Category: Recipes

Ingredients:

• 2 venison ball roasts (remove white/silver connective tissue that surrounds the “ball”)
• 1 large bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
• 32 oz. carton beef broth
• 12 oz. dark cola

Directions:

Put all ingredients into the Crock-Pot and cook on low for 10 – 12 hours. (This recipe is so forgiving that longer cooking will only add more tenderness.)
Remove the meat to a cutting board and coarsely chop.
If you like “wet” BBQ slowly add and stir the cooking liquid into the chopped meat suitable to your preference.
If you like a stronger BBQ flavor, add bottled BBQ sauce to the chopped meat.

Easy bonus meal: Make a BBQ soup from the remaining “broth” in the Crock-Pot. Add whatever veggies you want to the base to make your own tasty soup! I usually add a bag of frozen mixed vegetables, 1/2 cup frozen diced onion, 2-3 14.5 oz. can broth, 2-3 can diced tomatoes, a 1/2 tsp of garlic powder and 1 cup chopped venison. Cook until the vegetables are tender.

Ingredients:

• 1 (3 to 4 pounds) venison roast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion wedges
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 large carton beef or chicken broth

Directions:

Place venison roast in lightly oiled slow cooker/crock pot. Add remaining ingredients. If there isn’t enough liquid to cover the roast, add water or additional broth. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Remove and discard the bay leaves before serving.

Note: You can easily add sliced carrots and potatoes on top of the roast to cook along with the meat. If you do this – drizzle a little olive oil on them along with a light sprinkle of salt, pepper, and very light sprinkle of garlic powder.

Ingredients:

1. Dale’s Steak Sauce, ½ cup
2. Lemon Pepper Seasoning, 1 tsp.
3. Minced Garlic, 2 -3 heaping TBS
4. Basil, 1 TBS dried or ¼ cup fresh minced
5. Vegetable or Olive Oil, 1/3 cup
6. Lemon Juice, ½ cup
7. Oregano, 1 TBS
8. Salt (optional), ½ tsp.
9. Worcestershire Sauce (optional) 1 TBS

Directions:

Marinate the meat for 24 to 36 hours in the refrigerator, turning the meat several times during the process.
Broil the marinated loin in the oven or grill it over a low flame.
Let the meat rest for five to ten minutes before slicing.

Note: This is a basic recipe. I have added things to it and taken some away over the years to arrive at the right combination. Do your own trial and error to see what you like.

Ingredients:

Breast from a wild turkey
32 oz chicken broth (or enough to almost cover)
1 large can (28 oz) diced tomatoes (fire roasted or Rotel tomatoes to add an extra “zing”)
1 large can (29 oz) green chili enchilada sauce
1 4 oz can chopped green chilies
2 ½ tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder (or to taste)
2 cloves finely diced garlic
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 medium onion and 1 medium green pepper chopped (can substitute a bag of frozen pepper/onion mix)
1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables (or 1 can corn, 1 can lima beans or green peas, 1 can green beans)
Cayenne or red pepper to taste
Black pepper

Directions:

Cook for 6 to 8 hours on low in Crockpot.
For a little more southwestern flavor before serving add 1/4 cup lime juice and 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (cilantro is optional – some folks don’t care for it).
Serve with shredded Colby-Jack cheese and traditional taco or burrito toppings of shredded lettuce, fresh chopped tomatoes, onions, refried beans, salsa, tortillas and/or tortilla chips.

Note: One full turkey breast makes A LOT of food. We have it for several meals and also freeze portion sizes of it to have on hand for a quick future meal.

I really enjoy antlers. I think this is natural. The number of antlers painted on caves, cliffs, etc., around the world seems to support that man has always enjoyed antlers!

It’s important to remember that the meat and not the antlers is what sustained those folks that drew antlers on the caves and cliffs 1,000’s of years ago. My family consumes 10+ deer a year – mainly does. My entire family helps in the process of obtaining and preparing venison. Both of my daughters, Raleigh and Rae (ages 14 and 11) hunt. Tracy, my wife, helps process the venison.

My family hunts, processes and consumes 10+ deer a year – mainly does.

We skin, debone, trim off all connective tissue, remove lymph nodes, etc., and then use a vacuum sealer to package the meat before placing it in the freezer.

IF you have any doubt about the quality of venison, the Mayo Clinic says…

“In general, wild game is leaner than domesticated animals, because animals in the wild are typically more active. In comparison to lean cuts of beef and pork, game meat has about one-third fewer calories (game birds have about half the calories) and quite a bit less saturated and total fat. Cholesterol for wild and domestic meat ranges from 50 to 75 milligrams for a 3-ounce serving — with wild game tending to be in the lower end of the range.”

