Wild Game Recipes

Wild Turkey Apple Sausage

*Recipe adapted from MeatEater*

Ingredients

-2 pounds skinless, boneless turkey, cut into cubes (can use breast or thighs)

-1 package of bacon, cut into large pieces

-2 Tbsp olive oil, plus more if needed

-1 medium onion, diced

-2 medium apples, peeled, and cut into small cubes (we used honey crisp)

-1 1/2 Tbsp packed brown sugar

-1 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt

-1 1/2 Tbsp black pepper

-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

-1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

-2 Tbsp fresh thyme

-Zest of 1 lemon

Directions

Chop turkey and bacon into pieces, set aside in fridge to keep cool.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions, cook, stirring until soft and translucent.  Stir in the apples and continue to cook until soft.  Transfer them to a large plate and spread in a thin layer, and let cool.

Grind the turkey and bacon into a large bowl.  Add the cooled onions and apples, the sugar, thyme, salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Mix well with your hands. Pinch off a small bit of the sausage mixture and cook in a little oil in a skillet to test for seasoning. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Form patties Preheat pan over medium heat and put a little oil in the pan. Working in batches, sear the sausage patties until browned on both sides and cooked throughout, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

(To freeze remaining amount: wrap desired portion in plastic wrap then wrap in freezer paper)

 

Spiny Tail Buffalo Dip

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups cooked and shredded spiny tail Iguana 
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup Ranch dressing
• 1/2 cup Buffalo wing sauce 
• 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• blue cheese crumbles (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Pressure cook or slow cook Spiny tail until cooked all the way through so can shred/chop like chicken 
• Heat spiny tail and Buffalo sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm.
• Mix in shredded cheese. Pour into a shallow dish or pie pan and sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles.
• Bake in a preheated oven to 350 for 15-20 minutes or microwave it until the cheese melts. Serve with chips for dipping

 

 

 

Everglades Python Stew

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 pound python, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large Red Onion , peeled and finely chopped
3 large Garlic Cloves , peeled and diced
6 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Stock
1 pound Red New Potatoes (I used half potatoes and half turnips), scrubbed (do not peel) and cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 teaspoon Himalayan Salt

2 Tablespoons Cumin

1 dash of white pepper or more as desired for spicier stew
2- 7- ounce cans diced Mild Green Chiles
Garnish: torn cilantro leaves, fresh oregano, sour cream, cheese 

Instructions

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high temperature. When the top of the oil is shimmering, add python. Allow it to sit in the hot pan to develop a sear before stirring; allow to brown. Remove from pan to a plate. 
2. Add the onions to the pan and sauté until softened (2-3 minutes). Add the garlic and stir together.
3. Return the meat (and any accumulated juices on the plate) to the pan along with the chicken stock, potatoes, salt and green chilies. Bring to a boil, reduce temperature to allow stew to simmer. Simmer for 1-2 hours. Or after bringing to a boil transfer to crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. Serve garnished with torn cilantro leaves, fresh oregano, sour cream, and a bit of grated cheese if desired.

 

Crock Pot Hawaiian Wild Pork Tacos

Ingredients:

-Wild Pork Ham or Shoulder

-1/4 cup taco seasoning

-3 Tbsp Brown Sugar

-1 can pineapple tidbits

-1 can mandarin oranges

-1/2 cup orange juice

Directions:

Rub meat with taco seasoning and brown sugar . Add remainder of ingredients to crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours until meat falls off the bone. Shred meat and assemble tacos.  

 

Fennel Rubbed Venison Roast

INGREDIENTS:

• •1 bone in Deer Ham
• •2 spanish onions
• •1 head of fennel, rough chop, fronds and all
• •1 head of garlic, split in half
• •2 tablespoons Flour
• •1 bottle cheap red wine
• •3 Tablespoons of olive oil for roasting

 RUB:

• •3 Tablespoons Wild Fennel Pollen
• •2 Tablespoons coarsely-cracked Coriander Seed
• •2 Tablespoons coarsely-cracked Black Pepper
• •1 Tablespoon fresh-ground Juniper Berry
• •¼ cup Kosher Salt
• •3 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
• •3 Tablespoons rough-chopped Thyme

Directions

Combine all ingredients for rub and press into deer ham liberally 

Wrap lightly with plastic wrap and let marinate overnight in fridge 

Next day preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Removed ham from the fridge to bring to room temperature 

Rough chop onions (with skin on), fennel, and garlic and add to roasting pan.

Place deer ham on top of vegetables and drizzle the whole ham with olive oil 

Place in oven uncovered. 

Roast for 40 min on 425 or until the rub gets caramelized.  Now reduce oven to 300 and continue to roast for another 30-45 min until internal temperature is (120-125degrees) you are aiming for a nice rosy medium rare. Remove roast from oven and rest on rack to cool.

Next, make your pan sauce by placing the roasting pan on top of a burner on high. Dust with the two tablespoons of flour, and then deglaze the whole pan with the bottle of red wine.  Some of the rub will have fallen off the roast and caramelized on the pan nicely. Scrape this up along with the well-roasted vegetables and then reduce all of the liquid by half.  After it is reduced, strain everything through a coarse strainer, allowing some of the bits of vegetables, the spices and the roasted garlic to pass through.

Serve roast with sauce and enjoy! 

Recipe Adapted from meateater

 

Venison Heart Melt 

Ingredients:

1 Heart, sliced thin (can also use liver)

1 onion, sliced

3-4 garlic cloves, chopped

4 oz mushrooms 

Butter/olive oil 

2 slices of bread

Cheese of choice for melting (I used white cheddar and see below avocado goat cheese addition 😋) Directions:

1. Add butter/olive oil to sauté pan 

2. Sauté onions and garlic until translucent, add mushrooms halfway through

3. Add heart to pan and sauté until cooked all the way through 

4. Butter 1 side of each slice of bread (to be cooked like grilled cheese)

5. In new pan put buttered side of bread facedown and top with heart, onion, garlic, mushroom mixture and add cheese

6. Top mixture with other slice of bread butter side up

7. Cook until cheese melted, flip halfway through for evenly toasted bread *For variety try mixing avocado and goat cheese to make a spread, and add that to sandwich before topping with goodies! It was delicious!