Friday Feast: Wild Game Recipes Straight From Grandmama's Kitchen

Is there a family recipe you absolutely cannot live without? A recipe that no one else can come close to? For me, those recipes come from my grandmama. Without her, I would have absolutely no desire to cook! Nothing beats either of my grandmas home cooking and I can't think of a better way to prepare for fall than with some of Grandmama Janice's hearty ‘home grown’ recipes! 

My family shares a special tradition of passing down recipes from generation to generation and there isn't anything quite like it. To have these family recipes that have been passed down is something I'm quite proud to have. Coming from the small town of Matoaca Virginia, cooking together as a family is what we do and love, even more so when it's one of grandmamas wild game recipes. Here are some of my favorites from her cookbook, don't worry she's okay with me sharing them with you!



Photo Courtesy Salt on Stalls

Ingredients:
Venison butt-end of a hindquarter (3 to 5 pounds)
Salt and pepper
5 to 9 cloves of garlic sliced in thin slivers
Juice of 1 to 2 lemons (plus the rinds)
2 large branches rosemary de-stemmed and finely chopped
Bacon strips sufficient to cover 

Directions:
1. Clean the cut of meat by cutting away all of fell, white fibrous tissue and fat from the meat.
2. Soak in salt water for 2 days, changing the water at least once. Use enough water to cover the cut of meat and about 1 cup of salt for each soak. The soaking process should be under refrigeration.
3. Drain meat and trim any residual undesirable membranes.
4. Cover with red wine and marinate over night.
5. Remove meat from wine and discard the wine.
6. Deeply pierce the meat with a knife and stuff the slit with fresh garlic slivers, (8 to 20 different places depending on the size of the piece of meat).
7. Rub the meat with copious amounts of olive oil, salt and pepper liberally.
8. Sprinkle the chopped rosemary all over the meat and gently pat it into the oil. Place the rosemary stems under the meat to be roasted. 
9. Squeeze the juice of 1 to 2 lemons over the meat. Cut up the lemon rind and place under the meat with the rosemary  stems.
10. Cover the cut of meat with bacon strips to fully cover the meat.
11. Bake at 350 until medium rare. Cooking time depends on the size and cut of the meat. Usually the butt end of a hindquarter, takes about 2 hours. 
12. Whatever you do, DON’T overcook the meat.

Photo Courtesy Dish Maps

Ingredients:
3 pounds venison 
2 cups Port Red Wine
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ c. Worcestershire Sauce
1 cinnamon stick crushed
6 whole cloves
1 teaspoonful thyme
6 cloves garlic smashed
1 teaspoonful salt
½ teaspoonful pepper
½ cup flour
¼ to ½ cup olive oil 
Onions (*quantity determined by personal preference)
Carrots*
Celery*
Potatoes*
Turnips*

Directions:
1. Cut meat into 1 inch cubes.
2. In large plastic zip lock bag combine the next 9 ingredients.
3. Add venison and marinate for at least 48 hours.
4. Remove venison from marinade.
5. Dredge in flour and brown in oil. Use a Dutch oven to brown the meat.
6. Strain the marinade and add to the meat.
7. Increase volume of liquid by adding beef stock.
8. Cover and cook long low and slow (about 1 hour).
9. Prepare vegetables as you would for a stew (somewhat large chunks).
10. Add the vegetable to the stewing meat and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
11. Make slurry of flour and water to thicken stew if desired.

Photo Courtesy All Recipes

Ingredients:
Marinade 
2 venison Tenderloin strips
2 stalks celery cut diagonally in 2 inch chunks
2 carrots Juliann
2 onions sliced vertically
4 cloves garlic mashed
1/3 cup Soy sauce
4 tablespoonfuls olive oil
Handful of fresh thyme crushed (stems included)

Ingredients To Prepare:
1/3 cup white wine
2 tablespoonfuls Mustard
2 tablespoonfuls balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoonful butter
4 tablespoonfuls finely chopped shallots
4 cloves garlic crushed
2 dashes of hot sauce

Directions:
Marinade
1. Place prepared vegetables and thyme in a heavy duty zip lock bag and crush the vegetables by smashing with a rolling pin.
2. Add soy sauce and olive oil and mix well.
3. Trim tenderloin of all white fell and cut into 2& ½ inch medallions.
4. Place in the zip lock bag with the vegetables and give a good shake.
5. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

To cook
1. Sere meat on all sides in an extremely hot oiled skillet.
2. Remove meat to a baking dish. Reduce heat add the butter and melt then sauté the shallots, throw in the garlic and quickly brown, DO NOT BURN. If you do, toss out and start the shallots and garlic step again. Burnt garlic becomes bitter.
3. Toss in the white wine and deglaze the pan.
4. Add the mustard, vinegar and hot sauce; bubble a minute and pour over the meat.
5. Place meat in preheated oven and bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.
6. Do not over cook the meat. It must be pink in the center.
7. To prepare the vegetables…Add olive oil to the skillet and sauté the marinade sauce and vegetables until just wilted but tender about 4 to 6 minutes.
8. Pour the sautéed vegetables over the meat once removed from the oven.
9. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes.  
10. Once prepared, repeat performance required.  



Photo Courtesy Traeger Grills

Ingredients:
1 venison tenderloin 
Kikkoman teriyaki roasted garlic marinating sauce

Directions:
1. Soak the venison tenderloin in salt and vinegar water at least over night… (approximately ¼ cup salt and ½ cup cider vinegar in about 1 gallon of water) under refrigeration.
2. Remove loin from the soaking water and pat dry.
3. Cut all silvery sinew and fell from the loin strap.
4. Place the soaked and cleaned loin strap in a plastic zip lock bag and cover with the Kikkoman Teriyaki Roasted Garlic Marinade.
5. Marinate at least over night.
6. Remove loin from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature before you start the cooking process (about 1 to 1&1/2 hours before the cook process).
7. Place the loin strap on a greased pan and drape the loin with bacon strips to prevent drying during the cooking process.
8. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
9. Once the oven is at 500 degrees, run the loin strap in the oven and immediately reduce to oven heat to 400 degrees.
10. Bake undisturbed, uncovered for 20 to 22 minutes.
11. If the loin has a thin trailing strip fold it in on top of itself, in an attempt to create the same.   
12. Thickness of the rest of the meat strap and prevent over-cooking. 

"Some of these recipes are more tedious than others but they are all worth the effort. Once tried, your family will demand that you repeat the dish. From my kitchen to yours, happy Friday and enjoy!"
-Grandmama Dyson

Do you have a family recipe that's too good to keep to yourself? Share in the comments below!