Holiday Roast Beast (Venison Back Strap)

Ingredients:

  • 3# venison back strap— with all silver skin removed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1# small Yukon or fingerling potatoes cut in half
  • 1# carrots peeled and diced 1” chunks
  • 1# parsnips peeled and diced 1” chunks
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1 large white onion, sliced ½” thick


Directions:

Add sea salt, rosemary, thyme and pepper into a spice grinder and pulse to create a fine grind.
Heat olive oil in a large cast iron or sauté pan.
Season back strap with the seasoning mixture; add to pan and sear well on all sides. Remove from pan and place on a roasting rack. Save sauté pan for vegetables.
Place rack into a 350-degree oven and roast to an internal temperature of 125 – 130 degrees for medium rare.

While venison is roasting pre heat sauté pan, add cut potatoes and vegetables. Add a small amount of olive if necessary. Just enough to lightly coat. Toss vegetables over medium high heat until they begin to caramelize. Place pan in same oven as venison.
Remove venison from oven and place onto a cutting board. Let rest for 10 minutes at room temperature. Vegetables are done as soon as they soften. Keep warm until serving.

Slice venison and arrange on a platter. Scatter vegetables around venison. Serve with red wine jus’ on the side (optional).

Venison Red Wine Jus:
Ingredients
1 strip bacon - small dice
1 each shallot - small dice
carrot – rough chopped)
1 clove garlic - minced
1 stalk celery – rough chopped
4oz red wine
16oz beef or venison stock

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, render the bacon over low heat. Add the shallots, carrot, garlic, celery. Cook until tender. Add the red wine and reduce to a glaze.
Add the stock and reduce by two-thirds. Pass through a fine strainer and check the consistency. Return to the saucepan and reduce further if necessary. Whisk in 1 tablespoon butter (optional)

Serve au jus’ on side in a gravy boat or ladle over venison.

Serves approx. 8 guests

 

Duck Nachos

Ingredients:

  • 4 – 8” flour tortillas cut in 1/4th
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • 2 duck breast
  • ½ cup guacamole
  • ½ cup pico de gallo
  • ½ refried pinto beans
  • 4 oz. cheddar cheese
  • 1 whole lime
  • Fresh cilantro

Directions:

1.    Heat oil to 350 degrees. Fry tortillas until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel to remove excess grease

2.    Season duck breast with salt and pepper. Place skin side down in pre heated cast iron pan. Sear until skin is crispy and dark golden brown. Finish cooking in 400 degree oven until duck is medium temp. 135 internal degrees. Remove from pan and let rest before slicing.

3.    Spread pinto beans on tortilla and top with a thin slice of duck breast. Top duck breast with guacamole, pico de gallo and finely grated cheese.

4.    Garnish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

5.    Arrange neatly on a platter and serve warm.

*Recipe is scaled to serve as an appetizer for approx. 4 people.

Beer Elk Chili

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 pounds ground elk
  • 1 green pepper
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 poblano pepper
  • 2 teaspoons of smoked sea salt ( or regular sea salt is fine…salt to taste)
  • 3 tablespoons of chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika ( or regular paprika will do)
  •  1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ( add additional for heat)
  • 1 or 2 (12 ouunce) bottles of stout beer (gauge it pending on how thick you want your chili)
  • 1 can (28oz) of crushed tomatoes (use less if you want thick chili)
  • 1 can black beans ( 2 cans can be used if you want thick chili)

Directions:

  1. Melt coconut oil in large stock pot over medium heat. 
  2. Add onion and garlic and sauteed until onions are Lucite or clear about 5 mins. 
  3. Add Elk and salt and break up meat with wooden spoon into small pieces and brown it.  Once almost browned, add in chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, oregano, cocoa powder, cayenne pepper.
  4. Cook and stir mixture until It darkens, 3 to 4 mins. 
  5. Add in all three peppers, still together.  Stir in beer..let cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
  6. Add in crushed tomatoes and blackbeans. Bring to a simmer at a low heat and simmer for 1 hour.  If mixture becomes too thick, you can add in more beer or a cup or two of water.   Simmer until peppers are tender.  Chili of course gets better if you let it sit for an additional hour before serving.  Serve with your favorite Chili toppings!

Moose Pot Roast

Ingredients:

  • 1 Moose Roast (4-5#)  trimmed
  • Kosher salt + pepper
  • Olive oil - approx. ¼ cup
  • 4 medium carrots
  • 4 stalks celery chopped large
  • 8 ounces cippolini onions cut in half
  • 8 ounces crimini mushrooms cut in half
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 large sprig of thyme
  • ½ cup AP flour
  • ½ bottle red wine Cabernet Sauvignon preferred
  • 6 cups beef stock
  • 1 pound fingerling potatoes, smaller the better
  • Fresh chopped herbs for garnish

Procedure:

1.    Season roast with salt and pepper. Sear in hot cast iron braising pan using olive oil. Brown meat on all sides and remove from pan. Place on paper towel to rest.

