'Tis Hunting Time—A smallish blog

[lindag]

Don't be afraid to use it, practice will help a lot.

But wait until you're under less pressure (if there ever is such a time).

 

[Shelby]

2 minutes ago, lindag said:

Don't be afraid to use it, practice will help a lot.

But wait until you're under less pressure (if there ever is such a time).

 

I need a looooooot of practice.  I also need to read back through the thread here.  When I get the crust done like we like, the top is too burned or if the top is good the crust isn’t done enough.

[lindag]

I can't say that mine are perfect yet but they're certainly acceptable, if you're not too picky.  Still experimenting to  get the perfect setting and timing.

[Shelby]

Saturdaaaaay!!!

 

I got the breakfast burritos made.  I shouldn't have to make any more breakfasts unless they get sick of them lol.

 

 

 

I'd love to come up with some new ideas for breakfast for next time.  It needs to be portable because they take it with them sometimes.  And not sweet.  And some kind of meat has to be included.  Any ideas?

 

Deviled eggs and pickle roll ups for appetizers.  I KNOW I bought green olives.  I was going to put slices on top of the eggs.  I searched everywhere for them.  The Yeti must have taken them.

 

 

Then, here the guys come with a buck!  I'm told he's old.  However, the tenderloins don't seem super tough.  We will see how the backstraps are.....  I think they are going to hang out in the garage, work on the deer and watch football.  It's super cold and foggy--dense fog warning until noon--so a good day to stay home.

 

 

The evening got a bit hectic and in that Scout got left inside while I was in the basement rummaging for some of my tomatoes.  I came back upstairs to find pickles....without the cream cheese and roast beef....scattered on the floor.  Sigh.

 

Been shown before but here's a little pictorial on gutting a deer--skip down if you don't want to see:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When things calmed down I fried wings--I made I think 18--there are only two left lol.

 

 

Mac and cheese and spinach on the side

 

 

Tonight is game night --vension tenderloin and I think I have some doves frozen.  And I have a bunch of raspberries and blueberries that I need to do something with.  Another galette probably and then I'll freeze the rest.  My poor new fridge is quite filled up at the moment lol.

[Senior Sea Kayaker]

@Shelby

Nice rack on that buck.

Re. portable breakfast the first thing that came to mind was Scotch Eggs. All you need is eggs, sausage meat, preferred breading to coat and a deep fryer.

 

[gfweb]

1 hour ago, Senior Sea Kayaker said:

@Shelby

Nice rack on that buck.

Re. portable breakfast the first thing that came to mind was Scotch Eggs. All you need is eggs, sausage meat, preferred breading to coat and a deep fryer.

 

 

But then someone has to eat them.

[Senior Sea Kayaker]

42 minutes ago, gfweb said:

 

But then someone has to eat them.

I'd hazard a guess that wouldn't be an issue.

 

[chromedome]

3 minutes ago, Senior Sea Kayaker said:

I'd hazard a guess that wouldn't be an issue.

 

I dunno... eggs and sausage is such a left-field combination...

[gfweb]

23 minutes ago, chromedome said:

I dunno... eggs and sausage is such a left-field combination...

 

I love both, but I've never had a scotch egg that was appetizing.

 

Maybe if you made it as a deviled egg....

[Kim Shook]

I love the glass and mug.  No worries, I’m a heathen, too.  Your bread looks gorgeous.  Is that a new recipe you’re making or are you just doing fancy slashes and some seeds?  The cheeses look amazing – those Murray’s cheeses are two of our favorites.  Are you able to get Murray’s at a local store or do you have to order it?  We are so lucky that our Kroger has a Murray’s section. 

 

I assume that you heat up the breakfast burritos before you hand them out.  Do you pan toast them, or just microwave?  As far as breakfast ideas, how about these Breakfast Pockets?  You could also make large sausage rolls (if puff pastry is too fancy, just use bread dough, or whomp crescent rolls dough 😊). 

 

[Shelby]

11 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

I love the glass and mug.  No worries, I’m a heathen, too.  Your bread looks gorgeous.  Is that a new recipe you’re making or are you just doing fancy slashes and some seeds?  The cheeses look amazing – those Murray’s cheeses are two of our favorites.  Are you able to get Murray’s at a local store or do you have to order it?  We are so lucky that our Kroger has a Murray’s section. 

 

I assume that you heat up the breakfast burritos before you hand them out.  Do you pan toast them, or just microwave?  As far as breakfast ideas, how about these Breakfast Pockets?  You could also make large sausage rolls (if puff pastry is too fancy, just use bread dough, or whomp crescent rolls dough 😊). 

 

I'm relieved to not be alone in my heathenism 🤣

 

No, not a new recipe, just slashing and that's an Everything Bagel spice mix that is super good on there.

