Meat in the Wilderness - Guide to Preparing Game

GAH, Don't you hate when you do an entire thread and you accidentally click something causing you too loose the whole thing?

Here we go again.

What I am about to show are skills that every human being on this planet should have. (even if your a vegetarian or a vegan... You can't be picky while in the bush, your life depends on it.) When you are in the wilderness there is no such thing as a supermarket, no such thing as a vegetable stand, no such thing as a meat market. When in the wild there are certain skills one must attain in order to properly clean/dress and prepare their food. Important skills like field dressing a deer or cleaning a duck. What happens if you kill a pheasant? Will you know what to do? Quail? Dove? Squirrel? Rabbit? Fish of all kinds? Turtle? Snake? Raccoon? Bear? Elk? Moose? Would you know what to do?

We have been natural Hunters since the beginning of our existence. Now we have technology and supermarkets where we can get any food we want in one convenient location. Take all that away and you can no longer afford to be picky about what you eat. You have to improvise and adapt to your new environment.

This thread is dedicated to teaching you how to get meat from the wild. There will be tutorials about how to properly clean these animals and when available how to cook and prepare them.

WARNING: These videos are tutorials on how to clean wild game and as such will contain animal gore ****EXPLICIT***** Viewer Discretion is Advised.

Lets get started.

DEER and Large game

Here is a great method for field dressing a deer.

Deer are great animals. A single deer could feed an entire group of people and is an excellent choice if you are not traveling alone.

How to Field Dress a Deer

Deer, Moose, Elk, Caribou, Antelope:

Get the cleanest kill possible, head or neck is best, heart would be second choice. Bleed carcass immediately after the kill, place on a slope with head facing downhill for best drainage. Keep carcass as cool as possible before, during, and after dressing and skinning. While in the process of dressing be careful not to let the contents of the bladder or intestines come into contact with the meat. If you remove the musk gland from the hind 1/4 don't let the secretion get on your hands, knife, or meat. When skinning don't let the hairs from the musk gland come into contact with the meat. When dressed, wash the inside cavity out thoroughly with clean water and wipe dry. When dressed, clean, and dry, store in a well vented game bag or wrapped well in cheese cloth. When you skin the animal remove any hair from the carcass before it dries. Carcass should be hung in a cold locker at least 10 days to acquire the best taste. If you skin the carcass after it has aged the meat will be moister and will not turn dark. When preparing for the freezer, wrap first in saran wrap, then freezer paper, this will prevent some of the freezer burn after long storage.

When field dressing you can never stress enough the importance of leaving the internal organs in tact. There is a very large chance of bacterial contamination if done improperly. Just don't sever the intestines or the bladder! And before you even start, MAKE SURE YOUR GAME IS DEAD!

Tutorial - Field Dress to the Frying Pan

You Can also check out this website if you want to learn the No Gut Method. Link

Note these methods will also work with Elk, Moose, and Antelope. Good luck dragging a large elk or any moose back to the shelter...
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FISH

Ah yes, alone, in the wilderness, no food. BUT WAIT! There is a little pond or perhaps a slow running brook. Looks like you have found food after all!

I am going to include tutorials I've found online as to how to clean different species of fish. It would be hard for me to show you myself because that would require lots and lots of fishing to catch all the species I will cover here.

Lets start with a common type of fish. Bass are found in different variations all over the world. There is a good chance if you are fishing you will be able to catch some sort of bass.

If you do not learn any other method to clean fish at least learn this one! This is very versatile! You can clean almost any fish this way!

The great thing about bass is no matter the species they are all cleaned the same way. Plus this method also works on other species like pan fish and crappie.

How to Clean Bass

Remember this method works for Blue Gill and other Pan Fish as well!

How to Clean a Catfish

Cleaning Carp and Koi

If you don't happen to have a fishing pole on you her is another method for catching fish!

Catching Fish with Bare Hands

I'm sure you've seen the movie without a paddle. Well just so happens that method really works! You can really catch fish with a flashlight!
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BIRDS!

I couldn't find too much on cleaning quail. I will post what I have found.

