, rosemary, and garlic. Flip and sear for 1 minute then add the turkey or chicken stock. Cover and transfer to the oven. Braise for 3-5 hours, checking doneness after the 3 hours checking if the meat can be easily pulled from the bone with a fork. Once cooked remove from the oven and cool enough to be able to handle the legs and start shredding the meat from the bone. Discard the tendons and bones. Cover the shredded turkey meat until ready to mix with the rest of the filling.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 
4. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, and rosemary and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour overtop and stir to make a paste. Cook for 1 minute more. Slowly add the stock while quickly stirring to prevent lumps. Add the rehydrated mushrooms, milk, salt, and pepper to taste, stir to combine, then remove from the heat. Mix the shredded turkey meat into the mixture and cool to room temp before adding to the pie dish.
5. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the quick puff pastry dough to a 10-inch (25 cm) circle and about 1/8” thick.
6. Spoon the turkey mixture into a 9-inch (23 cm) pie plate. Top with the pastry round and trim the edge to about 1⁄4 inch over the rim. Crimp the pie dough with your fingers. Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash. Snip an X in the middle with scissors or cut with a knife to allow steam to escape. Place the pie in the oven and turn down to 350°F. Bake until the pastry is a deep golden brown, 1 to 1-1⁄2 hours.  Cool slightly on a wire rack before cutting with a serrated knife and serving.

Turkey Cordon Bleu

onX Ambassadors Sam Soholt and Ben O’Brien know more than a thing or two about hunting and wild game cooking. Here they sent us over a simple dish with a fancy name.

“Everybody fries their turkey, right? It’s such a classic treatment of this wild fare that it’s hard to avoid when you’re getting into cooking these birds. It’s the first thing that pops up on Google and it’s damn sure the first thing your uncle or pappy would suggest. 

In my house, fried turkey always wins. But everything has a limit. That’s where turkey cordon bleu enters the culinary conversation. It’s my absolute favorite way to serve this bird. 

A quick aside before we go any further: Ever wonder where the term “cordon bleu” comes from? It translates in French to “the blue ribbon” but is essentially a metaphor for an excellent cook. I think this backs up my feelings about the dish. 

This version of the bleu uses panko breadcrumbs and avoids the deep fryer. It’s baked to a beautiful golden-brown crispiness that rivals many of the fried varieties, anyway. 

It’s also easy to prepare and at my house with three young boys running around that goes a long way. I’m no professional chef, so this is right in my wheelhouse.” – Ben O’Brien

Play

Turkey Cordon Bleu

A simple dish with a fancy name.
By Ben O’Brien

Ingredients

• 1 wild turkey breast 
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt 
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper 
• 6 slices of cheese (Swiss is most popular, we use Gouda) 
• 6 slices of ham 
• 1⁄2 cup of seasoned panko breadcrumbs 
• 1 cup of flour 
• 3 eggs 

Instructions

1. Start with a full lobe (one turkey breast) covered in plastic wrap on a cutting board. Pound the hell out of it with a mallet and work it until you get thin, even pieces about the depth of your hand if you lay it flat on the table. Add salt and pepper. 
2. Cut the breast into strips 2-3 inches wide. Place ham and cheese on the meat and roll tightly. 
3. Dredge in egg wash, then flour, and roll in panko breadcrumbs. Place on a sheet pan covered in parchment paper. 
4. Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees until crispy. 
5. Slice and enjoy. (Some folks include a cream sauce or Dijon mustard, but I’ve never found it necessary.)

Wild Orange Turkey and Rice

Everybody in the South knows about fried turkey nuggets, but this spring why not take an extra simple step and turn those nuggets into Wild Orange Turkey and Rice. onX’s own Lake Pickle cooks up a batch with his wife after a successful 2024 Osceola hunt in Florida. With the addition of fresh-picked fruits, this is about as field-to-table as wild turkey can get.

Play

Wild Orange Turkey and Rice

Ingredients

• Wild turkey breasts, diced into about 1” cubes
• 2 eggs
• 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup corn starch
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• Oil for frying (duck fat, tallow, or your preferred oil)
• Rice (choose your preferred rice and cook according to package instructions)
  
  Brine:
• 2 quarts of water
• ½ cup Kosher salt
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 oranges, juiced or squeezed
  
  Orange Sauce:
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• Red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1 orange, squeezed
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon corn starch

Instructions

1. To make the brine, combine all the ingredients and whisk until incorporated. Put diced turkey breast into the brine and place in the fridge for up to two hours.
2. Now it’s time to batter the breasts. You’ll need two medium-size bowls, one for wet ingredients and one for dry ingredients. In one bowl crack the two eggs and then whisk. In the other bowl add the flour, corn starch, salt, and pepper and then mix with a fork until incorporated.
3. Remove the diced turkey breast from the brine and dredge in the whisked eggs and then toss into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Shake off any excess dry ingredients and set aside on a baking sheet, preferably one with a wire rack.
4. It’s best to make the Orange Sauce before you start frying the turkey pieces. For the Orange Sauce, put a medium-size frying pan over low heat and add the oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Stir together for about three minutes.
5. Next add the squeezed orange juice, Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, chili sauce, and apple cider vinegar to the saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Add the corn starch to two tablespoons of cold water and stir until dissolved. Now add the corn starch mixture to the simmering sauce to thicken, about five minutes.
6. Now it’s time to fry the turkey pieces. In a large frying pan or cast iron, pour about ¼”-deep oil into the pan and turn heat on medium-high. Once hot, add the turkey pieces carefully, one at a time and don’t crowd the pan. Cook for 2-1/2 to 3 minutes per side. Turkey should be golden-brown. Once cooked, let drain on a paper towel-covered plate for a few minutes.
7. Before the turkey cools, add them directly into the saucepan with the Orange Sauce and toss to coat on all sides.
8. Serve over rice and enjoy!

The post Wild Turkey Recipes appeared first on onX Hunt.

It’s that time of year again. During the hustle of a busy season, we always look forward to a few days to relax, celebrate, and just make merry with friends and family. A large part of why we hunt is to fill the freezer, and the Thanksgiving holiday gives us an annual excuse to showcase our cooking skills with the meat we’ve put so much effort into harvesting.

We’ve gathered a few favorite recipes from in-house onX staff members, ambassadors, and partners. From an elegant Roast Pheasant with Root Vegetables and Red Currant and a Port and Red Wine Sauce from Steven Rinella’s The MeatEater Fish and Game Cookbook, to onX Customer Success Technician Sarah Allen’s easy Venison Meatballs, here’s a taste of what will be gracing our Thanksgiving tables this year.

Venison Meatballs

Sarah Allen, onX Customer Success Technician

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup uncooked instant rice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound ground venison
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup condensed tomato soup, undiluted
• 1 tablespoon ground mustard
• 2 teaspoons paprika (optional)

Directions:
Step 1: In a bowl, combine the first 4 ingredients, then crumble venison over mixture. Mix well and form 1-1/2-inch meatballs. Place in an 8-inch baking pan. Combine the remaining ingredients, then pour over the meatballs.

Step 2: Bake uncovered at 375°F for 35-45 minutes.

From Taste of Home, Hunting and Fishing Cookbook.