 

I can get Murray's at the Dillion's I go to in the big city-Kroger owns Dillion's.  In fact they just redid the inside of the store and the Murray's section is much bigger now.  I like the basket that they keep of small odds and ends of cheeses that they sell for cheap

 

The guys either microwave them here at home or they rewrap them in foil and heat them using their little heater in the shooting cabin.  The pockets sound good thank you!

[Senior Sea Kayaker]

49 minutes ago, gfweb said:

 

I love both, but I've never had a scotch egg that was appetizing.

 

Maybe if you made it as a deviled egg....

 

It's very dependent on the context. I'm not a hunter so haven't spent time in a shooting shed or a blind however if I was fishing in early May on open water I would scarf them down. Bring along some mustard and/or hot sauce for dipping.

 

 

 

[Smithy]

Ooh, ooh! @Kim Shook's suggestion of breakfast pockets reminded me of this recipe for crawfish hand pies, from Acadiana Table. I bet you could do a good riff on that. I plan to start experimenting with hand pies as soon as I get back from a trip later this week and can lay my hands on puff pastry. You, my dear, could make some of your bierocks, or use some of your good pastry methods (or whomp crescent rolls) to make something like that.

 

 

Edited to add: Kim's suggested breakfast pockets sound darned good, too. I'm glad she added a link for those!

Edited December 2, 2023 by Smithy
Updated the post (log)

[blue_dolphin]

42 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Ooh, ooh! @Kim Shook's suggestion of breakfast pockets reminded me of this recipe for crawfish hand pies, from Acadiana Table. I bet you could do a good riff on that. I plan to start experimenting with hand pies as soon as I get back from a trip later this week and can lay my hands on puff pastry. You, my dear, could make some of your bierocks, or use some of your good pastry methods (or whomp crescent rolls) to make something like that.

I love the idea of hand pies or other pastry-filled breakfasts.  Kenji made Thanksgiving leftovers hot pockets with store-bought pizza dough.  

I wonder if one could freeze leftovers in an appropriately shaped blob so that when there were enough, you could make the pastry or dough. wrap them up, bake and freeze. You could work up quite an assortment that way.

 

[Shelby]

54 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Ooh, ooh! @Kim Shook's suggestion of breakfast pockets reminded me of this recipe for crawfish hand pies, from Acadiana Table. I bet you could do a good riff on that. I plan to start experimenting with hand pies as soon as I get back from a trip later this week and can lay my hands on puff pastry. You, my dear, could make some of your bierocks, or use some of your good pastry methods (or whomp crescent rolls) to make something like that.

That reminds me of a cookbook I have called Sister Pie.  I think there are hand pie recipes in there.  I can't remember if we discussed that book or not here.

[blue_dolphin]

21 minutes ago, Shelby said:

That reminds me of a cookbook I have called Sister Pie.  I think there are hand pie recipes in there.  I can't remember if we discussed that book or not here.

I love that book!  I've had the sweet potato, black bean and feta hand pies on my list forever!  Or was that the caramelized onion, delicate squash and sage hand pies?  Or maybe the tomato, olive and mozzarella hand pies? 🙃

[Shelby]

11 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

I love that book!  I've had the sweet potato, black bean and feta hand pies on my list forever!  Or was that the caramelized onion, delicate squash and sage hand pies?  Or maybe the tomato, olive and mozzarella hand pies? 🙃

YES!

 

I actually have that kind of squash, and onions, of course and fresh sage.  I should make those tomorrow.  I have store bought pie crust to make it easier.......

[Smithy]

43 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

I love the idea of hand pies or other pastry-filled breakfasts.  Kenji made Thanksgiving leftovers hot pockets with store-bought pizza dough.  

I wonder if one could freeze leftovers in an appropriately shaped blob so that when there were enough, you could make the pastry or dough. wrap them up, bake and freeze. You could work up quite an assortment that way.

 

 

I've wondered, along those same lines, about making a sweet pie filling in the appropriate shape, then loading it into a pie crust for baking. I've wondered, but not gotten farther along than actually making and freezing peach pie filing. In 2022!

[FauxPas]

@Shelby I'm pretty boring with portable savory stuff, like doing a play on a McD ham and egg or sausage and egg. My husband prefers just sausage and cheese and I used to make my own sausage patties. 

 

There are always mini-quiche or frittatas cooked in muffin tins but you probably already did that or thought of it. 

 

I like the idea of this savory muffin with sausage and apple, but it may not appeal to your guys. I'm not sure I would use the spinach. 

https://www.momables.com/cheddar-apple-sausage-jumbo-muffins/

 

 

[Shelby]

@FauxPasI like the idea of some type of savory muffin like that...they might even like the apple part...I have lots of time to experiment before the next trip so I'll add those to the list!