Field Debreasting Quail

Cleaning Pheasant the Easy way

Cleaning Dove

As you can see with these particular species it is roughly the same to clean and de-breast them. This will also work with sage hens.

Duck however is a bit different.

Butchering and Cleaning Duck

How about a Turkey!

Cleaning a Wild Turkey

Duck, Goose, Turkey, Pheasant:

Shoot your birds at a distance that will not tear up the meat but obtain a clean kill. Clean and dress your birds as soon as possible after the kill. Some people like to take the easy way out by skinning instead of plucking, the bird will be much more juicy and flavorful if you leave the skin on. For easier removal (not recommended by me) place the bird in scalding water for about 30 seconds, then remove feathers. Pull the feathers out in the direction they grow to prevent the skin from tearing. The smaller pinfeathers can be removed singeing them off with a torch or holding over the flame of your stove. When dressing be careful not to break the gall bag attached to the liver. Save the liver, heart, gizzard, and neck for broth or an extra treat. Soak birds overnight in a non metallic container with a mixture of 1 gallon water, 1/4 cup salt, and 2 tablespoons baking soda. Larger, older birds can be parboiled to tenderize. To parboil place in a large pot of boiling water with 1 tablespoon salt, cover and boil until tender, be careful not to overcook. If you are going to store in the freezer for any length of time it is best to piece the bird out and freeze in a plastic container filled with water with a tightly sealed lid.

Chuckar,Grouse, Quail, Dove, Partridge, Pigeon

Shoot your birds at a distance that will not tear up the meat but obtain a clean kill. Clean and dress your birds as soon as possible after the kill. Some people like to take the easy way out by skinning instead of plucking, the bird will be much more juicy and flavorful if you leave the skin on. If you are going to store in the freezer for any length of time it is best to freeze in a plastic container filled with water with a tightly sealed lid.

Crow:

Shoot your birds at a distance that will not tear up the meat but obtain a clean kill. Clean and dress your birds as soon as possible after the kill. Clean, and cut out the breast, discard the rest of the bird. Soak breasts overnight in a non metallic container with a mixture of 1 gallon water, 1/4 cup salt, and 1 teaspoon garlic juice. If you are going to store in the freezer for any length of time it is best to freeze in a plastic container filled with water with a tightly sealed lid.

Source
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Small Game

In case you cant find traditional game there's always the option of small mammals and reptiles.

We will start with Rabbit because those waskaly wabbits are literally everywhere!

Cleaning Rabbit

Rabbit Skinning and Gutting

Squirrels

Squirrel Skinning

For the gutting process all it takes is an incision from the pelvic area to the rib cage. Remove innards but be careful not to sever organs. Be sure to remove the heart and lungs as well!

Here is a Turtle, now this tutorial isn't live action because cleaning a turtle is pretty gruesome.

Cleaning a Snapping Turtle

Turtle:

Keep your turtle alive until you are ready to dress him out. Pull the head out of the shell with a pair of pliers then cut off with a sharp knife. Hang the turtle by his tail or rear legs to bleed for 45 minutes. Prepare a pot of boiling water large enough to accommodate the turtle, dip turtle and boil for at least 5 minutes, remove and let cool. Remove shell and guts, be careful not to rupture the gall bag. Skin the neck, legs, and tail. Place meat in 1 gallon water with 2 tablespoons baking soda and 4 tablespoons salt, refrigerate overnight before preparing.

Rattle Snake (best I could find)

Cont....

[edit on 25-9-2009 by DaMod]

OUTSTANDING

Now just include some yummy recipes that YOU have tried and we are all set...

Semper

reply to post by semperfortis


Getting there, notice it said cont... no time to finish it now, gonna have to wait till i get home. I will be sure to include some recipes that I have tried as well.


[edit on 25-9-2009 by DaMod]

Great thread! Wish I could get my wife to clean some of the kills. If the SHTF I'm going to have to be the hunter, the butcher, and the cook.

Theres a few good videos on a thread i started a while back....

Tutorials on field dressing game

These are skills everyone should learn, otherwise many people will starve very quickly if things ever turned bad.

Then gain, i hope theres enough game out there, as everyone seems intent on heading for the nearest deer if the SHTF lol.

