Year of the Deer- 12 Months of Wild Game Cooking
This year, for the first time, Wade and I kept a food journal. When we started it, we intended to use it as a reference point for new recipes, but as the year went on and I’d scan back through it, I started thinking that other people might find it interesting too. I wish we’d started doing this years ago- I’d love to have been able to see the changes in our cooking as we ate more game.
There’s so much I want to say about our shift to eating only wild game meats, and how it’s made us into sharper, more resourceful hunters and cooks. How it forced us to learn how much to take for our year and budget our consumption. How it broke us of the mentality of hoarding game meat for special occasions or particular preparations.
But I don’t want to touch on any of that here, because ultimately, I think the message I want to convey with this is one of abundance, pure and simple. I want hunters and non-hunters alike to see wild ingredients and the wild places that provide them as places of richness. I want people to see food forged out of a connection with the landscape as a luxury, not a sacrifice. Many Americans have long associated wild game with poverty, scarcity, and inferiority- something to move away from as we become able to afford domesticated meat. That mentality has helped to shift generations of Americans away from our national inheritance, which has been deeded to us by law- our land and the animals that make their lives on it. Restoring our relationship with this most precious gift is some of the most important work we have to do, and one of the many ways we can do it is through food.
So below, you’ll find a complete accounting of our meals for the year. Some made it to the website, most didn’t- if you see something on this list that you’d like to see more of, please let us know in the comments.
January
1/1: Spicy braised venison shank heel, black and pinto beans over brown rice with jalapeño and labneh
1/2: Leftover shanks
1/3: Lobster salad, white house rolls, tuna poke (leftover from NYE dinner service at work)
1/4: Palak paneer with tofu
1/5: Corned venison hash with sweet and russet potatoes
1/6: Cobia with roasted broccoli and cauliflower, caper-lemon-wine sauce
1/7: Braised venison shanks, biscuits, roasted broccoli
1/8: Leftover shanks, labneh, pasta
1/9: Leftover shanks made into pot pie with cabbage
1/10: Venison Lebanon bologna on biscuits, leftover pot pie
1/11: Venison backstrap, roasted root vegetables, venison demi glace
1/12: Lunch- wild game feast with friends. Confit turkey with butter curry, roasted garlic sage venison sausage and hominy, corned venison with crescent rolls. Dinner- Roasted ducks, demi glace, carrots and leftover roasted root vegetables
1/13: Goose pho with duck breast, venison ribs
1/14: Goose pho leftovers (canned remaining stock)
1/15: Cobia, caper-roasted garlic-lemon beurre blanc, lemon pepper green beans
1/16: Goose broth chao, shredded turkey wing confit. Salt cured duck eggs. Chipped tooth on hevishot.
1/17: Venison dolmas, white beans
1/18: Leftover dolmas and beans
1/19: Roasted venison rack, roasted vegetables, demi glace
1/20: Turkey tenderloin green curry. Oyster mushroom wontons, fried tofu.
1/21: Roasted venison rack, roasted vegetables, demi glace
1/22: Venison bottom round roast. Mustard Demi, squash
1/23: Leftover venison roast on biscuits with broccoli and lemon pepper
1/24: Korean BBQ goose breast, all kinds of bonchon dishes
1/25: Leftovers from Korean feast
1/26: Dinner with friends- Wild game charcuteries, black BBQ deer ribs, duck wings, venison sage sausage, angel hair pasta
1/27: Goose barbacoa tacos, cumin rice
1/28: Whole roasted canvasback, leeks, carrots, broccoli
1/29: Cobia, chipotle-lomé-amarillo sauce, bell peppers, onion, cilantro and left over cumin rice
1/30: Venison sirloin tip, greens, chimichurri
1/31: Cobia, greens, lentils, chimichurri