Sous Vide Steak

Steven Drake, onX Ambassador

My culinary skills are lacking. Traveling a majority of the year means that when I am home, I use the bare minimum to prepare wild game. This typically means pan-fried steaks with a can of beans, which isn’t bad but it could always be better.

Fast forward to one of the most popular fads in cooking, the Sous Vide. My roommate who lives a similar bachelor lifestyle picked one up based on its claim of simplicity and being able to make a five-star steak in one hour. (We picked up the Anova Precision Cooker.) Here’s the simple step-by-step process for cooking a mean steak:

Ingredients:

• Steak of your choice: deer, elk, antelope, or other
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Step 1: Thaw, then lightly marinate steak with salt and pepper in a 1-gallon ZipLoc bag.

Step 2: Fill a large pot with water and attach the Sous Vide. Immerse steak, while still in ZipLock, into the water.

Step 3: Select the steak setting on your Sous Vide and press start.

Step 4: 45 minutes later, remove the steak and sear it in a cast iron pan for 20 seconds per side. This adds flavor and seals in the juices.

Step 5: Eat and prepare to be the cook at all future friend and family gatherings.

We’ve prepared deer, elk, antelope, and even all three at the same time in the same ZipLoc with outstanding results. The Sous Vide is a fad for a reason. And no, I’m not sponsored or endorsed by the Anova Precision Cooker in any way… it’s just that good.

Roast Pheasant with Root Vegetables and Red Currant, Port, and Red Wine Sauce

From Steven Rinella’s The MeatEater Fish and Game Cookbook

Ingredients:

Pheasants

• 2 young pheasants
• 1 recipe Enriched Brine (or other brine)
• 2 small lemon wedges
• 2 small onion wedges (can be taken from roasted veggies below)
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or 1 tablespoon softened butter
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Vegetables

• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halves, or wild mushrooms, cut into large pieces
• 8 ounces micro potatoes, scrubbed clean and patted dry
• 2 parsnips, cut into 1-1/2-to-2-inch pieces, fatter ends quartered
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges with the core end intact
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Sauce

• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 shallot, halved
• ½ cup tawny port
• ½ red wine
• ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons red currant or lingonberry preserves or jelly
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

For the Pheasants: Add the pheasants to the brine and brine for 4 to 8 hours. Remove the pheasants from the brine and pat dry. Bring the birds to room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450℉.

Stuff each pheasant with a lemon wedge, onion wedge, and 2 thyme sprigs. Rub oil or butter all over the birds, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the pheasants in a large, heavy oven-safe skillet.

For the Vegetables: Arrange the mushrooms, potatoes, parsnips, and onion on a baking sheet and drizzle all over with the oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Gently toss the vegetables, then spread out in a single layer.

Roast the pheasant and vegetables for 15 minutes.

Add the stock to the pheasant pan. Reduce the heat to 350℉ and roast until the juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 155℉, about 20 more minutes. Continue to roast the vegetables until tender. Remove from the over and tent with foil. Remove the pheasants from the skillet and transfer to a platter. Tent loosely with foil.

For the Sauce: Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and any juices accumulated from the roasting pan, the thyme, garlic, and shallot to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the port and red wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the stock to the pan and continue to reduce until thickened, 8 to 10 more minutes. Discard the thyme, garlic, and shallot. Stir in the preserves and season with salt and pepper. (This sauce can be used for any roasted meat recipe.)

Carve the pheasants and serve with the vegetables and sauce. Serves 4.

Summer Sausage

Rachael Caldwell, Brand Team Producer

Most summer sausage recipes are similar, but we’ve learned a few little tricks along the way to ensure our summer sausage has the right consistency, flavor, and texture. Here are the basic steps, along with a few tips:

First, give yourself a lot of time. Even after you’ve got the sausage ground and mixed, the smoking alone will take around 12 hours. Low and slow is the ticket. Second, be sure to have all you need on hand before you start grinding the meat, including your preferred seasoning brand (we love Hi-Country), your casings, and pork shoulder to add in.

Ingredients:

• Elk (or game meat of your choice)
• Pork shoulder (you’ll need about a 45% pork to 55% game meat ratio)
• Cheese, chopped into 1/8 inch squares (we like to use a 16-oz. block of sharp cheddar and an 8-oz. block of pepper jack)
• Your favorite summer sausage seasoning brand and casings

Prep:
Before you begin grinding, get out your casings and soak them in warm water for at least 30 minutes.

Grinding:
While the casings are soaking, start grinding your meat. Cut the game meat and pork shoulder into chunks, keeping it as cold as possible throughout the process so your fat doesn’t melt and grinding is easier. On the first grind, use a coarse grind plate and mix in the pork shoulder as evenly as possible with the game meat.

After the first grind, add your spice packet and cure/water mixture based on your seasoning brand’s instructions. Mix thoroughly to ensure the bind of the sausage. Send this mixture through the grinder a second time with a 3/16″ sausage plate. Once grinding is complete, mix cheese squares in by hand until well distributed.

Stuffing:
Set up your stuffer with the largest horn that still fits the casings. Stuff meat tightly into each casing, leaving some casing at the end to twist and tie off tightly so there’s no extra space between the casing and the sausage. Refrigerate overnight, then allow sausages to come back to room temperature before cooking them the following day. If incorporating cheese, a hand stuffer will be necessary.

Smoking:*
Set your smoker to 135℉. If you have a large enough smoker, you can either hang your sausages from the smoke rods on top or lay them on racks. Just be sure to keep them at least two inches apart and away from the walls of the smoker.

Insert your thermometer into the end of one of your sausages (this is easy to do if you loosen the string at one end). Cook until internal temp of sausage reaches 80-85℉.

Apply smoke and reset smoker temp to 160℉. If possible, add a shallow tray with water to the bottom of your smoker to keep the casing moist. If sausages are lying flat, roll them to the opposite side and rotate rack levels to cook evenly. Cook to an internal temp of 140-145℉.

Finally, set your smoker temp to 180℉ and finish cooking to a final internal temp of 152℉. Be patient and expect this process to take a total cook time of 12 or more hours.

Once sausages have reached 152℉, remove and soak in very cold water for 10 minutes to set the fat. Setting the fat produces a visually appealing sausage as well as sets a consistent texture. Wipe down with paper towel and let air dry on cooling racks or in the refrigerator. Store as normal; eat within a week if refrigerating.

*Note: We have also cooked some of our summer sausages in the oven (when we ran out of space in the smoker). You can also start them in the smoker and finish in the oven if needed. To cook in the oven, follow the same steps as above, except with the following temps: Preheat oven to 170℉; cook to 145℉, adding a tray of water for moisture if possible; rotate sausages and raise oven temp to 200℉; cook to internal temp of 152℉. Remove and soak in cold water for 10 minutes.

Swiss Steak – Venison or Elk

Rob Lund, onX Senior Software Engineer

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1-1/2 – 2 lbs. venison round or sirloin steaks (4 or 5 pieces)
• 1 tablespoon shortening or butter
• 1 8-ounce can of whole tomatoes
• 1 medium onion – chopped
• 1/2 green pepper – chopped

Directions:
Step 1: In a bowl, mix flour, salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the meat and pound in. Flip and pound in remaining mixture.