Good thread.

CX.

great thread, hope many find this useful.

Normal every day life here, hunting season rolls around our kitchen turns into a meat processing plant.

awating to see the recipe's. May be some i have not tryed yet.

another idea may be for people to cut the meat in big chunks, roast size, if you have a cast iron pot, you can throw that in, put it over the fire, drop in some veggies after a while and let the stew cook without having a lot of actual cook time.. check on it once in a while, stoke the fire and come dinner time you are set.

Draw back, big critters (bear etc) will smell it cooking , as well as other humans. I dont know about you, but i cant resist a big bowl of Elk or Moose or even deer stew. Some good eatin i tell ya.


I do like that for big game it says "Head or neck shot" so many see on tv where they pratice the heart shot, sure it works and some times thats all you can get, but head or neck shot and you dont have to chase your dinner down. That shot came around from all the trophy hunters who dont want to harm the head so they can have it mounted on the wall. I prefer the head or neck shot, drop it where it stands and no worry's about tracking it.

[edit on 25-9-2009 by severdsoul]

APPLAUSE!!! Sorry, i cant. But if I could....nice job, This is thoroughly
done DaMod. Thanks. Kudos to CX for his earlier thread too.

I'm glad you both had the guts to make these threads. This is
such important information to know. Imagine the disappointment
if you were in a survival situation starving for days, you finally
kill a deer and...........
crap! I busted the intestines and bladder and spoiled half the meat!

It happens more often than you think. Not only is it wasteful, it is
disrespectful of the animal whose life you have just taken. S&F,
outstanding!

I decided now would be a good time to finish this one up.

I ran out of characters for the OP so I'll just pick up right where I left off with small game.

Small Game Cont......

Raccoon

Raccoon should always be killed with a shot in the head. After you make the shot immediately cut the jugular vein and let it bleed out. There are glands under the front legs, be sure to remove them before you even start dressing. Also remove the fleshy part near the rear legs. Remove as much fat as possible. Gut the animal. Cut off the head, remove the tail and feet. If you have water around rinse the animal off and then submerge in salty water. Be sure to add a little bit of baking soda to the water as well. Refrigerate overnight.

Possum:

As always start with a clean kill to the head. Possum are best when taken in the winter months. Cut the jugular vein and hang by tail immediately after the kill. Keep cool until ready to dress. Scald in boiling water with 1/2 cup lime until the hair has loosened, "about 30 seconds." With a trowel or large dull knife, scrape the hair from the carcass. Remove musk glands from under front legs, gut, remove head, tail, and feet, rinse well. In a non metallic container mix 2 gallons water with 5 tablespoons baking soda and 1/2 cup salt. Completely submerge possum in brine, refrigerate overnight. If you are going to store in the freezer for any length of time it is best to freeze in a plastic container filled with water with a tightly sealed lid.

Source

For Groundhogs and Muskrat follow coon instructions.

Frog:

When gigging frogs, stick them in the head or back to preserve the meat on the legs. In warmer temperatures keep your frogs in a ice chest with a chunk of block ice. In cooler temperatures just throw them in a vented container. You can dress them in the field or when you get home, "they will still be alive." Skin and remove the legs. Soak them covered with milk for about 2 hours in a non metallic container before cooking.

Source

Also Here is a great site for learning to Dress Small Game.

Link to Site

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Predators

With this part, I'm going to go double sided. I will provide information as to how to clean and prepare predators and will also post information as to protect yourself from them.

Coyotes.

They are tasty... I guess... not really.... I wouldn't eat a Coyote. However you could use the coat to keep warm i guess....

Skinning a Coyote

Unfortunately I cant find any information on how to clean a Wolf. I will say this, be wary of wolf and coyote packs.

How to Field Dress a Bear

Bleed The Animal
A heart-lung shot usually provides adequate bleeding. However, to ensure bleeding, insert a sharp knife into the shallow cavity at the base of the throat and slice across the main blood vessels with a wide and deep, crosswise cut. This opens the jugular veins that run from the heart to the head. Since the animal is dead, blood flow is by gravity. Allow the blood to flow away from the animal, clearing the ground when necessary.