February
2/1: Grilled cheese with venison lebanon bologna & venison andouille, with tomato soup
2/2: Roasted rack of venison. Pasta with morel butter, salad
2/3: Venison sirloin tips. Roasted broccoli, porcini couscous
2/4: Leftovers, roasted squash
2/5: Turkey noodle soup (canvasback stock)
2/6: Leftover soup
2/7: Steamed cobia & rice, soy sauce, veggies
2/8: Rice with fermented tofu and veggies
2/9: Shad roe and hominy
2/10: Chinese delivery- ma po tofu, steamed dumplings
2/11: Leftover chinese
2/12: Venison backstrap, roasted broccoli
2/13: Travel day (Pheasant Fest)- Room service flatbread pizza
2/14: Travel day (Pheasant Fest)- “house pho” - surimi, summer rolls
2/15: Travel day (Pheasant Fest)- Steak, potatoes, salad
2/16: Vietnamese cobia summer rolls
2/17: Palak paneer with tofu
2/18: Lobster salad (leftover from work vday dinner)
2/19: Steamed halibut with rice and vegetables, soy sauce
2/20: Halibut (from work) cioppino with mussels and pasta
2/21: Halibut & roasted vegetables
2/22: Goose pho
2/23: Goose pho
2/24: Gochujang venison sirloin, korean bonchon sides
2/25: Cobia, spinach, rice, bonchon leftovers
2/26: Cobia, capers, lemon butter, pasta, spinach
2/27: Venison sirloin, mushroom pasta
2/28: Sous vide turkey thigh, red peas and rice
2/29: Shrimp fried rice
March
3/1: Dinner with friends- Beaver backstrap, sous vide venison backstrap, charcuterie
3/2: Beaver “oxtail”
3/3: Thai cobia curry and rice
3/4: Leftover beaver oxtail & turkey
3/5: Venison backstrap, mustard greens
3/6: Top ramen. Veg. Left over backstrap and beaver
3/7: Canned braised venison, Mexican style, rice, beans
3/8: Leftover Mexican canned venison
3/9: Szechuan tofu
3/10: Thai cobia curry
3/11: Vietnamese lemongrass turkey leg, rice
3/12: Leftover turkey
3/13: Cobia, roast veg
3/14: Venison flat iron steak, roasted vegetables
3/15: Venison chops, greens, cauliflower
3/16: Venison meatballs and pasta, red sauce
3/17: Grilled venison porterhouse, potatoes
3/18: Leftover porterhouse. Turkey/shrimp spring rolls
3/19: Spring rolls. Lemongrass turkey soup with rice and mushrooms.
3/20: Leftover lemongrass soup + turkey breasts
3/21: Curry with tofu
3/22: Smoked goose breast, salad. Beaver steamed dumplings
3/23: Beaver steamed buns (bao), beaver lardo pizza
3/24: Beaver fat biscuits, venison pepperoni pizza, roasted canvasback duck
3/25: Goose pot pie
3/26: Venison pepperoni calzone, goose pot pie leftovers
3/27: Beaver fat pretzels, goose pot pie
3/28: Fried shad roe, grits
3/29: Cobia belly, greens, tofu, rice
3/30: Shad roe, spring onions, venison eye round tacos
3/31: Smoked turkey and cleaver pasta, smoked beaver pot pie, beaver fat pretzels
April
4/1: Smoked turkey noodle soup
4/2: Fried catfish, deer tallow cornbread, braised greens
4/3: Beaver pot pie with spinach
4/4: Shad roe, hominy, garlic mustard pesto. Pistachio crusted venison racks, Sicilian venison tartare
4/5: Couscous and venison rack leftovers
4/6: Roasted pintail, green beans, yu choy
4/7: Palak paneer with tofu
4/8: Shad roe, potato hash, roasted garlic oil braised onions
4/9: Palak paneer leftovers
4/10: Goose pho, venison back straps, salami
4/11: Grilled goose breast, asparagus, salami
4/12: Goose sandwiches. Ramen with veg. Cobia steamed vegetables
4/13: Venison eye round. Black beans, tortillas
4/14: Venison top sirloin, butter baste, potatoes and brussels sprouts
4/15: Fried skate sandwich, broccoli
4/16: Venison Italian sausage, pasta, red sauce
4/17: Venison eye round, roasted vegetables, demi glace
4/18: Sea duck merguez and hominy. Canned venison and brown rice, salsa verde
4/19: Black garlic venison rack, asparagus. Fried turkey tenders, buffalo sauce, peas, peach cobbler
4/20: Fried turkey cutlets, orange piccata
4/21: Beaver backstrap, potatoes, greens, pasta
4/22: Turkey sausage, pasta, broccolini
4/23: Braised duck legs, morels and oyster mushrooms stroganoff. Egg noodles. Kale and chard.