Step 2: Heat shortening in a skillet. Brown meat over medium heat (about 10 minutes). Add tomatoes (with liquid), onion and pepper. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer until meat is tender, about 45 minutes.

Wild Game Stew

Jessica DeLorenzo, onX Ambassador

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 pounds of stew meat (works with pronghorn, wild turkey, venison, elk, etc.)
• 2 large onions chopped
• 3 tablespoons crushed garlic
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups water
• 7 potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup water
• Browning sauce
• Handful of chopped fresh basil
• 1 pound of your favorite pasta shape

Directions:

Step 1: Trim any undesirables from the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven, (I use a cast iron skillet and transfer to the dutch oven after browning). Brown meat. Add onions, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, oregano, salt, pepper and water. Simmer, covered, 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until meat is tender. Add potatoes and carrots. Continue to cook until vegetables are tender, about 30-45 minutes.

Step 2: Mix flour and cold water; stir into stew. Meanwhile, boil pasta according to directions. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add browning sauce if desired. Remove bay leaf. Serve over pasta. Garnish with basil.

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

Danielle Prewett, MeatEater Wild Foods Contributing Editor

From Danielle Prewett: “As an upland hunter, my favorite Thanksgiving tradition is to roast a couple of whole pheasants. I save meat from the thighs and shred it to create a delicious pheasant and wild rice soup. Whether you have pheasant or turkey on your table this year, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better way to enjoy those leftovers. Pan-frying the shredded meat in butter just before serving is what makes this recipe extra special. This critical step creates rich flavors and a crunchy texture to compliment the creaminess of the soup.”

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice or white vinegar
• 2-1/2 quarts unsalted chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons Gnome on the Range Mushroom Blend
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 cup wild rice, rinsed
• 1-1/2 cups heavy cream
• 4 cups shredded turkey or pheasant meat, cooked
• Celery leaves to garnish

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, drop in 1 tablespoon of butter. When the butter foams, add the onions and saute until soft. Add the carrots and celery, then cook for a few minutes before adding the garlic. Cook for one minute or until fragrant.

Step 2: Sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine. Squeeze in lemon juice and add the chicken stock, scraping up any bits of fond at the bottom of the pot.

Step 3: Season with Gnome on the Range Mushroom Blend and fresh thyme. Stir in the wild rice.

Step 4: Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the pot simmer for 30 minutes. The rice should almost be cooked through, and the liquid should be slightly reduced.

Step 5: Pour in the heavy cream and cook for another 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender. Taste and adjust with extra seasoning if needed.

Step 6: When the soup is almost ready to serve, heat a separate frying pan over medium-high heat. Drop in the remaining two tablespoons of butter and fry the shredded turkey for a couple of minutes on each side. Don’t overcrowd the pan—work in batches if necessary to ensure that the meat is brown and crispy.

Step 7: Serve the soup with a heap of the fried turkey on top and garnish with chopped celery leaves.

The post Thanksgiving Wild Game Recipe Roundup appeared first on onX Hunt.

What Is Pemmican?

Pemmican is a mixture of rendered fat (tallow), dried meat, and often dried berries. It is sometimes sweetened by honey. It is calorie-rich, protein-packed, eaten raw, and does not need refrigeration. 

Pemmican comes from the Cree word pimîhkân, which is derived from the word pimî, meaning “fat, grease”. The Lakota (or Sioux) used the word wasná, with the “wa” meaning “anything” and the “sna” meaning “ground up.” When fresh meat was not available, pemmican was the traditional energy food. 

It was introduced to Peter Pond in 1779. Pond was a historically important European fur trader who traveled the Americas. Famous pioneer and fur trader, Sir Alexander Mackenzie, relied on pemmican to explore the plains of Canada in the 1890s, and Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen had it with him during his Arctic expeditions. In addition to these fur traders of Canada and international explorers, the U.S. Army issued pemmican as an MRE from the late 19th century until the end of World War II.

Often it was traded alongside furs and other goods. In North America, it was commonly made with dried strips of bison, elk, or deer. These strips of meat were cut thin, dried in the sun, then smoked, and finally ground into a fine powder before adding fat and dried berries. The mixture would be stored in sewn bags of animal hide for easy transport or trade. Some bison-hide bags would be filled with 90 pounds of pemmican.

There are many subtle variations of pemmican recipes, each owing to what was available in those regions and seasons. However, in order for pemmican to be shelf stable it does require a one-to-one ratio of fat to meat by weight; although some recipes call for a two-to-one ratio of fat to meat for extra calories. Interestingly, honey is an acceptable sweetener because it never spoils.

One theory about the recipe’s origins traces back to the fact that one bison cow would yield 250 pounds of fresh meat, which made 50 pounds of dried meat, and the same cow would produce about 50 pounds of rendered tallow. This one animal provided equal parts dried meat and tallow.

Step-By-Step Guide To Making Pemmican

One of the two primary ingredients for making pemmican is dried meat, as in dried beef or venison jerky. You can use store-bought jerky, but if it’s very pliable it means there is residual moisture and moisture can make foods spoil. Another note about store-bought jerky is that it can be heavily salted or have its own preservatives added, which can affect flavor. Conventional jerky is also cut with the grain, making it more difficult to grind properly. If using conventional jerky, dry it in the oven at the lowest temperature after it’s been chopped in a blender or food processor to remove excess moisture and help with grinding it into powder.

Of course, making your own venison jerky at home is simple with a food dehydrator. Slice the meat as thinly as possible against the grain and dry it using the dehydrator’s meat setting (155°F / 68°C), flipping once during the process. Dry the meat until it’s brittle. Remember, it takes about 4-5 pounds of fresh meat to yield one pound of very dry jerky. 

Pemmican Recipe

Pemmican is easy to make and keeps for a long time. If you make your own jerky, dry batches without seasoning just for this recipe.

Pemmican

Yields 2 lbs.

Prep Time

20 min.

Cook Time

up to two hours

Total Time

2 hours 20 mins.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of very dry venison, bison, or beef jerky
• 1 pound beef or bison suet, cubed (do not use deer or elk fat)
• 8 oz. dried cherries, optional. Can also use dried berries or fruit of your choosing.
• 1/3 c. honey, optional

Instructions

1. Render the suet into its liquid form (tallow) either by placing in an oven-proof dish and placing in a 375-degree oven for 10 minutes. Another method is to rend it on low heat for 90+ minutes on a stovetop. Do not let it burn. Strain when done.
2. While the tallow is rendering, chop or cut the jerky into small pieces. Using a food processor, in small batches, combine the jerky bits and dried cherries (if using) and grind until fine (about one minute).
3. Optional: if using store-bought jerky you can further dry this processed mixture in a food dehydrator for about two hours. Spread the mixture on parchment paper on each dehydrator tray. The drier the jerky the longer the shelf-life of the final product.
4. After tallow is fully rendered (and cooled a bit) and all jerky/fruit has been processed and dried, combine the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly then add 1/3 cup of honey (if using).
5. In an 8×8 square dish or metal pan pour the mixture and press so it is even. Let it cool in a refrigerator for about an hour or leave on the counter overnight. Cut into 16 squares to make 2.2 oz. portions.