 

It's a more sunny day at the moment.  Heavy frost on the ground.  I'm not sure what they guys are up to....but they got up at 5.  I stayed in bed and tried to go back to sleep but Scout and the cats were not on the same page.  I assume today they will work on the deer a bit....or maybe Ronnie and I will do it tomorrow.  Kind of hoping for tomorrow....I feel lazy today.

 

Yesterday the guys took a ride around in the morning and then came home and puttered around.  Thanks to our friend I got two new door knobs put on the garage doors --they were both going ka-put.  His Georgia Dogs let us down, though.  Dang Alabama lol.  On to the food.

 

I thawed out venison chili that I made a few weeks ago.  It was super spicy when we ate it the first time but freezing seemed to calm it down a bit?  Maybe it was all in my head lol.

 

 

I knew I had a big evening of cooking coming (remember Saturday is game day where we eat what has been gotten--hopefully lol).  So I got to work early in the day.  First I trimmed up the tenderloins and butterflied them into little steaks.

 

 

 

 

I didn't feel like that would be enough for dinner so I thawed out my hoarded plucked doves.  Only Ronnie takes the time to pluck them for me.  I like the little layer of skin that gets left on.  I like how it crisps up after roasting and I feel like the doves are juicier.

 

 

Even though I vac pack them I also wrap each one individually in Saran Wrap.  Doves are very touchy and freezer burn easily.

 

 

I did four of them with the usual stuffing of jalapeños and onions wrapped in bacon.  The other four I stuffed with onion, lemon wedge, rosemary, sage and thyme.  Seasoned with Lawry's salt, pepper and a splash of Dale's.

 

 

All of the meats rested in the fridge while I worked on the rest....I did go hang in the garage for a while to watch a bit of football with a glass of wine . While I was sitting there I remembered I had been saving duck livers, gizzards and hearts in the freezer to make for tonight.  Got right up and got those thawed out.

 

 I have made Hank Shaw's Deviled Duck Hearts recipe  before and we both loved it.  I've tweaked it a bit to include the gizzards and livers.  I pressure cook the gizzards in the IP on high for 30 mins.  first and then add them in with the livers and hearts and follow the rest of the recipe as written (this makes them nice and tender, otherwise they are like rubber).  Our friend raved (I even raved a bit myself lol) about these.  I think he won't mind so much saving the innards for me in the future 🤣---I think he always thought I was a bit nuts for wanting him to do that.

 

 

Green beans done to death in the IP along with onions and bacon

 

 

Scalloped potatoes

 

 

Doves after roasting--about 10 mins @ 450f

 

 

Tenderloin after being seared in a ton of butter.  Ronnie added a glug of wine and made a little au jus.

 

 

My plate

 

 

Made the afore mentioned raspberry blueberry galette for dessert

 

 

Last meal tonight...trying to decide.  Am pondering between enchiladas or making venison meatballs and spaghetti.....

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Shelby (log)

[Smithy]

You're so ambitious! ALL we had for dinner yesterday was green beans cooked to death with bacon...and they were leftovers from a previous dinner! 😅

[Shelby]

10 minutes ago, Smithy said:

You're so ambitious! ALL we had for dinner yesterday was green beans cooked to death with bacon...and they were leftovers from a previous dinner! 😅

I am pooped today lol.  I really did start early...if I hadn't we'd have been eating at midnight.  There are tons of leftovers so if they come home for lunch I hope they will dive into those and empty the bulging fridge a bit. Later I'm going to set out another charcuterie board so that will use up some of the meats and cheeses......

 

You guys have a lot to do every day with the P-mobile!  I don't have to go dump my toilets and sinks at a waste station etc. lol.  I remember how much work it was just to go away to the lake for a weekend.

Edited December 3, 2023 by Shelby (log)

[Katie Meadow]

13 minutes ago, Smithy said:

You're so ambitious! ALL we had for dinner yesterday was green beans cooked to death with bacon...and they were leftovers from a previous dinner! 😅

I like green beans cooked to death with bacon.

[SLB]

I like everything.  Those hearts and gizzards, my goodness.  Downright inspiring.  

[lemniscate]

Re: hand pie/meat muffin topic 😋

 

I had forgotten I had saved a recipe from an inactive internet link for a chicken pot pie muffin.  (the origin link is dead, this wordpress is the only thing left, along with my saved recipe copy).   It's written for keto use, but I don't care about that, so I imagine regular flour could be used?

 

I imagine it could be done with sausage, ham or bacon also.  Or lean pork.

 

I saved it, but never tried it.  I have my own ham in the freezer.  I think I will finally try to do something.

Edited December 3, 2023 by lemniscate (log)