4/24: Goose in chipotle braise, brown rice, pinto beans
4/25: Venison pepperoni pizza, asparagus
4/26: Snakehead, pasta, parsley & lemon sauce
4/27: Goose, farro, kabocha squash, tzatziki
4/28: Oh my gosh soup with canned venison
4/29: Snakehead, rice, broccoli, sesame oil
4/30: Venison meatball soup
May
5/1: Grilled snakehead, salad
5/2: Leftover venison meatball soup
5/3: Nettle palak paneer
5/4: Leftover nettle palak paneer
5/5: Venison tasso ham, mustard greens, grits
5/6: Venison tasso mac and cheese, venison tallow biscuits
5/7: Chicago dogs and tater tots
5/8: Thai cobia curry
5/9: Pasta, duck fat kale, and Parmesan
5/10: Turkey nuggets
5/11: Chicago dogs
5/12: Venison with green sauce, cumin rice and pinto beans
5/13: Leftover venison and green sauce
5/14: Goose breast, roasted potatoes and broccoli
5/15: Grilled cobia, garlic scapes, asparagus, roasted garlic pasta
5/16: Bluefish sashimi, kale, rice, turkey katsu
5/17: Pheasant back burgers
5/18: Turkey chao, salted duck eggs
5/19: Goose pho
5/20: Snakehead summer rolls
5/21: Stuffed shells with ricotta and red sauce (Rachel’s mom made them)
5/22: Turkey tacos, hush puppies
5/23: Fried ray, hush puppies
5/24: Speckled trout, pasta, yeast rolls, spinach with country ham
5/25: Tofu, rice, mustard greens, ponzu
5/26: Grilled speckled trout and collars. Greens, asparagus, deer fat yuzu lemon bar
5/27: Smoked venison tartare
5/28: Smoked venison tartare
5/29: Smoked venison rack, greens
5/30: Fried rockfish, hush puppies
5/31: Grilled rockfish collars, cornbread
June
6/2: Braised shanks, taco style
6/3: Leftovers
6/4: Skate wings, mustard greens, couscous
6/5: Smoked goose breast, pasta, mustard greens
6/6: Rockfish, pasta, mustard greens
6/7: Canned venison, salsa verde, rice, butter beans
6/8: Leftovers
6/9: Cobia collars/tail/wing/cheeks. Udon, greens, mushroom miso soup
6/10: Leftovers.
6/11: Smoked venison porterhouses, pasta salad, artichokes
6/12: Cobia, lemony greens
6/13: Cobia tacos
6/14: Pozole verde with canned venison
6/15: Fried perch & roe. Broiled speck. Greens, capers and broiled tomatoes
6/16: Broiled cobia collars. Teriyaki style sauce, rice, greens
6/17: Smoked venison barbacoa, black beans, cumin rice
6/18: Venison ribs, hush puppies, tomatoes and arugula
6/19: Smoked squirrel burritos
6/20: Smoked wood ducks, sauteed greens
6/21: Snakehead collars, chinese egg noodles, mustard greens, soy and lime
6/22: Snakehead caviar, buckwheat blinis, fixins
6/23: Sika deer flank, aji amarillo marinade tacos
6/24: Grilled snakehead, salad
6/25: Rockfish and snakehead collars, pasta, Greek tomato sauce, yu choy
6/26: Rockfish, salsa verde, tortillas, cumin rice
6/27: Canned venison pozole verde
6/28: Snakehead summer rolls
6/29: Szechuan rockfish, yu choy, rice
6/30: Braised venison shoulder, greens, cornbread
July
7/1: Salt crusted snakehead, couscous, tomatoes, basil, parmesan
7/2: Fried perch, tomatoes, cucumber, basil salad
7/3: Fried perch, hominy, succotash.
7/4: Steamed crabs, venison andouille with vegetables and rice. Blackberry cobbler
7/5: Fried perch, succotash, crab meat
7/6: Pizza with tomatoes, basil, Parmesan
7/7: Fried perch, succotash
7/8: Broiled mackerel, vegetables, pasta, butter sauce
7/9: Soy marinated mackerel. Rice, bonchon sides
7/10: Smoked venison flat iron, cilantro rice, salsa verde, smoked jalapeños
7/11: Baked rockfish with butter and capers. Pepper cress. Beaver fat pretzels
7/12: Smoked venison sirloin tip, succotash
7/13: Venison leftovers, brown rice, smoked jalapeños, burrito bowl (no beans)
7/14: Venison ribs, pasta salad
7/15: Venison rib leftovers, chinese egg noodles, yu choy
7/16: Pizza- boquerones and tomatoes, venison chorizo with peppers
7/18: Dinner with Tom and Ashley- snakehead caviar, turkey liver pate, sika carpaccio, beaver backstrap, cobia with roasted tomatoes, black garlic whitetail rack, homemade ice cream
7/19: Butter curry, canned venison
7/20: Braised venison shanks, vegetable fritters, pico de gallo
7/21: Tomato-coconut curry with cobia belly and collar, yu choy, peppers, Thai basil
7/22: Goose breast, bacon potatoes, squash, demi glace
7/23: Pan fried skate with cornmeal, mozzarella panzanella cucumber salad
7/24: Venison Italian sausage, roasted tomatoes, basil, pasta
7/25: Black pepper crusted sirloin tip, chimichurri
7/26: Cobia belly summer rolls, tomato salad
7/27: Beaver pho
7/28: Cornstarch fried catfish, hot and sour sauce
7/29: Fried speckled trout, tomatoes
7/30: Venison sirloin, pasta, roasted tomato
7/31: Venison shank tacos, fresh corn tortillas
August
8/1: Venison eye round, roasted broccoli, tomatoes
8/2: Braised venison soup with udon, ginger, yuchoy
8/3: Cobia belly bouillabaisse
8/4: Goose confit, acorn squash, barley, corn, demi glace
8/5: Leftover catering stuff- Barley, snow peas, crab, tomatoes, corn
8/6: Tomato-coconut curry, cobia and snakehead scraps, Thai basil, rice
8/7: Crab chowder, garlic bread, sous vide venison rack, roasted broccoli, barley, apple crisp
8/8: Steamed crabs, corn
8/9: Steamed crabs, summer succotash with VA ham
8/10: Rockfish chowder
8/11: Smoked venison tri tip, pasta, smoked tomatoes
8/12: Canned venison texmex, beaver fat sea island red peas
8/13: Beaver bratwurst, sauerkraut, spaetzle
8/14: Largemouth bass kamaboko (fried with cornstarch), udon ramen, mustard greens, shishitos.
