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Stacy Harris

Squirrel Recipe: Brunswick Stew

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This squirrel recipe from Stacy Harris for Brunswick stew makes for a delicious meal no matter the time of year.

Brunswick-Stew-Squirrel-RecipeAs explained in a previous post on squirrel hunting, it's time to rethink these ubiquitous rodents. They're numerous, they have a mild taste and they're on pace with the cockroach to thrive in almost any environment.

Still, there's plenty of stigma about eating squirrels. Forget about that noise. One bite of this stew from Stacy Harris and you'll be convinced. It won't take the SHTF for you to start eating squirrels.

Ingredients: Brunswick Stew Recipe

3-4 squirrels (about 12 oz.) dressed and cut into ½ inch cubes
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
½ cup olive oil
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup bell pepper, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup corn
1 pint homemade canned tomatoes or 1 14 oz. can of tomatoes
1/2 cup turnips, diced
1 cup Yukon gold potatoes, diced
2 teaspoons rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 cup okra cut into 1/2–inch pieces
3 cups chicken stock
Lemon juice

Instructions: Brunswick Stew Recipe

In a large bowl, mix flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Place squirrel in bowl with flour mixture and coat thoroughly.

In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil until almost smoking. Sauté squirrel in batches. Remove squirrel and set aside.

Add celery, onions, bell pepper, carrots and garlic to the pot. Add more olive oil for sautéing if needed. Cook until vegetables are translucent over medium heat. Add remaining tablespoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Add corn, tomatoes, turnips, Yukon gold potatoes, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, wine, okra, chicken stock and squirrel meat to the pot. Bring mixture to a boil then lower to simmer for about 35 minutes. Add extra water if necessary. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over stew. Serve with cornbread.

How to Make Homemade Pickles

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Learn How to Make Homemade Pickles

u2850_500px_72dpiThere are few foods that bring to mind preserving vegetables like pickles. Learning how to make homemade pickles is the perfect first project for anyone looking to get started in canning. Of course, once you taste how delicious these cukes turn out, it won't be the last, either.

The following recipe comes from Stacy Harris and her new book, Recipes and Tips for Sustainable Living. It's a Living Ready top pick for transitioning the entire family toward a more self-sufficient lifestyle, one meal at a time.

 


Try This: The LAST Deer Jerky Recipe You'll Ever Need


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Recipe: How to Make Homemade Pickles the Easy Way

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Yields 2 quarts

With as many babies as I have had, you know I know pickles! No, really. These truly are the best pickles, and they go great with Quarter Pound Turkey Burgers (p. 118) or the occasional bowl of Cantaloupe Ice Cream (p. 43).

How-to-Make-Homemade-PicklesIngredients

  • 1 & 1/2 pounds fresh cucumbers
  • 2 onions, thinly sliced
  • 8 sprigs of dill
  • 1 teaspoon whole allspice
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 cup distilled white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 4 tablespoons salt
  • 6 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoon dill seed

1. Slice cucumbers and onions into 3/4-inch rounds. Divide the slices evenly among 2 quart-sized sterilized jars. Add 4 sprigs of dill and 1/2 teaspoon of whole allspice to each jar.

2. Combine water, vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, and dill seed in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil then lower to simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Ladle hot liquid into jars, leaving one inch of headspace. Set jars aside and let cool completely. Place lids securely on jars and store in refrigerator. They should last for up to six weeks.


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Herb Pecan Crusted Trout Recipe

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Best-Trout-Recipes
Editor's Note: This trout recipe would be perfect for your latest catch of wild rainbows, browns, brookies or other salmonoids.

Herb Pecan Crusted Trout Recipe: Ingredients

Serves 4

This dish is great for easy entertaining. The flavor of the trout is so mild that even the pickiest eaters will love it.

3/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
2 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped and divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 6-ounce trout fillets, skinned
Olive oil, for browning
2 tablespoons butter, plus more for browning
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup white wine
3 tablespoons capers
2 cups spinach
2 cups arugula

Herb Pecan Crusted Trout Recipe: Instructions

1. On a plate, combine pecans, rosemary, half the parsley, salt and pepper.

2. Lightly brush one side of fillet with Dijon mustard and press fillet into the pecan mixture to adhere. Set aside and proceed with remaining fillets.

3. Heat about 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. When oil is sizzling hot, place fillets pecan-batter side down in pan and cook for about 3 minutes. Do not crowd the pan; you might have to cook in batches. Flip fillets and cook for about 2 more minutes, or until flaky and golden. Remove fillets to platter and tent with foil. Repeat with remaining fillets.