Preparatory Skin Cuts, Throat to Anus
Starting at the breastbone, just below the rib cage, use a sharp knife cutting the skin in a straight line to the neck and base of the jaw. Complete the process by cutting through the muscles to the bone of the ribcage and higher, exposing the windpipe and gullet.

Cut the skin from the base of the ribs downward over the middle of the belly, in a straight line, to the anus, taking care to cut around the genitals slightly. The genitals must be left on one hind quarter in Ontario, for sex identification. Once these cuts are done, prepare to eviscerate the animal.

Break the Breastbone
With the breastbone exposed, use two axes to cut through the breastbone. Use your sharpest axe as the cutting tool, the second as a hammer, driving the cutter from the base of the ribcage, up the middle of the breastbone, through the top ribs. As the cut enlarges, pull the front legs apart opening the chest cavity.

Sever the Wind Pipe and Gullet from the Head
With the chest cavity open, sever the windpipe and gullet as close to the head as possible, pulling it clear of the carcass, cutting where necessary. When free of the neck, lay in the chest cavity.

Open the Abdomen to the Anus
With the chest spread open, and the neck area clean, move to opening the abdomen. From the base of the ribcage, carefully cut through the abdominal muscles, exposing the stomach and intestines, without puncturing them. Have your partners spread the abdomen to open the area for easy work.

As you approach the pelvic area, take precautions to avoid cutting the bladder. Cut through the muscles to the pelvic bone, exposing it for the next procedure.

Split the Pelvic Bone
Starting at the top of the pelvis (closest to the abdomen), using the two axe method described above, split the pelvic bone, taking care to stay clear of the genitals. Avoid cutting the urinary tract, which could release urine, tainting the meat.

Cut the Diaphragm from the Cavity Wall
This procedure is one that requires patience and care. You must start at on side of the chest cavity near the base of the ribs cutting the diaphragm at the chest cavity wall. As you move deeper into the cavity, you may need help from a few hands to pull the organs to one side so that you have rooms to see and cut. Cut as far back along the cavity wall as is possible. Switch to the other side of the chest cavity, repeating the actions. Most likely, some of the diaphragm will remain attached. Leave the remainder for later.

Free the Anus and Bladder
The most important procedure is the separation of the anus from the carcass and the pelvic area. Extreme care must be taken not to cut the intestines and the urinary tract, which could taint the meat. At the opened pelvic bone, use a sharp knife to make cuts to free the large intestine and rectum from the pelvic area. Extra hands are helpful to pull the organs to one side or the other to clear the working area. Proceed until working in this area until the rectum meets the muscle tissue near the anus.

At the base of the tail, use a sharp knife to cut a circle the skin about one or two inches from the anus. Once completed, use the knife to cut through the muscle tissue to the inside of the pelvic bone, towards the top of the pelvic bone, to free the anus and rectum. At times, you may have to work both from the anus area and from the opening of the split pelvis to free the organs. Once free, pull and hold the anus, rectum and lower intestine free of the cavity

Roll Out The Abdominal Organs with Anus Attached
With the Anus and Rectum free and held clear, slightly roll the carcass to the lower ground, and allow the intestines and the stomach to fall to the prepared ground.

Remove the Neck and Chest Cavity Organs
Grasp the windpipe from the chest cavity, and pull the heart and lungs out toward the entrails on the ground. Cut the remaining tissue holding the diaphragm to the back of the chest wall freeing the organs from the carcass. Allow any blood to flow from the cavity. Roll the carcass to drain as much blood as possible.

Clean the Body Cavity
Now that the body cavity is clear of organs, use absorbent material to wipe it clean. This can be cloth rags you have prepared in your hunting pack, or clean grass, moss, or leaves at the site. Avoid using water in the process, which may contain soil or bacteria which could lead to spoiling you meat. A carcass cavity wiped of blood this way will seal the meat with a thin film of body fluids that dry quickly. Using water dilutes this fluid, and introduces unnecessary microbes and creates an environment for bacterial growth.

Cont...

