All About That Buck

I grew up in a family with Zero hunters!! It wasn't until I was in high school that I tired my first piece of venison and I was not impressed. For someone that never had this type of meat before, it was wild, gamey & very strange.

Still, I was very curious about the process of skinning and breaking down a deer. (I have broken down rabbit, different fish, pig & chicken). I also wanted to challenge myself to prepare it in a way that I would enjoy.

 My brother in law made a deal with me, if he got one, he would show me how to break it all down.

So there he is....(apologies to anyone that is anti hunting)

 The whole process took a lot longer then I thought but it was very interesting and a good learning experience. 

Tip: its very enjoyable with great conversation, good music & a bottle or two of wine!

Once we were finished, my brother in law told me to go home that night and think about some sausage recipes for the following day. So I did....all that night, along with the following morning. By the time I returned to their house, I had two big bags & a cooler full of ingredients. 

We decided to try 5 of my ideas....all of which started with a mixture of ground venison and ground pork trim (a mixture of pork meat & fat).

::Here is my beautiful niece helping us grind up the venison!::

I didn't take pictures of the entire process, but here are the sausages we ended up with. 

1. Roasted Pepper - Char Roasted Bell & Jalapeño Peppers.

2. Rosie Shroom - Roasted Mushrooms & Spinach with Fresh Earthy Rosemary! 

3. Asian Persuasion - Ground Ginger & some Asian Zing Sauce. (Thank you Bdubs)

4. Fennel - We ground the whole fennel seeds right into the meat.

5. Sage - Your classic breakfast style sausage.

I was so shocked at how delicious & flavorful these sausages turned out!! 

Later that week, we had a gathering of friends & family over for opening weekend and I had a blast feeding all the hungry hunters! 

Although it was really cold out, I still grilled up tons of the sausage patties! Those got served with homemade spicy bacon baked beans & buttermilk biscuits. 

We also got a skinned rabbit & a homemade pound cake from our neighbor. I made some tasty Rabbit Cacciatore & a simple mixed berry reduction was the perfect topping for the cake. 

For me, there is absolutely nothing better then cooking for friends and family! 

It's my ultimate high!

 Opening weekend might become one of my favorite weekends from now on. Is there anything better then great company, good food & a night spent with an acoustic guitar show?!?!?....I don't think so!!