Storing and Preserving Pemmican

Pemmican was created to be portable and stored for long periods of time. Its shelf life may depend on its ingredients and storage conditions, but it is generally believed that pemmican can last, unrefrigerated, for one to five years. Some accounts tout that pemmican stored in cellars have lasted over a decade. Unsubstantiated claims have been made of storing it for as much as 50 years.

Serving and Enjoying Pemmican

Pemmican is meant to be eaten raw, as in no additional cooking beyond drying the meat and rendering the fat is needed. During the preparation process, you can roll single servings into small balls (as described above), or you can press the entire mixture into a square pan and then cut individual portions (like serving brownies). Ceremonial pemmican, which likely includes extra spices or fruits, is traditionally served loaf-style with it sliced like a fruit cake. 

Pemmican is so nutrient-dense that it can serve as a standalone food source during strenuous activities. Its rich, savory, yet sometimes sweet, flavor will fuel just about any outdoor adventure in which you find yourself. 

Health Benefits and Nutritional Value

Given that pemmican is made with lean meats and fat, it is certainly a high-calorie, high-protein, and high-fat food, and if it isn’t combined with dried fruits, pemmican is essentially no-carb as well. It is also preservative-free and has no artificial flavors or fillers. 

Nutritionally, pemmican is considered a complete food, meaning it provides all the carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals your body needs to stay healthy for an extended period of time. There are accounts of people surviving off of pemmican for months at a time. 

Very active individuals say they can eat one-quarter to one-half pound of pemmican twice a day to help fuel their adventures. Pemmican is a much more nutritionally balanced food source than jerky alone. 

Its nutritional facts will vary depending on the types of meat used and whether dried berries and/or honey were added. Some recipes tout having 3,500 calories per pound, but in its most basic form pemmican’s macros and nutritional value are:

Per 50 g. serving (about 2.2 ounces):

• 388 calories
• 1 g. Carbohydrates
• 34 g. Protein
• 28 g. Fat 

The post The Ultimate Guide: How To Make Pemmican – A Step-By-Step Tutorial appeared first on onX Hunt.

We asked members of the onX team for their favorite “tried-and-true” Christmas season recipes. From a four-ingredient crab dip to a more complex German Pickle Steak recipe to the Southern classic Derby Pie, here are a few of our recipes for you to mix into your holiday season.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the onX team.

Hot Crab Dip

“I’m from South Dakota, which may very well be the farthest you can possibly get from an ocean in the US. I grew up knowing that seafood was an extreme delicacy, but during the holidays my family would splurge in its own way. Canned crab gets fancified in this recipe; it doesn’t break the bank, and it reminds me of my Great Plains roots.” – onX’s Maria H.

Prep Time

10 min.

Cook Time

30 min.

Total Time

40 min.

Ingredients

• 1 4-5 oz. can of crab meat
• 18 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese
• 3 T mayonnaise
• 2 T lemon juice

Instructions

1. Wash, clean, and drain crab meat, then mix with other three ingredients.
2. Bake in a small casserole fish for 30 min. at 350F.
3. Serve hot with crackers.

Cranberry Chicken

“This Cranberry Chicken recipe is my family’s Christmas Eve meal!” – onX’s Travis S.

Prep Time

20 min.

Cook Time

90 min.

Total Time

110 min.

Ingredients

• 1 16-oz. can whole cranberry sauce
• 1 8-oz. bottle Russian dressing
• 1 envelope regular dry onion soup mix
• 3 lbs. chicken (breasts and thighs, breasts cut in half for faster cooking)

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine cranberry sauce, Russian dressing, and soup mix. Mix well and set aside.
2. Rinse chicken, pat dry.
3. Arrange chicken in one layer in 9×13″ baking dish. Pour cranberry mixture over chicken.
4. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight (longer is better)
5. Bake chicken mixture, uncovered, at 300F for about 90 minutes, or until chicken is done. Spoon the sauce over the chicken once or twice while cooking.

Venison Rindsrouladen (German Pickle Steak)

“My mother was born in southwestern Germany shortly after the Second World War and I grew up eating many dishes from that region. As a hunter, I’ve always looked for recipes that honored my heritage and could be made from the game I harvested. This is my favorite.” – onX’s Ryan N.

Prep Time

30 min.

Cook Time

2 1/2 hours

Total Time

3 hours

Ingredients

• Venison backstrap
• 1 lb. bacon, cut in half
• 4 carrots, peeled, quartered, and cut into 2″ lengths (save odds and ends for sauce)
• 1 bunch celery stalks, cut into thirds lengthwise, then 2″ long (save odds and ends for sauce)
• 1 jar kosher pickle spears, cut into 2″ length (save juice for sauce)
• 2 white onions, cut in half and sliced thinly
• Dijon mustard
• 4 cloves fresh garlic
• 6 oz. tomato paste
• Marjoram to taste (start with 1/4 tsp. and add more if needed)
• Oregano to taste (start with 1/4 tsp. and add more if needed)
• Bay leaf
• Oil for browning meat
• 1 quart beef stock
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Toothpicks

Instructions

1. Start by slicing venison backstrap into about 1″-thick steaks, then place them between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound until very thin.
2. Season slices with salt and pepper, than spread a layer of Dijon mustard on one side.
3. Place two small strips of bacon, a carrot stick, celery stick, pickle spear, and a few strips of sliced onion over the mustard-coated venison pieces. Roll up venison tightly around the vegetables and secure with a couple of toothpicks.
4. Heat up your favorite skillet with a little oil. Brown rolled venison slowly and carefully, then transfer to your favorite Dutch oven. Add beef stock and begin to simmer.
5. In the skillet used for browning meat, add garlic, remaining onion slices, and all your odds-and-ends pieces of carrot and celery. Cook until the onions are translucent. Then add marjoram, oregano, a little pickle juice, bay leaf, a little water, and about a tablespoon of mustard to vegetables. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
6. Back to the Dutch oven and the venison. Add the cam of tomato paste and 1 cup of warm water, then add the vegetables and juices from the skillet to the Dutch oven. Put on the lid and simmer lightly for about 2 1/2 hours. Before serving, remove meat and use a hand blender to gently puree the vegetable and beef stock in the Dutch oven. Lade this sauce generously over the rolled meat and your dumplings, spaetzle, or potato pancakes. Prost!

Derby Pie

“While Derby Pie is traditionally associated with May’s Kentucky Derby, it’s one of my go-to holiday desserts. Along with some other favorite southern staples, Derby Pie always provides a little taste of home during Montana’s cold winters.”
– onX’s Christian F.

Prep Time

15 min.

Cook Time

45 min.

Total Time

1 hour

Ingredients

• 1/2 flour
• 1 C sugar
• 1/2 C butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 Bourbon
• 1 C pecans, chopped
• 1 C semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• salt
• 9″ pie crust
  
  Bourbon Whipped Cream
• 1 C heavy cream
• 2 T sugar
• 2 T bourbon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Mix flour, sugar, eggs, and melted butter. Cool slightly.
3. Mix in pecans, chocolate chips, Bourbon, vanilla, and a little salt.
4. Fill pie crust.
5. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the filling sets.
6. Let cool slightly before serving. Top with bourbon whipped cream.
   
