Venison Vittles

While visiting Boxley Valley a few weeks ago, I stopped in at the Ponca Elk Education Center to learn more about elk and surrounding wildlife of the area. They also have a nice literature rack. Being somewhat of a brochure hoarder and recipe lover, how could I resist picking up the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission Venison Vittles recipe brochure, along with Fish Favorites, Made with Dove and Delectable Ducks?!

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Tis the season for some venison vittles, so I thought I would share some of their recipes with you in this blog. These recipes were featured in the cooking column of Arkansas Wildlife, the AGFC’s award-winning bimonthly magazine. Call 800-283-2664 or visit agfc.com to subscribe.

Caribbean Venison Pot Roast

• 7-pound venison roast
• 3 tablespoons shortening
• 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 ½ cups water
• 3 cups apple juice
• 1 can condensed tomato soup
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic, chopped
• Flour
  
  Melt shortening in Dutch oven and brown the roast over medium heat. Blend vinegar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add water and apple juice and pour over roast in a slow cooker. Spoon tomato soup, onion and garlic over the roast. Cover and simmer 4 hours or until the roast is tender. Remove roast and thicken sauce with flour to make gravy. Serves four to six.

Venison Pie

• 2 pounds ground venison
• 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 2 cups milk
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Granulated garlic to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup onions, diced
• ½ cup celery, diced
• ½ cup bell pepper, diced
• ½ cup garlic, minced
• ½ cup green onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons jalapeño peppers, diced and seeded
• Creole seasoning to taste
• 2 (15-ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
  
  Heat oven to 350 degrees. Boil potatoes until tender in enough lightly salted water to cover by 2 inches. Remove  from heat and drain. In a large bowl, mash potatoes and add butter and enough milk to achieve creamy mashed potatoes. Season with salt, pepper and granulated garlic. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat vegetable oil. Add venison and sauté until browned. Add onions, celery, bell peppers, minced garlic, green onions and jalapeños; sauté 3-5 minutes until wilted. Drain liquid from skillet; season with salt, pepper, granulated garlic and Creole seasoning. Put meat and vegetables in casserole dish. Top with corn, then with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with grated cheese; bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes.

Venison Jerky

3 pounds venison

• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 teaspoon onion salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• ½ teaspoon meat tenderizer
• 1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet
• 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup Liquid Smoke
• 1/3 cup barbecue sauce
  
  Cut meat into strips about half an inch thick and 1 inch wide. Mix all ingredients in a large container. Place meat in container and marinate 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Place meat on oven or dehydrator rack at 125 to 150 degrees. Dry for 6 to 8 hours.

Apple-Venison Burger Balls in Pastry

• ¾ pound ground venison
• 1 egg beaten
• 2 cups canned applesauce
• 1 ½ cups stuffing mix
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• Dash of pepper
• ½ teaspoon sage
• ¼ cup shortening
• 1 ½ cups yellow onion, sliced
• ¼ cup butter
• Pastry for two-crust pie
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup whole milk
  
  Combine ground venison, egg and 1 cup applesauce. Add stuffing mix, half a teaspoon of salt, pepper and sage. Form into 10 balls and brown in shortening in a skillet and drain. Melt butter in skillet and sauté onion until light brown. Add remaining applesauce and salt. Roll out pastry on a floured surface and cut into 10 squares. Place an equal amount of applesauce mixture and one meatball on each square. Moisten edges of pastry with water and seal around mixture. Bake at 400 degrees 20-25 minutes on a baking sheet. Mix mushroom soup and milk in a saucepan and heat, but do not boil. Pour mushroom soup over pastries. Serve with steamed English peas. Serves four to six.

Venison Sausage

• 2 pounds ground venison
• 2 pounds ground pork
• ½ pound pork fat
• ¼ cup onion, diced
• ¼ cup celery, diced
• ¼ cup red bell pepper, diced
• ¼ cup garlic, minced
• ¼ cup green onion, sliced
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon ground sage
• 1 tablespoon caraway seed
• 15 feet pork sausage casing
  
  Mix ingredients in large bowl and force through a meat grinder to stuff into casing. Tie off at 6-inch intervals. Mixture may be shaped into patties instead of links. Makes 25 links.