INGREDIENTS:
Chef Myron’s 20 Gauge Wild Game & Fish Sauce
Venison (deer meat)
shoulder or round (thigh) muscle
pork fat
(about ½ C. bacon or salt pork/2 lbs meat)
red wine (or beer)
American Stew Onions, carrots, celery (including some leaf) all coarsely chopped, cut potatoes, chopped Italian Broadleaf Parsely. (Options: other fresh herbs; thyme, rosemary etc.) Beer, 20 GA. Garnish: Parsely. Serve with: good bread & butter and a salad.
Daube
Minced Shallots, carrots, celery and garlic, wild (or not) mushrooms, bay leaf, orange peel, thyme, bay leaf, cinnamon, 20 GA, red wine. Serve with: polenta or buttered egg noodles.
Cacciatora
Onions, sweet red peppers, minced garlic, Portabella mushrooms, canned or fresh plum tomatoes, 20 GA, red wine, chopped broadleaf parsley, anchovie, lemon zest, capers. Serve with: polenta or pasta
Chili
Onions, garlic, Ancho or Pasilla peppers, cumin, oregano, beer, 20 GA, salt & pepper. Garnish: chopped onions, jack or yellow cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro, chopped jalapenos.
Serve with: Tortillas, refried beans, Mexican rice.
4 PRINCIPAL INGREDIENTS,
1 TECHNIQUE,
4 DELICIOUS ETHNIC DISHES!
The Dishes: Authentic Mexican Chili con Carne, American Stew, French Daube Provencal & Cacciatora de Capriolo Gremalata (Cacciatore; Italian for hunter, Cacciatora means hunter’s style or rustic).
The Technique is braising (also called stewing, slow cooking, crock potting etc.). Simply put it involves cutting up the tougher cuts of the deer into chunks, marinating, dredging with flour, searing in fat, addition of other ingredients and cooking liquid, covering and slow simmering until done.
The Rant:
DON’T TURN YOUR DEER INTO BACKSTRAP STEAKS AND BURGER!
LEAVE LEG AND SHOULDER MUSCLES WHOLE WHEN FREEZING.
PRACTICE “MIS EN PLACE”: PRE PREP ALL OF YOUR INGREDIENTS AND HAVE READY IN BOWLS ETC.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Defrost meat as needed, Cut up into larger than bite sized (2” X ½”) strips while meat is still a bit frozen. Place in a glass or stainless bowl or zip lock with enough MYRON’S 20 GAUGE WILD GAME & FISH SAUCE to coat all meat. Allow to completely defrost in marinade. Depending on age of animal and particular muscle, marinate from 2 hrs to overnight. (Use more 20 GA if the animal was an older, tougher one).
Render minced bacon or salt pork in large heavy pot under med. Heat. Fry until “cracklins” (called “scrunchins” in Newfoundland), turn golden. Remove cracklins. Get fat almost smokin’.
Put a cup of white flour in a large bowl, dust one piece at a time and add carefully to the fat. Don’t crowd the pot and let them brown up, shaking the pot and using tongs or spatula to turn and to keep meat from sticking. Remove from pan back to bowl. Leave the brown stuff on the bottom (its called “fond”) there. Add ingredients specified in recipes below.
Please note that I have not specified measured quantities for most ingredients. Cook without fear. This is where you get to be the chef!
Process: Add a bit more oil or fat to the pot if necessary. At medium heat, add all chopped, sliced or pureed vegetables to the pot and sauté until limp and slightly caramelized (light brown). Sprinkle and toss with a Tbs or 2 of flour if thickened gravy is desired. Add 20 GA and scrape the bottom with a spatula to get the fond into the mix. Add the meat back in. Add spices, herbs, seasonings and wine or beer just enough to cover meat. Cover and reduce to simmer. Simmer SLOWLY (a few bubbles at any one time), for several hours until meat is tender. All of these dishes taste even better when allowed to sit overnight in the fridge and served the next day.
NOTES & FINISHING:
Stew: Make sure to leave some of the leaves chopped with the celery. Cut carrots to your own preference. Cook half the parsley in the stew. Try Guinness Stout for a heartier version. Adjust seasonings after cooking. Add the potatoes cut into 3/4” an hour before serving. Serve in bowls garnished with remaining parsley, a nice salad, bread and butter.
Daube: Go light on the cinnamon. Remove the orange peel pieces. Serve in bowls garnished with parsley, nice crusty French bread with extra virgin olive oil to dip in and buttered egg noodles.
Cacciatore: Cut peppers, onions and mushrooms in large pieces or slices rather than chopped. (Remember it is a rustic country style dish). Go light on the tomatoes and smush them between your fingers to break them up. “Gremalata” (typical Northern Italian) garnish: Finely mince parsley, garlic, capers and anchovies. Make 1 Tsp lemon zest on course side of grater and mix in. Sprinkle on cacciatore just before serving. Serve with polenta (cornmeal porridge), risotto, gnocchi or ziti.
Chili: Real Mexican chili does NOT have any tomatoes and beans in it. Puree the onions, garlic and fresh or dried chilis in blender or processor. Fry in the fat for a few min. before adding 20 GA & meat and seasonings. (You can add some commercial chili powder too). Serve garnished with cilantro and bowls of “shoestring” grated cheese, finely chopped onions, shredded lettuce, chopped jalapenos and sour cream for guests to garnish their own. If you don’t have fresh tortillas, serve with a good crusty bread.
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