I enjoy improving the habitat on my farm and helping others improve their wildlife habitat and hunting by sharing tips and techniques on GrowingDeer.tv. I really enjoy antlers and managing to allow bucks to live to maturity and express most of their antler growth potential.

Even during prime hunting I rarely pass a doe unless there’s plenty of venison in our freezer as the real reason I hunt is to provide for my family while enjoying and partaking in Creation through an activity that’s as old as the drawings on caves and cliffs around the world.

What’s in your freezer?

Growing Deer together,

Grant

Ingredients:

2 15 to 16 ounce cans hominy, drained
3 10 ounce cans green enchilada sauce
2 15 ounce cans chicken broth
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 pound boneless venison roast
2 to 4 strips uncooked bacon
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Serve with: warm flour tortillas and salsa

Directions:

Mix all ingredients except venison, bacon, cilantro, lime juice, tortillas and salsa in a 4 quart or larger slow cooker.
Add venison that has been wrapped in bacon strips; spoon hominy mixture over top.
Cover and cook on low 7 to 9 hours or until venison is tender.
Remove venison to a cutting board.
Stir cilantro and lime juice into mixture in slow cooker.
Shred venison in bite size pieces; return to slow cooker.

To serve: Ladle into soup bowls. Serve with or rolled up in, flour tortillas. Accompany with salsa.

Ingredients:

3 10 ounce cans green enchilada sauce
15 – 30 ounces chicken broth (enough to cover turkey breast)
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 turkey breast (2 lbs or larger)
2 to 3 strips uncooked bacon
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional; to taste)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Warm flour tortillas, optional
Salsa, optional

Directions:
Mix all ingredients except turkey, uncooked bacon, cilantro, lime juice, tortillas and salsa in a 4 quart or larger slow cooker.
Add turkey wrapped in bacon strips.
Cover and cook on low 7 to 9 hours or until turkey is tender.
Remove turkey to a cutting board.
Stir cilantro and lime juice into mixture in slow cooker.
Shred turkey in bite size pieces; return to slow cooker.
Can be served as a soup/stew
OR
Use a slotted spoon to separate meat from liquid and serve burrito/taco style rolled up in flour tortillas with your choice of toppings: cheese, sour cream, shredded lettuce, or salsa.

Note: If you choose to use the meat for a burrito/taco the remaining liquid makes a base for Mexican soup!

Ingredients:

4 squirrels (skinned and cleaned)
3 or 4 15 oz. cans chicken broth
1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbs. butter
1 carrot, chopped & diced
1 stalk celery, chopped & diced
Salt & Pepper to taste

Dumpling Ingredients:

One package Anne’s Frozen Dumplings

OR

1 package egg noodles

OR

Make your own using this recipe:

3 cups flour, double sifted
¾ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
4 ½  Tbs. shortening
1 cup milk

Instructions:

Cook the squirrels, garlic, onion, carrot, celery, butter, with chicken broth and water (if needed to cover the squirrels) in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours. Remove the squirrels from the broth mixture. When cool enough to touch separate the meat from the bones. Transfer broth mixture to a large pot on the stove and bring to a low, gentle boil/simmer. Add the noodles and cook as directed on the package. Sometimes you will not use a whole package if your broth has cooked down. Use your best judgment in how much of the noodles to add. Once noodles have softened add the squirrel meat and enjoy!

If you don’t have a slow cooker then cook the squirrels with the ingredients noted above in a large pot on the stove. Bring the squirrels to a boil then reduce the heat and cook on low for about 1 ½ hours. Remove the squirrels from the broth mixture, let them cool, then separate meat from the bones. Bring the broth mixture back to a low, gentle boil/simmer.  Cook as directed above.

Dumpling Instructions:

In a bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Cut the shortening into the flour mixture using a pastry blender (or a fork or your fingers – whatever you have available) until it looks like small peas.

Slowly add the milk to the flour mixture, about ¼ cup of milk at a time. Stir the milk into the flour before adding more. Stir until a ball of dough forms (you may not need all the milk – use your judgment). Do not over-mix. Roll the dough out on a floured surface with a rolling pin until the dough is about ¼ inch. Cut the dough into rectangles that are about 1 inch by 3 inch in size. Set aside on wax paper for about 30 minutes to “firm up.” Add dumplings to recipe as noted above. Reduce the heat and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes until dumplings are tender. Do not stir dumplings – you might gently tilt the pan to keep them from sticking but it is better to let the gentle boil keep them moving.