Wild Vittles: Wild Game Cooking For Everyone (Chris Smith)

As the initial episode, this will episode we will dig into what the podcast will focus on, the format and a preview of what's to come.  We will also touch on the "why" behind the podcast and what we hope to achieve, while becoming better wild game cooks. 

Let's start this thing at the beginning.  Everyone knows how to make burgers, but why don't you hear more about folks making deer or elk burgers?  Well usually it's because they are dry.  Here's a straightforward approach to give your burgers more flavor while making them juicy and delicious.  

This is a Tex-Mex casserole that calls for a lean ground meat and it is delicious.  It is a regular in my rotation of wild game dishes and it could be your next big hit in your household.  Listen along as we cook this dish together.  The recipe can be found below or through this link http://www.singforyoursupperblog.com/2010/09/13/easy-mexican-casserole/.  My thanks to "Sing for your supper" in putting this great recipe on the internet.

John Wayne Mexican Casserole

1 pound lean ground meat (I utilize whitetail or elk ground meat with no fat added)
1 can Ranch Style beans
1 10-12 ounce bag tortilla chips, crushed
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 package taco seasoning
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup water (I omitted this step)
sour cream and salsa for serving

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large skillet, brown meat and drain off fat. Stir in beans, tomatoes, onion, taco seasoning, soup and water. Simmer over medium-low heat until everything is well combined and heated through.

Grease a 9×13 casserole dish. Put down a layer of crushed tortilla chips, followed by a layer of the meat/bean mixture, then half of the cheddar cheese. Repeat layers. Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until bubbly.
Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream and salsa. Enjoy!

If you are tired of timing and grinding your deer shoulders, stop and keep those cuts whole.  They make tremendously good barbacoa as you will learn in this pod cast.  The recipe is from Hank Shaw and can be found in this link https://honest-food.net/barbacoa-recipe-venison/ .  This yields a shredded venison that can be used in tacos, tamales, quesadillas or just served over mashed potatoes with a good gravy.  Have a listen, head over to Hank Shaw's recipe and give this one a try.  It's a winner.  

New Year, New You and Better Wild Game Cooking.  Here are 5 things you can do now to improve your wild game cooking in 2024.  Make this part of your goals for 2024 today. 

Have you heard of cooking with a sous vide?  It is a tremendous tool for controlling the exact temperature of your cooking and it can make you a real hero in the kitchen when it comes to a perfectly done deer steak.  If you have considered using a sous vide and want to learn more, this is the episode for you.  

I sat down with Cary Beason, the host of The Salty Yak Outdoor Podcast, to talk about what the Wild Vittles Podcast is, how I got into wild game cooking and a few other rabbit trails along the way.  If you haven't listened to the Salty Yak Podcast before, do yourself a favor and give it a listen.  It is informative and entertaining and covers the spectrum of saltwater kayak fishing to archery hunting in the West.  

Chili is a foundational dish that every hunter should have in their toolkit.  This is well balanced chili recipe that can be modified to deliver more or less heat.  You can use any wild game burger in this dish.  I regularly use whitetail deer or elk ground meat with no fat added.  Below is the ingredient list:
2 lbs meat of choice 
1 Chopped onions Red & green peppers chopped 
Pinto beans 1 can 
2 tbs Brown sugar 
2 tbs Cocoa 
2 tbs Red pepper flakes 
Diced Chipotle in adobo sauce (1 or 2 spoonfuls depending upon heat desired) 
Chili powder 3 tbs 
Cumin powder 2 tsp
Smoked paprika 
Garlic 4 cloves 
Salt 3 tsp
Pepper 1 tsp 
Tomato sauce 2 small cans 
Can of diced tomatoes

In this episode we are making a one skillet meal that has a tamale flavor without all the work.  We will take 2 pounds of ground Elk (substitute any ground venison or beef) along with some fantastic seasonings topped with a masa dough to complete the tamale theme.  This recipe is adapted from Cowboy Kent Rollings and his recipe can be found here at this link ( https://kentrollins.com/cast-iron-tamale-pie/ ).  

Instructions:

• 2 pounds ground Elk (or other venison)
• 1 large white onion diced
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 jalepeno diced
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• Red River Ranch Mesquite Seasoning or favorite all-purpose seasoning
• 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 4 oz cans Hatch chopped green chiles
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons chile powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
• 2 1/4 cups corn flour masa
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 stick butter melted

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Add the ground beef to a 12-in cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until the beef begins to brown. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, jalepeno and garlic. Season to taste with the Mesquite seasoning, or salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the meat has completely browned and the onions are tender.
• Stir in the hominy, tomatoes, green chiles, cornstarch, chile powder, cumin, oregano. Stir in 1 ½ cups of the shredded cheese just until combined. Set aside in a warm place.
• In a large bowl, combine the corn flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the chicken broth and butter. You want the mixture to hold together but spread easily. Add more chicken broth, if needed.
• Spread the masa batter evenly over the top of the meat mixtures. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the corn batter comes out clean. Serve warm.