Prepare the Carcass for Cooling, Quartering, or Transport
Repeating the introductory note at the beginning, cooling the carcass is a first priority. Depending or the time available to you, and the weather conditions you may decide to move directly to transporting your animal whole, quartering, it for transport, or leaving it to cool some hours. Quartering and transport is covered later. Here, the focus is preparation for cooling, should you decide to leave the carcass for some hours.

The assumption is that the temperature is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Should the temperature be higher, seriously consider transporting your meat to your camp or butchering facility for hanging and cooling immediately.

Depending on the size of the animal, cooling can present you with several problems. A large animal cools more slowly than a small animal, because the mass involved and the surface area of the animal. A rabbit cools in minutes, a moose, in hours.

Efficient cooling is a matter of air circulation, a transfer of heat from the surfaces of the carcass to the air, and away. Leaving the animal in a heap risks meat spoilage, in violation of most provincial and state game regulation. Attempt to provide as much air flow around and through the carcass as is humanly possible. The most effective strategy is hanging a quartered carcass, thereby increasing surface area and air circulation to a maximum.

The next best approach is hanging the entire animal. This may not be possible, depending on the help, materials and tools available at the field dressing site. Failing these first two methods, the next alternative is to provide free air circulation between the ground and the carcass, laying on its back, the body cavity open but protected from possible rain or snow.

Provide air circulation by placing the carcass (with a moose, rolling the carcass) on logs or some similar supporting material. Ensure free air circulation by providing several supports along the backbone area, so that the animal is indeed off the ground. Ensure it will not roll by tying off the legs to surrounding trees or other anchors. If direct sun, rain or snow is a high, probability protect the moose by placing a framework of spruce, balsam or pine boughs above the carcass, leaving at least six inches of free space for air travel.

At lower temperatures, if the next hours are not expected to be warmer and when snow is on the ground, it may not be necessary to lift the animal. Only after you have made provisions for cooling can you take some time to rest and celebrate in what can be called recreational celebration.

Additional Notes and Generalizations
A small field saw, such as the Browning Folding Saw might be used for splitting the pelvic bone and the breastbone.

For animals that are smaller than the moose, for example deer and bear, the breastbone and the pelvic bone might be able to be split with the knife alone. Any sharp quality hunting knife with a five to seven inch blade is adequate for moose, as well as smaller game.

Effective hunting axes are those with a sharp two and one-half pound head, with handles 24 to 26 inches in length.

Four 15 foot lengths of 3/8 inch ropes allow stabilizing and tying off the legs while field dressing or carrying quarters.

Source

Cont...

Ok now it's time for the Tasty Recipes!!

First the basics

How about some Deer Jerky

Take clean cut deer!

place in 2 cups warm water
4 teaspoons of garlic salt
3 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
4 teaspoons red cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons blackpepper
4 teaspoons of salt

1. mix well
2. place in cool place over night
3. pat dry in morning
4. place in dehydrator until jerkey is done

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OK now for the good stuff.

DEER CORDON BLEU

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. deer loin or round (1/4 inch thick)
1/2 lb. ham (thin sliced)
1/2 lb. shredded cheese (Swiss, American or Cheddar)
1 c. flour
1 egg
3/4 c. milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
Cracker crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying

Pound deer with meat mallet until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut tenderized meat into 5 or 6 inch squares. Cut ham slices to fit inside edges of deer meat. Put about 2 tablespoons cheese on ham. Roll deer (keeping ham and cheese inside). Fold in edges of deer while rolling to seal cheese.

Make a batter by mixing the flour, milk, egg, salt and pepper. Beat until smooth. Dip rolls in batter. Coat with cracker crumbs. Deep fry at 365 to 370 degrees until golden brown. Drain on a rack.

Source

My Wife made this just this year, was absolutely fantastic!!!

Deer and Sausage

1 lb. ground deer
1 lb. sausage
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. cayenne
2 c. water
2 c. cornmeal
2 c. milk

In a large skillet heat sausage over low heat breaking it apart with spoon or spatula. Add ground deer and seasonings. Stir. Break up ground deer and sausage until meat is in small pieces, do not fry meat! Add water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sausage and deer are done. Stir in milk.