4. Once all fillets are cooked, add the butter, lemon juice, and wine to deglaze the pan. The brown bits from the fish are truly golden nuggets to be cherished! Add capers and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and stir in rest of parsley.

5. Prepare plates with spinach and arugula and top each one with a fillet. Divide wine sauce evenly among the plates and serve immediately.


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Venison Too Tough? Here’s How to Cook Venison

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Venison Tips: How to Cook Venison Correctly

Tough and gamey venison hasn’t been prepared properly. Here’s how to cook venison so it isn’t tough and gamey. Hint: It starts with aging.
Tough and gamey venison hasn’t been prepared properly. Here’s how to cook venison so it isn’t tough and gamey. Hint: It starts with aging.

I often hear people say that venison is “tough and has a gamey taste.” I have to admit that the first half of my life, I thought the same way. I had only eaten venison once at a wild game supper and it was pretty horrible to say the least.

Then I met Scott. My life and dining habits from then on would be drastically different. He always kept our freezer full of wild game and as my sons came along, we have had to buy more freezers to keep up with the amount of venison harvested each year.

I have loved living off of the harvested venison and enjoy the exceptional depth of flavor that it offers, not to mention not having to buy meat at the supermarket.

How to Cook Venison: Why is Venison Tough and Gamey?

There are a few reasons for the tough texture and gamey taste of venison. Deer, unlike domesticated cattle, have to rely on the vegetation in the wild for survival and on average are older when harvested. They are lean from their diet and exercise, therefore do not have the marbling of fat that beef contains.

Although this makes the deer healthier, it also can cause the meat to be tough if it is not prepared by someone who knows how to cook venison correctly.

The deer’s diet, along with improper aging, will cause venison to taste gamey. Venison does have a distinct flavor, just as grass-fed beef has a distinct flavor, and this must not be confused with gaminess. Most domestic raised animals are bred to be tasteless and fatty.

Venison has much more depth of flavor than beef. If venison preparation is done by someone who knows how to cook venison, it will be incredibly and delectably tender.


Want the World's Best Venison Jerky Recipe? Look No Further.


How to Cook Venison: It Starts with Aging

If a walk-in cooler is not available, it is best to quickly process your venison, then allow the meat to age in the refrigerator on a rack, not allowing it to sit in its blood,
for five to seven days.

Once it has been aged, package the cuts of meat in a double wrap of butcher paper or vacuum sealed bags, then label and date the packages.

If you have a walk-in freezer, hang it and leave it for seven to ten days. Following these simple steps should rid the venison of any undesirable gamey flavors.

How to Cook Venison: Preparing the Cuts

I prepare the various cuts of venison using different methods. Just as our ancestors before us, I braise the shoulder and neck and use them in stews and soups, brown the loin in a super hot skillet and serve it rare, and prepare the hindquarter roast in a diversity of ways.

How to Cook Venison: Add Good Fats

Since venison does not have much fat, I add healthy fats such as olive oil when I brown the meat. This adds necessary fat to produce a more tender and juicy result.

Venison Tips: The Best Part Isn't the Taste

I find that venison preparation and cooking has contributed to the closeness of our family.

As our family plans the hunt, prepare the fields, and plant nutritious vegetation for the animals in the wild, much fun, conversation, and ideas abound. Each person contributes.

After the meal is prepared, the stories come to life of the hunt, and all the preparation and hard work together is rewarded with a delicious, succulent meal.

Enjoy your family as you begin or continue the family traditions of planning, working, hunting, and enjoying the outdoors and the incredible food that you harvest together.

How to Make Dried Fruit in the Oven

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Editor's note: The following tutorial on how to make dried fruit and vegetables in the oven comes from the new book by Stacy Harris, Recipes and Tips for Sustainable Living.

It’s not hard to learn how to make dried fruit, vegetables and meats in the oven. You probably have all you need already.
It’s not hard to learn how to make dried fruit, vegetables and meats in the oven. You probably have all you need already.

Drying is perhaps the oldest method of preserving. It dates back to the days of our ancient ancestors and Native Americans. They preserved their harvests long before canners, pressure cookers, and freezers were invented. They sun-dried their fruits and vegetables, but I prefer using the oven. I do not have to deal with insects that way!

It is easy to dry fruits, vegetables, herbs, and even chili peppers. You more than likely already have all that is needed to pursue preservation by this method.

How to Make Dried Fruit and Vegetables: Beans and Peppers

1. Wash your harvest and string your beans, peppers, and herbs together with a needle
and heavy-duty thread or fishing line, making a knot around each bean.