I sat down with Andrew Lukosevic of the EndurHunt Podcast to talk about his own journey to wild game cooking as a new hunter.  Andrew is a self taught adult onset hunter who has found success and now shares those lessons in his own podcast.  We discuss how he approaches wild game cooking, his ventures into jerky and sausage and his own tips and tricks.  It's a great conversation and he shares some key lessons learned and his approach to utilizing his wild game.

Connect with Andrew:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/endurhunt/
Podcast: https://linktr.ee/endurhunt
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@endurhunt7680


Connect with Wild Vittles Podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wild_vittles_podcast/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@WildVittlesPodcast

I decided to experiment and modify the traditional Texan casserole, King Ranch Casserole, that usually features chicken by tweaking it to include ground elk, chipotles in adobo, cream of jalapeño soup and a few other new ingredients.  I was really pleased with the outcome and I hope you will be also.  If you want to see this being made, take a look at my YouTube channel (Wild Vittles Podcast).

Link to YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@WildVittlesPodcast

King Ranch Casserole (Venison)

Ingredients
1 onion (chopped)

2 jalapeño (chopped and seeds/pith removed)

1 or 2 Red Bell Peppers (chopped)

2 lbs ground venison

2 garlic cloves

1.5 TBS Chili powder

1 TBS Cumin

1 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Pepper

1 can cream of jalapeño soup

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 kitchen spoon full of chopped chipotles in adobo

A dozen (or more) tostada shells

3 cups of shredded cheese

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F
• In a cast iron skillet, saute onion, jalepenos, bell peppers in your oil of choice until soft and set aside
• Brown ground meat
• Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt & pepper and mix
• Add onion, jalapeño, bell pepper mix back into the meat
• Reserve half a cup of meat mixture
• Add cream of Jalapeño soup and cream of mushroom soup and a kitchen spoon full of chopped Chipotles in Adobo and Rotel
• Mix and heat until warmed through
• Using a 9X13 casserole dish, layer 6 tostada shells across the bottom
• Pour meat mixture into pan over tostada shells and distribute evenly
• Spread 2 cups of cheese every over meat mixture
• Spread layer of broken tostada shells across top of cheese
• Spread 1 cup of cheese across top layer
• Spread reserved cup of meat mixture across top of dish
• Cover with foil
• Put in oven for 40 minutes and uncover to brown top for last 5 minutes
• Let it cool, serve and enjoy!

I sat down with Joel Smith, Judson Brown and James Jubran to talk about their experiences as outdoorsmen and wild game cooks.  It was a great discussion with lots of cooking tips and plenty of laughs!

Osso Buco is an Italian dish that traditionally utilized veal shanks that are cross cut to short sections 3 or 4 inches tall.  Today, I will talk you through this dish using Whitetail Shanks.  This sounds and looks like a very fancy recipe, but it's actually pretty simple.  The hardest part, in my opinion, is just cutting the shanks through the bone to reveal the marrow.  This is where the name Osso Buco actually comes from as it means "hole in the middle".   I'm utilizing Hank Shaw's recipe that can be found in the link below.  

Hank Shaw Recipe Link:  https://honest-food.net/osso-buco-recipe/

On this episode I'll be cooking one of my favorite winter dishes, Cajun Piquant!  It utilizes diced venison roast and is similar to a gumbo.  Give this one a try and I gaurentee it will become a favorite!

Link to Hank Shaw's Cajun Piquante Recipe:
https://honest-food.net/venison-sauce-piquante-recipe/

Fajitas are a simple and quick meal that you can customize to fit the tastes of you and your family.  It's also the basis or filler for quesadillas and/or burritos.  This is an example of one approach that I think you will really enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 2 Venison steaks (equivalent with 0.5 to 1 pound) (in this case I used elk)
• 2 medium onions rough chopped
• 2 green bell peppers rough chopped
• 2 red or yellow bell peppers rough chopped
• 1 jalapeño with pith removed and chopped
• Fajita seasoning to taste
• Flour or Corn tortillas
• toppings as needed

Directions:
Grill the steaks to rare

• Rough Chop the vegetables and cook them in a large skillet until soft
• Thinly slice the steak and then cut the resulting strips into bite size pieces 
• Add fajita seasoning and stir
• Cook for only a minute or two until the meat is the desired doneness
• Remove from heat and assemble fajitas with condiments and tortillas
• Enjoy!