   Bourbon Whipped Cream:
7. Whip the cream in a mixing bowl or stand mixer until soft peaks form.
8. Slowly add sugar while whipping to desired consistency.
9. Slowly add bourbon while whipping on a low speed. Put in fridge until ready to serve.
   
   Notes:
   – Don’t cook with whiskey you wouldn’t drink, and make sure you pour one for yourself to enjoy while the pie cooks.
   – Be prepared to cover the rim of the pie crust with foil if it starts to brown more than you would like.
   

Baked Pineapple

“This is a Baked Pineapple dessert my wife makes around the holidays.” – onX’s Travis S.

Prep Time

20 min.

Cook Time

60 min.

Total Time

80 min.

Ingredients

• 1/2 C butter, melted
• 1 C sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 5 slices white bread, cubed
• 1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple with juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a medium-sized casserole dish.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg. Add bread and crushed pineapple, then mix. Transfer to baking dish.
3. Bake in preheated oven until bubbly and lightly browned, about 60 minutes.

The post Christmas Recipes From Team onX appeared first on onX Hunt.

“I’m not a food scientist but I can see what happens when we age meat in our kitchen,” says chef Michael Hunter. “For example, we’d get whole bison ribeyes from our supplier in Alberta and when they came in the meat looked like Jello on the counter. It was jiggly and it didn’t hold its shape. It had come straight from the slaughterhouse and I instantly thought, ‘I can’t use this.’”

Chef Hunter attempted to salvage this expensive cut of meat by wrapping it with butcher’s twine to give it some shape and putting it on aging racks in the fridge. Within two weeks it had firmed up.

“When you age meat, it loses moisture and becomes denser,” says Hunter. Research has shown that aging beef can reduce its weight by 10-30% depending on how long it’s aged. Freshly butchered beef is around 75% water. After 21 days, which is the minimum time most beef is aged in Canada where Hunter resides, beef loses around 10% of its weight due to moisture evaporation. “All of our beef in Canada, even in the most budget-friendly grocery stores, is aged for a minimum of 21 days.”

Venison is not commonly aged for a variety of reasons—the lack of space to hang an animal, warm temperatures, or because the harvest was taken to a local processor. But for those who can, a little bit of aging can go a long way to enhance flavor. And since venison is much leaner than beef you won’t need to age it for 21 days. 

The Science Behind Aging Wild Game Meat

“The natural enzymes in the meat start to break it down,” says Hunter. “Essentially, the muscles are deteriorating, the meat becomes more tender, and its flavor becomes more concentrated. Then it’s a more enjoyable piece of meat.”

The aging process breaks down the collagen in the meat that was holding the muscle fibers together. After an animal is harvested, the “breaking-down” enzymes are still active and continue to work for about eight days, or until the meat is frozen or cooked. 

The Right Environment for Aging Wild Game

Assuming it was reasonably cool when the animal was harvested so the meat can begin cooling right away, the aging process can begin by leaving the hide of the animal on and hanging it where the temperature stays between 33°F and 38°F, with the humidity around 65 to 75 percent. The humidity level is important because it allows the growth of desirable yeast and bacteria while simultaneously managing the rate of moisture reduction. If the meat is too moist for too long harmful bacteria grow; if the meat dries too quickly there isn’t time for its flavors to enhance. 

In addition to temperature and humidity, air circulation is a critical part of the aging process. This will keep the meat free from harmful bacteria as moisture evaporates. While most home refrigerators have internal fans to provide some circulation, it generally is not enough for the aging process. Some hunters have dedicated fridges with larger or additional fans added. Some companies also sell dedicated at-home meat aging chambers, even ones that fit on countertops.

How to Age Wild Game at Home

If you’re interested in aging venison or other wild game at home there are a few ground rules. First, with venison you should not dry individual steaks or small cuts of meat. You’ll want to age the largest cuts you can, such as entire quarters or hanging the entire carcass with its hide on. 

Second, there are some animals you do not want to age at home. Specifically, wild hog and bear meat spoil more quickly than other game meat because of their higher fat content, so they should not be aged. As omnivores, bears and wild hogs often carry the larvae of a nasty parasite, Trichina spiralis.

Other small game, especially upland birds and waterfowl, can be aged by simply hanging by beak or by feet with feathers and innards intact in a dedicated fridge for three to seven days at temperatures between 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit. Author and chef Hank Shaw provides a treatise on the process here. 

For aging venison there are two methods: wet-aging and dry-aging. Wet-aging is achieved by placing the venison in a plastic bag under vacuum, and with this method there is no moisture loss but you get the benefit of the tissues breaking down. 

Without the vacuum, exposed meat will develop a pellicle, which is a thin layer that develops on and darkens the outer part of the meat. Because venison has so little fat it tends to dry out the meat too much to be usable. However, it’s worth noting that some cooks will use the pellicle in stocks or grind it to add to other ground meats for enhanced flavors in burgers. 

Dry-aging is storing meat in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment, as discussed above, and preferably with its hide on. Deer lack the fat that cattle have, so aging it without the hide can dry it too much. One tip from Hunter is to take a hideless quarter and rub it with lard or dip it in beef tallow. 

“If you do that and put it in the fridge it will harden around the outside,” he says. “I’ve even heard of people dipping cuts in beeswax or butter. But then at that point what you’re doing is a wet-age. Otherwise, if you don’t have the skin on and can’t coat it then you can likely get away aging it for three or four days before it dries out too much.” 

With game meat, because it is much more lean than beef, the aging process doesn’t have to be 21 days, or even two weeks. “I try and hang a whole deer for at least a week,” says Hunter. “If I had to quarter an animal to get it out or debone it because you can’t fly back with bones, then I look to wet-age it, getting it into as large of bags as possible and aging it for one to two weeks. Wet-aging is probably what I prefer and do most of the game I harvest.” 

Dry Aged Elk Roast

Dry aging will significantly increase the flavor of your meat and tenderize it at the same time. As moisture is lost flavor is concentrated while natural enzymes break down the muscle fibers. Dry aging is best done on the bone when the is fat on the outside of the meat which can be trimmed off for minimal meat loss.  This is easily done at home with a reciprocating saw but if you are field butchering and packing out the meat it is harder to keep the meat on the bone. If you are dry aging game meat off the bone, I recommend dry aging for a shorter period (5-9 days) to minimize meat loss due to trimming off excess dried meat. If you can hang your harvest gutted and skin on in a walk-in cooler, two weeks is ideal.
Photo courtesy Jody Shapiro.