2. Repeat until the thread is full and then simply hang these beans for several months in a dry place.

How to Make Dried Fruit in the Oven: Why?

One of my favorite methods of drying is to use the oven. My children
especially love preserving their harvest by this method, and teaching them how to make dried fruit in the oven wasn't difficult. They love making dried peaches, apples, figs, and berries.

They eat these delicious fruits and berries as snacks rather than snacks chock full of sugars and artificial ingredients that seem to have made their way into our diets via the grocery store.

Learning how to make dried fruit in the oven offers us a much healthier way of living our lives.

Instructions: How to Make Dried Fruit in the Oven

1. Set the oven to the lowest possible setting.

2. Slice your fruits and vegetables into thin pieces and place on a cookie sheet.

3. Cook overnight or until all moisture is removed.

• If you do not like leaving the oven on all night, drying can be done throughout several days. Just remove the cookie sheet from the oven and begin drying them the next day in the same manner.

4. Store your dried goods packed in freezer bags or in food-saver packets. Freeze them for up to one year.

How to Make Dried Jerky in the Oven

And, let’s not forget jerky. My men love their jerky. After they have prepared the finer venison for the freezer, they use the less desired meat for jerky. The result is another wonderfully healthy snack loaded with protein.

1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees.

2. Thinly slice meat and season as you desire.

3. Place meat about 1/2-inch apart on a cookie sheet.

3. Bake for six hours.

Or try this recipe for Venison Jerky which is hard to beat!


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Delicious and Easy Venison Chili Recipe

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Easy-Venison-Chili-RecipeEveryone has a favorite chili recipe, and this venison chili recipe is my family’s favorite.

Venison chili adds a depth of flavor that is superior to other kinds of meats.

President Lyndon Johnson knew this, and it is noted that he requested the cooks at the White House to use only venison for his chili.

The corn mix in this recipe adds an earthy flavor and adds a texture that is perfect for Con Carne.

Always make sure your venison is dry and the skillet is super hot before you brown the meat. Browning enhances the flavor of the dish by giving more depth of flavor.

Easy Venison Chili Recipe: Ingredients

1 16-ounce can of tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chili in adobe sauce
5 slices bacon, finely chopped
4 pounds venison stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Pepper and Kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeno chili, seeded and chopped
1 can kidney beans
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 & 1/2 teaspoon oregano
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons yellow corn muffin mix

Easy Venison Chili Recipe: Process

In a food processor, place tomatoes and chipotle chili and puree until smooth (This should only take about 10 seconds). In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towel. Leave the fat in the pan.

Pat venison dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat the fat until smoking hot. Brown half of the venison. (Do not crowd the pan or the meat will steam instead of brown). This should take about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to bowl and repeat.

Add the olive oil, onions, and jalapeño to Dutch oven and cook for about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in kidney beans, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic.


Try the Hands-Down, Best Deer Jerky Recipe Ever!


Cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, tomato mixture and brown sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Uncover and simmer for about 30 minutes longer.

Ladle 1 cup chili liquid into medium-sized bowl and stir in yellow corn muffin mix. Whisk mixture into chili and simmer until chili thickens. Check seasonings. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or cheese.

Video: How to Make Venison Sausage

How to Make Venison Sausage: What You'll Need

Learn how to make venison sausage in this video from Stacy Harris. There are a few things you'll need ahead of time:

  • Venison, of course.
  • Half the amount of pancetta or prosciutto (a kind of Italian bacon found at grocery stores) as venison. You may also use other types of pork or beef.
  • Empty sausage casings that have soaked in water for 90 minutes.
  • A meat grinder with a sausage tube attachment.

How to Make Venison Sausage: Time to Grind

Feed the pancetta and venison into the meat grinder a little bit at a time. It helps to have cut the venison into strips.

How to Make Venison Sausage: Add Seasonings

Once the meat is ground, you're ready to add seasonings. You're free to use the seasonings of your choice, but Stacy Harris recommends the following, as explained in her book, Recipes & Tips for Sustainable Living.

  • White wine
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Rosemary
  • Parsley

Mix the seasonings into the meat with your hands.

How to Make Venison Sausage: Fill the Casings

With the meat seasoned, it's time to start filling the casings.

Attach the sausage tube to the meat grinder, then gently feed the mix into the casings.

Keep a tight fit to prevent any air from breaking the casings.

Twist off links as the casings fill. If you run out of casings, make sausage patties from the rest of the meat.

There you have it. Learning how to make venison sausage isn't difficult. It just takes time. But the results are delicious.

 

 

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