I sat down with Jeff Benda who is a professional Wild Game Chef with over 20 years of experience, to discuss how he got started, what he has learned and what advice he has for all of us as we strive to improve our skills as wild game cooks.  I highly recommend you check out his website ( https://wildgameandfish.com ) and view his library of wild game recipes.  If you are interested, he also has a weekly newsletter where he shares recipes as well!  In this episode we talk about wild game processing, waterfowl (including docs and geese), fishing, pronghorn antelope, deer and elk and loads of other interesting topics!  

Jef Benda's Website: https://wildgameandfish.com

This week I found roasted hatch chiles in a jar and a cold front blew into town, so I decided to cook up Elk Green Chile Stew!  I'd never tried this recipe before and was blown away with the spicy robust flavor.  It is a hit that I will be coming back to again and again.  I based my stew on Hank Shaw's Green Chile Stew and his exact recipe can be found below.  I deviated a bit by adding sweet corn and chopped fresh tomatoes.  I also added the potatoes earlier in the cook then he recommended and didn't add any additional water.  All and all, it was fantastic and I hope you will try it soon. 

Hank Shaw Green Chile Stew Recipe:
https://honest-food.net/green-chile-stew-recipe/

Spring to me is White Bass Fishing and Turkey hunting!  In this episode I'll walk you through the process of frying up a mess of white bass that I caught just the day before.  This is a quick and simple approach that is sure to please.  

In this episode I cook a whitetail eye of round in a stir-fry using sugar snap peas, matchstick carrots, bell peppers and mushrooms along with a homemade stir-fry sauce (see below).  The recipe is essential one third meat to two thirds vegetables and you can use any combination of veggies you want.  I highly recommend trying this for a quick, delicious and healthy meal.

Recipe for the stir fry sauce:
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup Water
TBS Brown Sugar
Tsp Corn Starch

This recipe comes to us from Cowboy Kent Rollins and is intended for ground beef, but I've modified it slightly and use ground elk (and have also used ground whitetail) with no fat included.  I highly recommend trying out this very straightforward recipe for a new dish to utilize your ground meat.  Give it a try and you will be coming back for seconds for sure!  Below you will find a link to the Kent Rollins recipe that I have utilized as the basis for this dish.

Ken Rollins Cowboy Goulash Recipe Link:
 https://kentrollins.com/beef-goulash/

I had the good fortune to be able to have Kriss Abigail on the podcast to talk about her journey to becoming a professional wild game butcher and how she then uses that knowledge to teach others through her work with other conservation organizations and clinics she holds (such as Hunters of Color, the Texas Wildlife Association and the New School of Traditional Cookery).  In this episode we discuss her perspectives on how to choose a professional butcher, what tools you will need if you want to begin to do your own butchering and some good pointers on meat preservation with a wrap up on her own initial hunting experiences.  It's a great conversation and I hope you will enjoy it.  

You can find Kriss on Instagram at @Kriss_Abigail

She also has her own website at https://meetyourmeat.net

Quesadillas are a family favorite and are very versatile.  In this episode we will cook up some whitetail quesadillas with a simple mixture of onions, peppers and cheese on toasted flour tortillas with a "CRUNCH" to let you know they are ready.  It's also a great way to utilize leftovers when you have steak or roast available!

On day 2 of the Total Archery Challenge, I sat down with Joel Smith and Judson Brown to talk a little be about TAC and a whole lot about wild game cooking and what we think about it. There's some good tips and lots of entertainment in this episode, so I hope you will enjoy it.

Today I'm cooking whitetail shanks by braising them in a chili sauce that I made from dried chili.  I'm utilizing a chili sauce recipe from Arnie Tex and I would highly recommend you check out the link below to see how he makes it!   This is a simple prep as you just make the sauce, place the shanks and sauce in a dutch oven at 325 degrees for 4 to 5 hours.  Once complete, you can shred the meat and utilize it for tacos, quesadillas, nachos or any application where you would use shredded meat.  

Link to Arnie Tex Chili Sauce
https://youtu.be/ocUVI4VjSeQ?si=VhGnoOs303ajSU_m

Have you every considered using cast iron pans, but thought that keeping them seasoned and clean was too hard?  In this episode, I share my perspectives on utilillzing cast iron cookware and how easy it really is.  