8/15: Persian feast. Venison kebabs, sika deer easter stew, leek pate, flat bread
8/16: Persian feast leftovers
8/17: Bratwurst balls, kraut, pasta with tomato sauce
8/18: Venison eye round, roasted cauliflower, potatoes, chanterelles in brown butter
8/19: Smoked venison sirloin tip, smoked carrots, yu choy, rice, “beef and broccoli sauce”
8/20: Fried catfish, ginger hot and sour sauce
8/21: Smoked goose and beaver pho
8/22: Dinner with friends: charcuteries, cobia summer rolls, sika carpaccio, fried skate, smoked venison rack, deer fat cookies
8/23: Leftover pho, cobia summer rolls
8/24: Axis deer, caribou heart, beaver backstrap - potatoes, tomato salad. Peach cobbler & ice cream
8/25: Venison stroganoff, cauliflower mushrooms
8/26: Old bay cobia with butter and wine, summer succotash
8/27: Canned venison tacos. Roasted cobia, couscous salad, piccata sauce, roasted oyster mushrooms
8/28: Roasted cobia. Succotash with shrimp.
8/29: Roasted wood duck, farm veg, potatoes
8/30: Snakehead, couscous, greens
8/31: Beaver bratwurst, egg noodles
September
9/1: Venison shank Oh My Gosh soup
9/2: Leftover Oh My Gosh & cauliflower mushrooms, fried okra
9/3: Chipotle butter grilled doves and corn. Mustard glazed doves.
9/4: Broiled doves, leftover corn
9/5: Grilled doves with Tonys, summer succotash, deer fat cornbread
9/6: Cobia & tomato curry, paratha, rice
9/7: Leftover curry
9/8: Roasted venison sirloin tip, cornbread “pudding”, greens
9/9: Steamed crabs, edamame
9/10: Steamed crabs, pasta salad
9/11: Squirrel burrito
9/12: Venison tenderloin, long beans with lemon pepper, rice “pilaf”
9/13: Fried turkey, okra, jalapeño poppers
9/14: Cobia, lentils
9/15: Goose barbacoa tacos, cumin rice
9/16: Leftover barbacoa tacos
9/17: Fried rockfish & speckled trout, fried rail legs, hushpuppies
9/18: Venison top round tacos, chipotle/aji amarillo marinade
9/19: Travel day (Salvadorean restaurant)- pupusas, tongue tacos, rice and beans
9/20: Corned venison, roasted acorn squash
9/21: Corned venison “stroganoff”
9/22: Smoked rail pot pie, corn
9/23: Corned venison reubens
9/24: Shrimp boil, potatoes, corn
9/25: Shrimp, ginger-lemongrass sauce, rice
9/26: Shrimp boil with tomatoes, cheese plate, corn
9/27: Softshell shrimp (fried) ginger-lemongrass sauce, rice, long beans
9/28: Travel- Ramen and instant mashed potatoes (camping)
9/29: Blackened speckled trout, roasted squash, cornbread
9/30: Sautéed shrimp, garlic, tomato, pasta
October
10/1: Fried softshell shrimp po boy, smoked turkey breast, long beans, cilantro rice, green sauce
10/2: Roasted cobia, pasta, chanterelles, sea beans, caper-butter-wine sauce
10/3: Venison sausage soup
10/4: Smoked eel, sushi rice, miso soup, seaweed salad
10/5: Rockfish, “quiche” of assorted veg
10/6: Goose pho (beaver pho broth), leftovers
10/7: Travel day (Colorado elk)- Wendy’s at airport. Not as good as I remember. Canned chicken and corn chowder with extra chicken. Ramen.