Over medium heat, add cornmeal slowly, stirring constantly. Bring just to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 25 to 30 minutes or until thick. Pour into greased loaf pan, chill until firm. Slice into 1/4 or 1/2 inch slices. Dredge in cornmeal. Fry over medium heat in bacon grease or cooking oil until lightly browned on both sides.

Another winner. Trust me it freaking rocks!

I don't remember the source.. I cut and pasted it in a word processor file so I have no idea where this one came from.
_________________________________________________________

Antelope

I soak in water for a good 20 mins and then in milk for another 20. Ive found antelope is really good in spicy dishes. I find it best with a salt rub before preparing.

Again I don't have a source for these since they are a copy and paste from word. I've tried all but one of these. And they where very good.

GRILLED ANTELOPE WITH SWEET POTATO COINS AND SPAGHETTI SQUASH

For the Grilled Antelope:
Two six- to eight-ounce fillets of black buck antelope tenderloin (LaSalle Grill's supplier is Broken Arrow Ranch, Texas), or two six- to eight-ounce ostrich upper thigh fillets
One clove garlic, sliced
One tablespoon Dijon mustard
One cup dry sherry
Two tablespoons soy sauce
One cup water
Kosher salt and fresh coarsely ground black pepper

Combine garlic, mustard, sherry, soy sauce and water. Place antelope fillets in this marinade and refrigerate for six hours. Remove fillets from marinade and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Grill over wood chips or, preferably, over a hard wood fire. Cook about two minutes on each side, or to medium rare. ("I recommend medium rare because if you cook it longer it gets chewy.") Remove from grill and let rest 10 minutes. Place back in fire for another minute on each side--just enough to warm it again. Cut against the meat grain into very thin slices--about one-sixteenth of an inch.

Sweet Potato Coins
One large sweet potato, sliced into one-inch coins
One-half cup Bourbon
Three tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix Bourbon and brown sugar. Place sweet potatoes in lightly greased pan and baste with a little of the Bourbon-brown sugar sauce. Place in oven; baste the coins every five minutes for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside sweet potatoes. Keep the remaining sauce from the pan.

Spaghetti Squash
One whole spaghetti squash, split
Two tablespoons butter
Salt
Pepper
Chives for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat entire squash with butter, and season pulp with salt and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven; set aside.

To Serve:
Arrange three sweet potato coins on plate. Place slices of antelope in a fan shape on top of or next to the coins. Using a fork, twirl some of the spaghetti squash "noodles" into a spiral shape and place on the sliced antelope; garnish squash in center with two chives. Reheat the Bourbon basting sauce (if needed) and drizzle on top of antelope and vegetables. Serve.

Yield: Two servings


*Antelope or Venison Medallions with Brown Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Marinade:
2 tablespoons B and B liqueur
1 tablespoon light olive oil with a dash of toasted sesame oil
1 small shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/8 teshtmloon freshly ground sea salt
1/8 teshtmloon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:
1 small shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup beef stock
2 tablespoons sour cream
¼ cup B and B liqueur

Directions:

Marinade:
In a medium bowl combine all the marinade ingredients, place the meat in the marinade, and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
Pour the oil into a heavy-based skillet on medium heat. Lift the meat from the marinade and dry well with paper towel. Place the meat in the pan and sear the medallions for about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan.

Sauce:
In the same heavy-based skillet on medium heat, fry the shallot and garlic for 2 minutes. Return the medallions to the pan, add the liqueur, and flambé. When the flames have subsided, remove the meat and keep warm n the oven. To the same skillet, add the stock, increase the heat to high. And boil until it is reduced to about ¾ cup, about 5 minutes. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of the reduced stock into the sour cream, then stir the mixture into the hot sauce. Keep warm but do not boil.
Pool the sauce onto warm plates and place 2 medallions in each pool


*Orange Antelope Chops

8 antelope chops or medallions or filets
1 1/4 cups orange marmalade
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1 clove garlic (minced)

Mix all ingredients except chops in a saucepan over low heat until marmalade melts. Broil chops until done turning once. While broiling, brush sauce over both sides to keep the meat moist. If antelope is overcooked, it becomes unpalatably dry. Be sure to use all of your sauce in basting


ENJOY

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Small Game

TURTLE SOUP.. MY FAV!!!