2.    Using same pan add vegetables with remaining olive oil sauté for approx 5 minutes to lightly brown. Add garlic and herbs and deglaze with red wine. Reduce wine by half.

3.    Add beef stock and return bison back to pan. Cover with a tight fitting lid and reduce heat to a very soft simmer.

4.    Cook bison slowly for approx 2 ½ hours until meat is just starting to become tender. Add potatoes and cook an additional ½ hour until potatoes are soft and meat is fork tender.

5.    To serve ladle bison, vegetables and reduce braising liquid into a bowl and garnish with chopped herbs

6.    Serves approx. 8 -10 people

Schara Family Heirloom Recipe-Halibut Dijon

Ingredients:

  • Glass Baking Dish
  • White Wine
  • Fresh Squeezed lemon juice from 1 whole lemon
  • 4 to 6 pieces of Halibut Filet (pending on size of filet) - **no skin**
  • 4 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese (or more if you prefer)
  • 2 cups of cubed dried Sour Dough Bread
  • 1/4cup Dijon mustard
  • 1/2cup Mayonnaise
  • 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped Parsley

Directions:

  1. Pour White Wine & fresh squeezed Lemon juice in bottom glass baking pan to cover entire bottom of baking dish.  
  2. Place Halibut Fillets in pan.   Sprinkle with White or black Pepper.
  3. Mix Dijon Mustard and Mayonnaise together.  Spread on top of fish.
  4. Put bread cubes, parsley, parmesan, and olive oil in blender of food processor and make fine bread crumbs.  
  5. Pack bread crumb mixure about 1/4inch thick on top of fish.   Bake at 350 degrees for about30 to 40 minutes.  Serve hot from oven.  Crust should be golden brown.  

*Serves 6

Venison Burger with Cranberry Muenster

Ingredients:

  • 1 # ground venison
  • 4oz Blaser’s Cranberry Muenster
  • 4 each Hamburger buns
  • 4oz Lingonberry or cranberry chutney
  • 4oz Horseradish sauce
  • *Seasoned burger spice rub

*Burger Spice Rub

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2Tbs sea salt
  • 2Tbs paprika
  • 2Tbs ground black pepper
  • 1Tbs onion powder
  • 1Tbs garlic powder
  • 1Tbs toasted fennel seed
  • 11/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 11/2 tsp dried sage
  • 1 pinch crushed red pepper (or to taste)
  • 1 pinch ancho chili powder (or to taste)

Directions:

  1. Patty ground venison into 4oz portions. Season generously with burger spice rub and place on grill. Once grill marks are present flip and sear other side of burger.
  2. Spread chutney on top of burger and top with a slice of cranberry Gouda. Continue to cook until cheese is melted and or meat is desired temperature. I do not recommend overcooking venison.
  3. Toast bun and spread horseradish sauce on bottom of bun. Place burger on bun. Enjoy!!

 

Walleye Hash

Ingredients:

  • 1oz clarified butter
  • 1 Cup cooked and shredded hash brown potatoes
  • ¼ Cup red pepper, diced
  • ¼ Cup yellow onion, diced
  • 6oz walleye filet, boneless
  • Fresh dill chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • ¼ Cup scallions, sliced
  • 2 whole eggs, scrambled
  • 1 ½ oz Blaser’s Monterey Jack Onion Cheese, grated

Directions:

  1. Pre heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Pour half of butter in bottom of pan and evenly spread potatoes, onions and peppers to brown. Let cook uncovered for approx. 3 minutes.
  2. Season fish with salt, pepper and fresh chopped dill. Place seasoned fish on top of potatoes and cover with another cast iron skillet to seal in steam. Let cook covered for approx. 3 minutes
  3. After 3 minutes remove lid and walleye should be almost cooked through. Using a spatula flip potatoes and fish and break up walleye into bite size pieces. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until potatoes are golden brown.
  4. Pre heat additional cast iron pan and place remaining clarified butter in pan. Scramble eggs in pan and as soon as they begin to set stir in scallions and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat once eggs are set. Place eggs on top of hash.

Recipe serves 2

Wild Turkey with Steamed Asparagus and Morel Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1# wild turkey breast
  • 8oz fresh asparagus
  • ¼ pound fresh morels or ½ oz. dried morels reconstituted
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 TBS Olive Oil
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
  • 2 TBS Butter - Cold
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Slice turkey breast into 2 ounce cutlets. Pound thin, season with salt and pepper. Dredge in all-purpose flour. Shake off any excess flour.
  2. Pre heat sauté pan to med. high. Place olive oil in pan and sear wild turkey cutlets to a golden brown on both sides.
  3. Toss sliced morel mushrooms in pan and sauté for approx. 1 minute. Deglaze pan with white wine and chicken stock. Reduce heat to a simmer.
  4. Continue to simmer over medium heat until sauce has reduced by half. Whisk in butter and simmer for approximately 2 more minutes until thickened to a sauce like consistency. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
  5. Garnish with steamed or grilled asparagus.

Serves 2-4 people