Venison

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 pounds dry-aged elk striploin (backstrap), inside round, or outside round
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt 
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or vegetable oil
• 1⁄2 pound Brussels sprouts, cut in half
• 1⁄2 pound radishes, cut in half
• 1⁄2 pound baby potatoes
• 1⁄2 pound shallots or pearl onions, peeled
• 1⁄2 pound heirloom carrots, peeled
• 1 bunch of fresh rosemary
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
• Optional garnish – Horseradish, Hot Mustard, or pan gravy made after roasting

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Truss the roast with butcher twine and season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the grapeseed oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the meat on all sides, for 1 to 2 minutes per side.
4. Remove the roast from the pan.
5. Add to the hot pan, the Brussels sprouts, radishes, potatoes, shallots, carrots, rosemary, and bay leaves, and drizzle the melted butter over the vegetables.
6. Place the elk on top of the vegetables and transfer to the oven. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 125°F for medium-rare doneness, 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Remove the elk from the oven and continue roasting the vegetables until fork-tender. Discard the rosemary stems and bay leaves.
8. Let the elk rest for at least 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Cover with foil to keep warm.
9. Slice thinly and season with flaked sea salt, and serve with the roasted vegetables and favorite roast accompaniments like horseradish hot mustard or pan gravy.

The post Aging Wild Game Meat appeared first on onX Hunt.

What exactly is offal? Webster’s Dictionary defines it as offal (noun): the waste or by-product of a process, such as trimmings (such as the belly, head, and shoulders) of a hide. In layman’s culinary terms, it’s organ meat or other bits of the animal that would typically be discarded by butchers. 

Any piece of meat you likely looked at as a kid and wondered “what is that” is likely offal.

For many hunters—and really anyone who eats meat—the “nasty bits” are often tossed in the trash or just avoided altogether. But it’s no secret that heart, liver, kidney, and other organ meat is loaded with vitamins and minerals; offal is a veritable powerhouse of nutrients. So, how does one go about introducing these meat multivitamins into the kitchen?

First off, simply finding them can be difficult. Go ahead and ask your local butcher if they can lay their hands on some hearts, kidneys, or livers. Farmer’s markets can also be a productive site for offal–hunting. Save the organs from animals you harvest this fall. Clean them well, then bring them into the kitchen… it’s time to get busy.

We asked MEAT! Ambassador Chef Eduardo Garcia of Montana Mex to talk about introducing offal to your diet, his preferred cooking methods, and why some people tend to not have much enthusiasm for cooking offal.

onX: What first got you interested in cooking wild game?

Eduardo: As a Montana kid, I grew up chasing all kinds of game like rabbits, game birds, and fish. So my interest goes back to my early years and I’ve never looked back.

Why do you think many people are “gun shy” about consuming offal? 

Like most food hesitations, “don’t likes,” and “won’t eats,” these sensitivities begin with a bad experience or lack of experience. Pair that with a conventional food system that does not cater to offal consumption and availability in general retail and—boom!—offal has simply disappeared from our nutritional and gastronomic wheelhouses.

Someone’s trying offal for the first time. What would you like them to know, and where’s a good place to start? 

Offal is nutrient-dense, affordable, and—when handled with some understanding and skill—is delicious.

Do you see any regionality in offal consumption? Is it eaten more frequently in certain parts of the U.S.? 

Good question, I would say yes and this could be due to a variety of factors. Generally, I see offal showing up in markets or on menus the closer I am to an agricultural or ranching community, as well as communities actively working within local food systems.

What do you think is the most underrated type of offal? Which is your favorite to prepare and/or eat? 

Technically offal is considered the edible internal parts of animals and this primarily lands on the organs. However, other cuts also tend to be classified as offal such as cheeks, suet, and trotters. I think trotters (or feet) get very little love, especially in the wild game world. Having said that, I’d like to shine a light on feet/trotters. I’ve been enjoying using them in my stocks, soups, and stews as they are loaded with collagen from the high volume of tendon and connective tissues and add an invaluable body to stock (and subsequently the dishes I build with that stock). I also love, love, love tongue!

Do you have a favorite offal recipe you’re willing to share? 

Yes! I am stoked to share a wild game meatloaf recipe that uses kidney, liver, and/or heart. I hope you love it!

Wild Game Offal Meatloaf
(That’s Far From Awful)

Courtesy of Montana Mex, Chef Eduardo Garcia

Offal

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. ground game
• ½  lb. ground or finely chopped offal, kidney, heart, liver
• 1 C rolled oats
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 C diced yellow onion
• 1/2 C milk
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 3 T ketchup
• 1T Worcestershire sauce
• 2 T fresh parsley
• 3/4 t salt
• 1/4 t black pepper
• 1/2 t Montana Mex Mild Chile or other chile powder
• KETCHUP GLAZE
• 3/4 C Montana Mex Ketchup
• 2T packed light brown sugar or Montana Mex Sweet Seasoning
• 1 1/2 t balsamic vinegar
• 1 t garlic posder
• 1/4 t ground black pepepr
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/2 t dry oregano

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large bowl, add and thoroughly blend all ingredients except the ground meat and offal (leave out Ketchup Glaze ingredients). Using your hands or a mixing spoon, add the ground meats and mix again just enough to fully incorporate both mixes into each other. Overmixing can result in a dense meatloaf.
3. Shape the meatloaf as a loaf on a parchment-lined sheet pan or press into a loaf pan.
4. Create a shallow depression lengthwise along the meatloaf.
5. Pour and evenly spread the sauce into the shallow valley and spread across the top of the meatloaf.
6. Bake, uncovered, for 50-60 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165F has been reached.
7. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes.
8. Slice and serve with your favorite sides. Buen provecho!

The post Offal Isn’t Awful: Offal 101 With Chef Eduardo Garcia appeared first on onX Hunt.

Many hunters pay attention to nutrition and fueling their workouts well leading up to the season. Going to the gym, logging hours on the trail with a weighted pack, watching macros… it’s all part of the buildup to (hopefully) a successful season.

But once the calendar turns to that special day curled in red and we’re actually in the field chasing prey, it’s easy to let that careful balance slip. Gas station food becomes the meal of the day, and quality protein sources can be heavy to pack into the backcountry. We sat down with Peak Refuel ambassador Sidney Smith to talk about macros, protein needs in the field, and how to maintain peak performance during challenging hunts.

onX: Do you think most people over or underestimate their protein needs during training and on hunts?

Sidney: I would say that they underestimate their protein needs as well as their calories. Getting in physical shape for hunting in the backcountry by exercising is very important, but so is fine-tuning your nutrition. It’s a lot like preparing for a marathon: runners practice testing their nutrition for months to find their peak performance for race day. Hunters should be doing the same.

What’s your own rule of thumb for calculating protein needs for training and performance on hunts?

I try to find as much protein, fats, and calories as possible. Sugar/glucose and carbs for those morning bursts to quickly beat others to the hunting spots. Then protein throughout the day to feel fuller, and finish the evening with a protein and calorie-heavy meal to put me to bed. Again, I recommend practicing your nutrition with your hunting training program

What’s your favorite training method to prepare for a challenging backcountry hunt? 

Backpacking for a couple of days on long hikes has been the best because it’s very close to the rate your calories are being burned compared to hunting. Also, my stumps in my prosthetics need to get used to carrying the extra weight. Being in the mountains at a higher altitude helps with acclimation come opening day. If the mountains are not nearby, as nerdy as it might seem; wearing a weighted pack doing step-ups or the stairs is a huge benefit.

How do terrain/weather conditions change the way you fuel in the field? 

I find my body requires more calories in cooler conditions to try to keep up the fight to stay warm. It also depends on the terrain; more difficult terrain can also require more calories to replenish the calories burned on the trail.

