As people who enjoy the outdoors, we have much to be thankful for. The beauty and bounty of nature can sustain us physically and spiritually. Spending time in the fresh air is restorative, and the nutritional value of wild game exceeds almost anything you can buy in the store. It also can be really tasty.
I thought of Thanksgiving as we enjoyed each of our evening meals during the opening weekend of deer hunting season. On Friday night the menu included fried fish from a late summer visit to the lake. Saturday evening we dined on boneless venison chops from a buck harvested during the first half of bow season, and Sunday night’s feast featured turkey nuggets from a fall gobbler.
I would share the recipes, but our meal preparation is more process than prescription, so there is nothing written down.
The fish fry produces the only divided loyalty. Lucky Jim prefers Louisiana brand fish breading, while I am an Andy’s guy. Both are good choices, and my plan blends one bag of Yellow and one bag of Red for the perfect balance of spice and spunk. Still, I never question Jim’s choice because the Baton Rouge company has been getting it right for 60 years.
There is no debate about the side dish on Friday night. Russet potatoes are sliced thin and soaked in ice water before getting submerged in the hot grease after the fish is all cooked. The floating breading and spices cling to the french fries, so that they don’t need any additional seasoning.
We have tried a few other options for the butterfly-sliced, lean deer meat that most people call back straps or tenderloins. I don’t mean to be a snob about it, but I like to refer to the cut as boneless chops. The true tenderloin is accessed from inside the carcass, and back strap just seems a little too crude for a connoisseur.
The popular method of wrapping the filets in bacon adds flavor and fat, and a bit of a mess. We have gone to almost exclusively enjoying them after soaking the steaks for a few hours in marinade. Dale’s Seasoning originated at a restaurant in Birmingham, Ala., 70 years ago and bills itself as the No. 1 marinade in the nation. We use it when we can’t get Andria’s Steak Sauce from the fine dining establishment in O’Fallon, Ill. Both of the dark, rich sauces really amplify the flavor.
A few minutes on a hot grill is all it takes to turn those steaks into something special. A little bit of horseradish sauce or A-1 for dipping is never a bad idea. Stirring the two together on the plate edges on perfection.
The wild turkey breast requires the most preparation work. It needs to be closely trimmed to remove any connective tissue and then cut into small chunks. We soak the pieces in milk and then in a scrambled egg wash before dredging them in a combination of flour, crushed cracker crumbs, salt and pepper.
A minute or so in the hot oil (350 degrees) turns them into bubbling brown beauties before draining them on a paper towel. Ranch or buffalo sauce makes for good dipping, but the nuggets are enjoyable enough without condiments.
We also had wild game on the menu for lunch each day. Sliced deer summer sausage and cheese is an easy favorite any time of year. For the other two days, the mid-day meal was traditional chili and vegetable soup, both of which substituted venison burger for the beef.
Even when the hunting is slow, one thing is for sure at deer camp, we are going to have plenty of good food to eat. I am looking forward to all of the fine fixings that make up the traditional Thanksgiving Day table, but our deer-season dining is always tough to top.
John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine. If you have story ideas for the Leader outdoor news page, e-mail ogmjohnw@aol.com, and you can find more outdoor news and updates at johnjwink.com.