10 ounces (2-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 pound turtle meat, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup minced celery (4 stalks)
2 medium onions, minced (2 medium)
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic, minced
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 cups tomato purée
1 quart beef stock


NOTE: If turtle bones are available, add them to the beef bones when making the stock for this dish


Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, as needed
1/2 cup lemon juice
5 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced parsley
6 teaspoons dry sherry

Melt 8 ounces (2 sticks) butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the flour and cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until the roux is light brown. Set aside.

In a 5-quart saucepan, melt the remaining butter and add turtle meat. Cook over high heat until the meat is brown. Add celery, onions, garlic and seasonings, and cook until the vegetables are transparent.

Add tomato purée, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the stock and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the roux and cook over low heat, stirring, until the soup is smooth and thickened. Correct seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Add lemon juice, eggs and parsley.

Remove from heat and serve. At the table, add 1 teaspoon sherry to each soup plate.

Love turtle soup! This is my Grandfather's Recipe! You are sure to love it!

There are many different variations. This is the one I use.

__________________________________________________

Frog Legs.

FRIED FROG LEGS!

I know. I know, but believe it or not frog legs are delicious! They really are.

6 frogs legs
salt and pepper
lemon juice
1 egg
cracker crumbs

Skin frogs legs, wash in cold water, then dry legs.

Season with salt and pepper and lemon juice.

Beat the eggs; add seasonings and dip the legs in beaten egg.

Roll legs in cracker crumbs and fry in deep fat at 390°F for 2 or 3 minutes.

And easy to make.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'll add some more later. Gotta find my grandfather's cook book. All kinds of good stuff in there.

Great Thread....Great Info.....Thank YOU!

I haven't been hunting in years, and when I was young, we took all of our stuff to a Processor, but I want to teach my two young boys to do this the hard way, where we process beginning to end!

I will be spending more time with these videos when I get home. Thanks again!!

Great stuff DaMod.. will keep this info handy.

reply to post by ATSecretAgent


Thanks I'm glad you enjoy it... I'm also glad you brought my thread back to life

reply to post by DaMod


lol.. nothing worse than premature death.

Learn how to smoke meat.

In a survival situation smoking meat may be the only way to preserve the meat.

In some areas drying does not work and the meat will spoil before in dries. wet climates.

Smoking will work just about anyplace.
www.theingredientstore.com...

Originally posted by ANNED
Learn how to smoke meat.

In a survival situation smoking meat may be the only way to preserve the meat.

In some areas drying does not work and the meat will spoil before in dries. wet climates.

Smoking will work just about anyplace.
www.theingredientstore.com...

Actually, there are 5 ways to preserve meat:

1. Heat

2. Smoke

3. Salt

4. Sugar

5. Vinegar / Brine

It's best to use 2 or more methods at once, i.e salted and brined (what is technically known as a "city-cured" ham; what you find in the grocery; even if it says "country ham" on the label.) Or smoke and sugar (country ham). Or heat and brine (potted meat in a can).

In my personal opinion, a thread on preserving meat might be quite timely. I mean, dressing game is important in order to use the kill efficiently. On the other hand, if you do a sloppy job of it, you've simply "made soup."

Preserving, on the other hand, will be critical. You probably won't get enough game to feed yourself regularly without preserving every bit of the kill.

One more thing.

I see no mention of pig.

Pork will be a key consideration as the feral hog population spreads across the south and western USA. And in my state (like most with feral hogs) there is no closed season, since they are seen as a pest. Thus, you could hunt hog and help the local deer population, and be unregulated.

Genuine country bacon (not cured with brine, but with sugar and smoke) doesn't need refrigeration

Ok then Wild Hog

*****Explicit***** Warning.. The following videos contain a tutorial on dressing and cleaning a wild hog and as such will contain animal gore... Viewer Discretion is Advised..

Bump so it is with my 2nd installment.

Shameless... yes...i am