Wild Game Recipes

Here are a few of the recipes we like.  Try them and tell us what you think.   Please send your recipes to Lake Tawakoni Online.  Help us share great recipes for venison, dove, quail, turkey and any other wild game.

Venison Backstrap
Recipe from "The Texas Wild Game Cookbook"
By Judith & Richard Morehead

The backstrap is the venison tenderloin.  It may be sliced thin and broiled in butter rapidly.  It may be cut in 11/2 inch thick slices, wrapped in bacon and broiled like a filet mignon.  One of the most elegant ways to cook the backstrap is simply to season it with salt an pepper, wrap the whole thing round and round with bacon and roast in your oven.  It can be sliced at the table in any thickness.

Doris Herring cooks venison backstrap in this manner:
Season heavily, mainly red pepper. Cover with sliced onions and bay leaf.  Marinate in red wine and Worcestershire at least 12 hours; overnight is better.  Wrap in bacon, cook in a fast oven at 450 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.  Use a meat thermometer and cook to "BEEF: well-done.

Venison Chili
Recipe from "The Texas Wild Game Cookbook"
By Judith & Richard Morehead

When yo make chili, make it in at least two pound lots since it keeps well and can be used in a dozen ways.  My two-pound portions of chili-ground venison are frozen as hard as a rock.  The meat thaws and cooks at the same time if it is placed in the pressure cooker with a modest amount of water and boiled until thawed.  Pressure cook it 20 minutes.  Since venison is all lean meat, it becomes tender without melting.  To the pressure cooked venison, I add Wick Fowler's chili mix and cook to the thickness of our liking.  Fowler chili is approximately:

• 5 tbs. of chili powder
• 1 tbs. of ground oregano
• 2 tsp. of salt
• 1 tsp. dehydrated onion
• 1 tsp. dehydrated garlic
• 1 tsp. paprika

Amber package of ground hot pepper we omit as too hot for out innards.  Many like their chili HOT.  To the cooked meat, add one eight-ounce can of tomato sauce and the above spices.  Fowler includes about four tbs. of Masa Flour to make a pourable thickener at the end, but we don't use that either although some others do.

Chicken Fried Venison
LTO Webmaster Special

• 2 lbs. Venison
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1/4 cup Milk
• 1 cup Flour
• Vegetable Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Use a meat mallet to tenderize the venison.  Cut the meat into 2x3 inch strips.  Beat eggs and milk in a bowl.  Heat 1/2 to 1^1/2 inches of vegetable oil (do not cover strip) in a hot skillet .  Dip each strip of meat into eggs.  Dredge both sides in flour.  Place in skillet and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Lower heat to medium.  Turn the strips only once when the outer edge starts to turn golden brown.  Remove and drain on stack of paper towels.

Gravy

• 3 tbs. Used Oil
• 3 tbs. Flour
• 3/4 to 1 cup Milk
• Salt and Pepper

After cooking all the meat, empty all but 3 tbs. of oil.  Turn the heat to high.  After oil is heated, pour in flour and stir quickly until brown - you don't want any lumps.  Turn the heat to low, add milk (more milk for thinner gravy, less milk for thicker gravy) and continue stirring until desired thickness.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Fried Quail
Recipe from "The Texas Wild Game Cookbook"
By Judith & Richard Morehead

• 12 cleaned quail
• Salt and pepper
• Flour
• 1/2 cup of Wesson oil

Cut quail in half - leaving legs together and breast in one piece.  Salt, pepper and flour in brown sack, shake quail thoroughly in this mixture.  Place in hot Wesson oil in large electric skillet at 400 degrees - browning on both sides.  Lower heat to 275 degrees, add one cup of water and simmer for one hour.  (These are good to do ahead of time and just simmer until you are ready to eat.)

Remove birds and make milk gravy
Serve hot biscuits.
Dessert:  More biscuits, butter and home-made fig preserves.
Should server 12.

Dove or Quail Casserole
Recipe from "The North Caroline Cooperative Extinsion"

• 3 lbs. quail or dove
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 6 tbsp. butter
• 15 oz. can artichokes (optional)
• 1/4 lb. mushrooms
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 2/3 cup chicken consomme
• 3-4 tbsp. sherry (cream or cooking)

Salt, pepper, and paprika quail or dove and fry in 4 tbsp. butter.  Place in casserole. Place artichokes between quail or dove.  Sauté mushrooms in 2 tbsp. butter. Add 2 tbsp. flour.  Stir in consomme and sherry.  Cook 5 minutes.  Pour over quail or dove.  Cover and cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Baked Duck (basic recipe for baking all ducks)
Recipe from "The North Caroline Cooperative Extinsion"

• 2 mallard ducks cleaned
• salt and pepper
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 4 slices bacon or salt pork
• 3 cups water
• 1 tsp. prepared herb seasoning
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes

Salt and pepper ducks.  Place in baking pan.  Add half of onion and half of celery; place other half in body cavities.  Strip bacon (2 slices per bird) across breast.  Add to pan: water, herb seasoning, and bouillon cubes.  Cook at 300 degrees for 3 hours, basting every 30 minutes.  Smaller ducks should cook 2 hours.  When ducks have cooked, remove and wrap in aluminum foil to retain heat.  Serves 8 (if quartered).

Barbecued Wild Turkey
Recipe from "The Texas Wild Game Cookbook"
By Judith & Richard Morehead

• 2 sticks of butter or oleo
• 1 No. 2 can of tomato paste
• 1 bottle of ketchup
• 1/2 cup of vinegar
• 2 tbs. of sugar
• 6 tsp. paprika
• 1 onion, grated
• 1 clove of garlic, mashed
• 4 tsp. of salt
• 4 tsp. of chili powder
• 3 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
• juice of 1 lemon (and include some of the rind)
• 2 cans of beer

Wash and dry the cleaned, whole turkey.  Season inside and out with salt and pepper.  Loosen outside skin with handle of long spoon and squirt the barbecue mixture inside of skin.  Rub outside of turkey with butter and place in roaster with a rack.  Cover with the barbecue sauce, using beer.  Cover or wrap in foil and bake.  Baste from time to time during roasting period.  Cook at about 300 degrees for several hours.

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