What’s one thing you wish people would understand about fueling their bodies properly during outdoor activity? 

Try some of the foods before your hunt. Your body may not respond well to some of the granola bars out there. Nothing is worse than having runs or constipation on the mountain. Drinking more water than you think is also important at the higher elevation, even when it’s very cool outside you have to drink.

Favorite Peak meal on a long hunt?

That’s a hard one, so I have narrowed it down to two. Biscuits and Gravy because it’s that mother’s comfort food that would work well for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Also, I would say the Homestyle Chicken and Rice; you really can’t mess that meal up no matter how badly you may suck at boiling water. 

The post How to Meet Your Protein Needs in the Field With Sidney Smith appeared first on onX Hunt.

What is Sous Vide Cooking?

“Sous vide, in French, means ‘under vacuum,’” says Wilderness to Table host and chef Bri Van Scotter. “Being under vacuum is an essential part of the sous vide process because you take a plastic bag, put meat inside, and you vacuum seal it so all the air is out. That puts the meat under pressure a little bit, and then you put it in a controlled water bath. Sous vide is a very controlled, precise cooking method.”

The artistry of sous vide cooking is that your meat or main course is never exposed to temperatures any higher than what you want it to finish at. Want a medium-rare steak with an internal temperature of 130°F? Set your water bath to 130°F and drop in the vacuum-sealed steak. From edge to edge, that entree will come out a perfect mid-rare. 

The “hack” of using sous vide is that it allows you to cook meats, even chicken, to temps below 165°F. If you’ve ever been in a ServSafe class or worked in fast food you learned that to eliminate the risk of bacteria in food you should cook it to 165°F because at that temperature it’s instantly pasteurized. You also learned that any food between 40-140°F is in the “danger zone,” and not the one in which Tom Cruise thrives.

Pasteurization can occur below 165°F if given enough time. A burger coming out of a fast food joint doesn’t have time, but a home cook does. The USDA touts the 165°F flashpoint for meat so there is a 7.0 log₁₀ relative reduction in salmonella bacteria, which means a reduction that guarantees that out of every 10,000,000 bacteria living on that piece of raw meat to start only one will survive. However, bringing a piece of chicken with 5% fat content to 145°F for 9.2 minutes will achieve the same level of pasteurization. Want that chicken at 150°F instead? Hold it in the water bath long enough that the meat’s internal temperature stays 150°F for 2.8 minutes and it’s safe to eat.

The History of Sous Vide Cooking

Immersion circulators were invented as equipment for scientific laboratories. Almost anywhere you would use a Bunsen burner you could use instead a temperature-controlled water bath, which was perfect for incubating live cell cultures.

It was during the 1960s that vacuum-packing and food-grade plastic films were more mainstream at large commercial food companies, so the sous vide technique was used only as a safety measure to pasteurize industrially prepared foods to increase their shelf life. 

In the mid-1970s French chef Pierre Troisgros brought the sous vide into his kitchen. It is said he wanted to develop a new way to cook foie gras, which by French law is the liver of a duck or goose that has been fattened by force-feeding. The fatty flavor of foie gras could be lost too easily with direct-heat cooking techniques. A chef Troisgro hired found that the delicacy lost the least amount of fat when poached at a precise temperature while sealed in plastic. 

In the early 2000s, thanks to the Internet, the sous vide technique began making its way into the kitchens of U.S. restaurants. Chef Thomas Keller was purportedly the first to use sous vide with success in his award-winning restaurants. Before the end of that decade, the sous vide had been the subject of at least one cookbook, a New York Times article (calling it “cryovacking”), and used by acclaimed New York chef Wylie Dufresne to battle against Mario Batali in season two of Iron Chef, cooking delicate, flaky tilapia. 

Still, sous vide circulators were expensive, running over $1,000 for a professional device. In 2009 the first sous vide was made available for under $500, but not until 2016 would they drop under $200. Today, MEAT! offers two circulators under $200, along with vacuum sealers. 

“I started cooking sous vide way back in the day,” says Van Scotter. “I was working in fine dining at Charlie Palmer Steak and we thought we were innovators. Now I use them for everything, and they’re so small, too. When I was using them in the restaurant they were these big things. Now it’s small and so easy to use.”

Cooking With Sous Vide

While the sous vide water circulator might not replace every cooking tool, pot, or pan in the kitchen, it does play very nicely alongside them. One of the best companions for sous vide cooking is a trustworthy cast iron pan. 

“If you’re going to take a cut of meat,” says Van Scotter, “like venison, or beef, or pork, I like to sear it first on a hot cast iron skillet to create Maillard reactions, which is the caramelization of sugars in the meat. That’s going to impart really good flavor once it’s vacuum sealed and put in the sous vide for a long period of time. 

“Sous vide is a wonderful cooking method for any tough meat, but it’s also a delicate enough technique to handle any delicate meats, such as flaky fish. It’s probably the most universal cooking tool you could have in your kitchen. Now I use it for sauces, jams, and in almost all parts of the kitchen. 

“Once you do it one time and get the feel for it it’s really just about setting the temperature and letting it go. What I love for wild game with sous vide is that I always tell people to cook their game low and slow when they ask for tips because wild game doesn’t usually have all the intramuscular fat that farm-raised beef or pork do. With sous vide you could put butter or olive oil in the bag and cook it slowly, letting those fats absorb into the meat.

“When you cook wild game on the grill at a high temp, for instance, that meat typically doesn’t have enough fat to keep the meat moist and tender on the inside. Whereas the sous vide method keeps everything on the inside. Then you get the exact desired result instead of guessing on a grill.”

Chile-Coffee Spiced Sous Vide Venison Loin

By Chef Bri Van Scotter – Wilderness to Table

Sous Vide, Venison

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons ground dark roast coffee
• 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 7 garlic cloves
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 1/4 cup tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Set your sous vide machine for 129F.
2. In a small mixing bowl combine the ground coffee, chili powder, brown sugar, smoked paprika, salt, and cumin. Mix the spices together to combine well.
3. Season the venison loin liberally with the spice mixture.
4. In a vacuum seal bag, add the seasoned venison loin to the bag, along with the garlic cloves, thyme, rosemary, and extra virgin olive oil. Vacuum seal the bag. Then place the bag in the water to cook for 1 hour.
5. After the loin has cooked for an hour, place a cast iron skillet over high heat. Remove the loin from the bag, and set it aside. Add the oil, garlic, and herbs from the bag to the pan. When the pan is hot add the venison loin to the pan. Sear on all sides of the loin.
6. Once, all sides are seared, place the loin on a clean cutting board and slice in 1-2 inch thick pieces.

The post Sous Vide for Wild Game appeared first on onX Hunt.

And perhaps there’s no better-known sausage than the ubiquitous summer sausage. Many of us grew up on the brown-cased logs of meat, downing slices at family gatherings, hunting trips, and sports games. Easy to eat, store, and pack along for adventures, summer sausage has become the “do-all” sausage of America.

It’s a basic creation. A semi-dry sausage (meaning it doesn’t have quite as impressive of a shelf life as its cousins salami or pepperoni), summer sausage maintains its quality for months without refrigeration, making it a top choice for hunting camp and trips away from refrigeration. (If you want to keep it in the fridge or cooler, go ahead. It’s not going to hurt anything.)