In this conversation, Chris interviews Drew from the Outdoor Indoor Texan YouTube channel. They discuss Drew's passion for outdoor cooking, his love for hunting and fishing, and his journey into creating a successful YouTube channel. They also touch on topics such as butchering wild game, the challenges of finding reliable wild game recipes, and the importance of experimentation and iteration in cooking. Drew shares his favorite wild game dish, venison pastrami, and offers advice for those getting into wild game cooking. In this conversation, Chris and Drew discuss various topics related to cooking wild game. They talk about the importance of planning and preparation when it comes to cooking frozen meat, and they share their tips for thawing and marinating. They also discuss cooking ducks and the challenges associated with it, as well as their go-to side dishes for wild game. Drew shares his passion for gardening and making hot sauces from his homegrown peppers. They also talk about finding inspiration for new recipes and the joy of sharing their cooking knowledge with others.

Link to Outdoor Indoor Texan YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@outdoorindoortexan

Instagram @Outdoorindoortexan
https://www.instagram.com/outdoorindoortexan/

Today, I'm whipping up grilled redfish tacos outside!  I'm using one fillet of redfish with the skin and scales on that I am grilling over medium high heat for about 12 minutes.  I seasoned the fish with a fajita seasoning and put a few small pieces of butter on the fish to melt in while cooking.  Meanwhile I am sautéing a couple onions that were sliced stem to stern as well as a red and yellow bell pepper also sliced into strips until soft.  Once the fish was flaky, I removed the meat from the skin and broke the fillet into small bits and mixed it into the onion & pepper mix and then added a healthy dose of the seasoning.  Put this mix into hardshell or soft tortillas, add toppings and enjoy!

Summer grilling season is here and I utilize venison kebabs to bring vegetables into my meat grilling scene!  This is an easy recipe that can be scaled for a large or small groups.  In this episode I used a top round or sirloin cut, but you could also use backstrap for a more tender end result.  The veggies can vary based on your personal preferences.  I like to also add mushrooms and potatoes, but the potatoes require an additional step of parboiling to allow them to finish cooking at the same time as the other vegetables.  Cut the meat into kebab size chunks and marinade them with your favorite marinade of choice, assemble on skewers (I use wood, so they require a pre-soak), grill until done and enjoy.

Now that the summer heat has arrived, the grilling season is in full swing.  It's also fishing season, so I'm grilling a whole flounder for the first time.  I'm utilizing a recipe from Outdoor Indoor Texan that is very straightforward, but yields a delicious result that will taste like you worked much harder for such a tasty dish!

Link to Outdoor Indoor Texan Flounder Video
 https://youtu.be/kwRGIu5e2ao?si=fWsjaQQlQNID2kvf

The flat iron steak is a tender cut that, surprisingly, comes from the front shoulder where most of us think about tougher cuts and long cooks required to produce tender finished products.  Today, I'm using a flat iron steak from a bull elk.  This can be done with any venison, but the larger species are generally better as you need to split the steak along a tendon that runs the length of the steak.  If you do this on a small deer, your resulting steak can be thin.  This is a straightforward recipe with nothing more fancy than marinade and grilling the steak to a perfect medium rare.  

Many folks likely toss out throats or collars with their fish heads and that's really a waste when it comes to your Red Fish.  In this episode, I show you how to harvest the collars from the fish and a simple preparation on the grill.  I guarantee if you give this a try, you will always keep and cook this part of your fish from now on!

I've decided to take a break from featuring recipe cooking on the podcast and will be pivoting to cookbook reviews for the next several episodes, so come along and hopefully you will discover new resources, new recipes and maybe a whole new way of looking at your wild game cooking.  It's going to be interesting!

I've decided to start out my cookbook review project with my absolute favorite!  I use this cookbook weekly and am a huge fan.  If you don't utilize Hank Shaw's cookbooks or his on-line resources, you are really missing out.  Give a listen and give them a try!

In this episode, we will recap my 2024 elk hunting trip to Montana.  This story actually began in late 2022 and took a few twists and turns along the way.  

In this episode of the Wild Vittles podcast, Chris shares his experiences hunting pronghorn in Utah with a muzzleloader. He discusses the process of obtaining a hunting tag through the Utah draw process, the muzzleloader, bullet and powder he chose, and the e-scouting along with the real scouting leading up to the hunt. Chris reflects on the challenges of scouting new country and the excitement of opening day, detailing the moments leading up to his successful shot and the recovery of the pronghorn. 

In this episode, Chris shares his journey of hunting mule deer in New Mexico. After years of applying for tags, he finally got lucky and discusses the application process, preparation, and the hunt. He reflects on the challenges faced during the trip, bagging his first mule deer, and his plans for future hunting adventures.