What’s for Dinner
While I don't share nearly as many wildgame pics/recipes on social media anymore since I don't work with any food brands. That doesn't mean I've stopped cooking fun new stuff!
With hunting season over and ice fishing season non existent I'm getting some time in the kitchen. I've also got to carve out some time for making sausage/snack sticks while it's cold. Cold is important for keeping the fat in sausage from emulsifying so I always like to do that process and a near freezing garage.
One thing that's been a big hit in our house is “steak” of whatever kind. Whether it's deer or ducks the ladies are up for some medium rare to medium red meat. While they are too young to really grasp the concept they understand that the piece of meat on their plate was an animal and can relate it to a specific memory of deer, birds, or fish that daddy came home with. It’s even better when they are fish they caught themselves because it really goes full circle with them. It is extremely important to me that they can relate to the process and appreciate the fact that their food was once a thriving animal. It always amazes me when people can scarf down a hamburger but can't come to terms with that process. I could write an essay about how I feel about all that. I’m getting fired up right now just thinking about it.
Speaking of deer, the freezer is a little light this year. I had big goals of filling 3 tags but didn't meet them. I didn't get a whole ton of hunts in this season but my area on the east side was dead and so was my west side spot. Luckily a good friend took me out for our 2nd annual late doe hunt and we had a successful hunt after a big snowstorm. Definitely the most scenic conditions I've ever killed a deer in. It was a fun and much appreciated hunt! I did get some access to a couple properties the last week of late doe season and squandered my opportunity at doe number 2. I've got a good feeling I'll be able to accomplish my goals next year!
What prompted me to really talk about food was something Amanda stumbled on last week. The particular recipe called for salmon on skewers rolled in everything bagel seasoning and it was awesome. The recipe itself wasn't the exciting thing but the concept of fish on skewers is.
Fish need to be big to make this work and large king salmon are perfect. It just so happens I've got some vacuum sealed in the freezer after a great salmon season. Salmon definitely benefits from more seasoning in my opinion as it is a stronger flavored fish. This method allows for quite a bit more surface area to be seasoned. Another thing I liked is that it allowed me to trim the skin, red meat, and pin bones out. I can deal with the pin bones but the red meat is extra strong and contains more contaminants so I prefer to discard before cooking in almost all salmon recipes. The exception being small spring kings or cohos that are cooked whole.
Oiling the grill grates prevents any sticking while cooking and the grill helps give it a great flavor. I'm looking forward to utilizing this method of cooking with many more flavors/vegetables. It's going to be great to add into the summertime rotation.
I also cranked out some salmon jerky. I'm still working on finding the right amount of brine time for me. But the basis is a Hank Shaw recipe that I'm tweaking to my liking. I'm keeping all the skin/fat off and instead of basting with a sweet birch or maple syrup I prefer a savory seasoning added before the smoke. Not only does it add flavor but some a dusting of seasoning is appealing to the eyes as well.
Until the next one we will be eating good and for now still have quite the variety of menu items in the freezer.