Most summer sausage is made from a mix of beef and pork, seasoned with garlic, mustard seed, black pepper, and plenty of salt. 

It’s a treat we all know and love. But, like most things culinary, there’s room for exploration. For mixing things up; finding our own recipes, and making that food off the shelf that much better when we craft it at home.

That’s where Chef Albert Wutsch of From Field to Table comes in. A MEAT! Ambassador, Wutsch shows people how to prepare summer sausage during his “Sausage Making From Field to Table” events, along with other cured, smoked, and fermented sausages and brined, cured, pickled, and smoked meats.

We sat down with Wutsch to talk about his culinary background, summer sausage adventures, and why hunters may want to start making their own sausage:

onX: Tell us a little bit about yourself. What about cooking drew your interest?

Wutsch: I currently live south of Missoula in Lolo, Montana. I’m married to the woman of my dreams, Sandy, and we have two children (Sara and Andrew), and three grandchildren. When I was young, Mom and Dad got my two brothers and I interested in both the outdoors and scouting—my two brothers and I are Eagle Scouts. My dad was our mentor when it came to hunting. I attended the University of Montana for wildlife management, but ended up changing to a culinary focus. My professional career has taken us around the country, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Montana. I’ve worked at many different establishments, owned my own catering business, and have taught at multiple culinary schools. I’ve even worked for different outfits as a backcountry cook.

I’ve been able to marry my passion for the outdoors with my professional culinary career. My wife convinced me to write a venison cookbook, then a second, and eventually a third. We also produced a video on venison butchery. I’ve conducted seminars and presentations at every kind of sports show and national convention possible, and as a retired professional chef, I currently work for Greg Ray at Outdoor Solutions, teaching at the “From Field to Table” events and writing cooking columns, videos, etc.

Why is summer sausage such a solid, basic staple? 

Eating is more than just the taste and flavor of a specific food—it embodies the entire experience. Nearly everyone has eaten one of those Hickory Farms meat and cheese boxes received for some type of celebration or holiday. It was the celebration or holiday that put us in the perfect mood for a taste and flavor that would trigger lasting memories for a lifetime.

If one of those memories didn’t trigger your taste buds, well, it could be that summer sausage is the perfect blend of meat and spices with just the right tangy flavor and texture that keeps us going back for more. The commercially-made summer sausages don’t need refrigeration, which makes life very convenient.

It’s basic: summer sausage is a semi-soft, cured, fermented, dried, cooked sausage. A culture has been added to the meat, which causes the fermentation process and cure that inhibits the growth of harmful microorganisms. The cure (along with the culture) increases the acid content which, in turn, gives that tangy flavor. The drying process reduces the moisture content, giving it that soft texture. If dried longer with or without cooking, it would be considered a hard salami. Basically, summer sausage is a form of food preservation when refrigeration is not available. We limit the growth of harmful microorganisms by the cure, the acid content, the lack of moisture, cooking, or smoking by time and temperature.

Why make your own summer sausage? 

I call it “extending the hunt.” Rarely will I butcher and/or process our game alone; it’s always a family affair. We’ll take all those hunting memories and stuff them into a 2”-2 1/2” fibrous casing, then cure, dry, cook, and store. Then, while I’m out on the lake with family and friends trolling for lake trout we open up that package and release all that flavor and memories. It doesn’t get any better than that. Learning to butcher and process your game brings us full circle from field to table, and that is exactly what we teach at our events. It also saves you a ton of money, especially if you harvest more than one animal per season.

I call it “extending the hunt.” Rarely will I butcher and/or process our game alone; it’s always a family affair. We’ll take all those hunting memories and stuff them into a 2”-2 1/2” fibrous casing, then cure, dry, cook, and store.

Are there different regional recipes for summer sausage? 

Summer Sausage is pretty generic, with a German and Swiss heritage. There are many similar sausages such as Lebanon Bologna and others. For summer sausage, the ingredients vary; some people will use ginger, coriander, or mustard, while others will add high-temperature cheeses. Some use all beef or a beef and pork blend, while others use various game meats. There are more specific regional sausages such as Andouille, Polish Brats, and Boudin.

What equipment is needed to prepare summer sausage?

MEAT! is our sponsor at all our From Field to Table events. They have excellent quality, affordable equipment. Like anything else, if you have the right equipment you can produce quantity more efficiently. Summer sausage can be made by hand using previously ground meats which are mixed well and hand-stuffed into fibrous casings. But this is the most difficult, time-consuming process which will result in a less consistent product.

The basic equipment needed is a grinder from which you can stuff the casing. Of course, there is luxury and/or necessary equipment, such as a foot pedal that runs the grinder so you can do the entire process by yourself. If you have the space and are producing large batches of mixed meats for various sausages, a meat mixer ensures proper mixing.

A sausage press or stuffer with various tubes or horns makes life so much easier and allows you to prepare an endless array of quality sausage products.

Even though store-bought commercial summer sausage does not require refrigeration, I still recommend that homemade sausages be refrigerated. It’s okay to throw some into your day pack or in the box of food when fishing, camping, or hiking, but out of habit I still store my processed meats in refrigeration when possible. My recommendation is to seal your homemade sausage in vacuum bags and freeze until needed. MEAT! offers a variety of quality, very affordable, vacuum and chamber vacuum sealers for all quantities. These machines will maintain quality and extend the shelf life of your frozen products.  

For recipes, many companies have professional chefs working daily on research and development. They’ve done all the experimenting for you; they’ve refined recipes and procedures to give you an excellent product. They have recipes, spice blends, and complete cost-saving packages. I’ve had success with SausageMaker as well as with Conyearger.

Here’s my basic summer sausage recipe to get you started. Remember, once you’ve made it you can tweak it to your personal flavor preferences.

Chef Wutsch’s Summer Sausage

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. venison
• 2 lbs. pork butt
• 1 tsp. pink curing salt
• 2 T kosher salt
• 1 T black pepper
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• ½ C brown sugar
• ½ C powdered milk
• 1 C ice water
• 2, 2 ½” fibrous synthetic casings

Instructions

1. Soak synthetic casings in cold water while preparing sausage meat.
2. Grind meat through a large die grinder, then grind a second time through a medium die.
3. Combine all dry ingredients.
4. In a meat mixer or large bowl blend dry ingredients, alternating with ice water to meat.
5. Mix thoroughly, creating bind. Meat should be sticky
6. Place in sausage press, using 2”-2 ½” fibrous synthetic casings (non-edible).
7. Hang or place uncovered in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. (This is the drying, fermenting, and curing process.)
8. Smoke at 160 degrees for 2-3 hours, increase heat to 225 F degrees and cook until internal temperature of 160 F degrees.
9. Place into ice water bath to stop the cooking process.
10. Chill, dry, and serve.

Notes:
When handling ground meat, always keep everything ice cold and use gloves.
Use only quality meat.
If using high-temperature cheese, use ½ lb. of cheese per 5 lbs. of meat.

Loved this recipe? See our latest on How to Make Pemmican.

The post Summer Sausage 101 With Chef Albert Wutsch appeared first on onX Hunt.