10/8: Travel day (Colorado elk)- Ramen and Thai thing for lunch. Chicken noodle soup with extra chicken for dinner.
10/9: Travel day (Colorado elk)- Chili with tortillas for lunch. Chicken wild rice +rice +chicken for dinner
10/10: Travel day (Colorado elk)- Breakfast burritos. Pupusas, bibimbap
10/11: Travel day (Colorado elk)- Cheesy pasta thing
10/12: Travel day (Colorado elk)- Steak fajitas.
10/13: Travel day (Colorado elk)- Canned soups. Pupusas, apple crumble.
10/14: Travel day (Colorado elk)- Durango. Tacos for lunch. Sushi for dinner. *squid salad was awesome.
10/15: Travel day (Colorado elk)- Airport pizza. Venison sausage quesadillas, pico de Gallo.
10/16: Carolina gold rice and sea island peas, VA ham
10/17: Indian Food with Cam and Kim
10/18: Roasted goose breast, roasted veggies
10/19: Goose oh my gosh
10/20: Travel day (Sika hunt)- Leftover goose oh my gosh
10/21: Travel day (Sika hunt)- Turkey butter curry
10/22: Travel day (Sika hunt)- Leftover goose oh my gosh
10/23: Travel day (Sika hunt)- Pozole rojo, and leftover oh my gosh
10/24: Travel day (Sika hunt)- Pizza (ledo pizza)
10/25: Venison rack, roasted potatoes, carrots
10/26: Szechuan cobia
10/27: Roasted turkey breast, tomato-caper pasta
10/28: Beaver pho
10/29: Roasted turkey breast, couscous, broiled veggies
10/30: Bean soup, smoked bluefish
10/31: Leftover bean soup
November
11/1: Venison chorizo, refried beans, rice, burritos
11/2: Beaver bratwurst, egg noodles, sauerkraut, potato salad
11/3: Venison chop and porterhouse, pasta, caper-wine sauce
11/4: Venison neck pot roast, egg noodles
11/5: Baked potato with andouille, cheese.
11/6: Chili with leftover venison chorizo and andouille.
11/7: Squirrel lumpia, smoked squirrel fried rice
11/8: Venison porterhouses, shrimp pad thai
11/9: Venison chops, mushroom barley
11/10: Roasted turkey breast, nettle palak paneer, rice, naan
11/11: Leftover turkey palak paneer
11/12: Cobia belly chowder
11/13: Roasted wood duck, caper-wine-morel sauce, pasta
11/14: Venison meatballs & red sauce, spaghetti
11/15: Leftovers- cobia chowder, pasta and venison meatballs
11/16: Yearling venison rack, roasted sweet potatoes, blueberry tart with venison tallow crust
11/17: Roasted wood duck, fermented black bean-mushroom sauce, rice, blueberry tart
11/18: Yearling top sirloin, roasted potatoes and squash
11/19: Blackened snakehead, cajun polenta
11/20: Green bean casserole, stuffing, gravy, garlic bread
11/21: Venison cannibal sandwich, double smoked venison ribs
11/22: Mini thanksgiving leftovers
11/23: Cobia belly chowder, deviled eggs, salad
11/24: Venison sausage-apple-ginger-sage stuffing
11/25: Shrimp pad thai with wide noodles
11/26: Thanksgiving at Blenheim.
11/27: Turkey leg roulade, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy
11/28: Leftover turkey roulade
11/29: Fried rockfish and speckled trout, black eyed peas, cornbread, greens
11/30: Beaver pho with venison heart and backstrap trim
December
12/1: Redfish summer rolls
12/2: Venison pho with Ryan and Meredith
12/3: Venison eye round, chinese spinach, black pepper sauce, rice
12/4: Fermented tofu, fried tofu, yu choy, broccoli, rice
12/5: Venison rib stew, carrots, celery, potatoes, egg noodles
12/6: Venison chorizo, black beans, rice, tortillas
12/7: Ray, skate, shrimp spanish stew (nuts), couscous
12/8: Smoked venison rib pho (no fixins)
12/9: Leftover pho, beans, rice
12/10: Absolute dumpster fire of a day. Tater tots, pizza rolls, nuggets
12/11: Venison pastrami, roasted potatoes
12/12: Venison stew with greens, potatoes, apple cake
12/13: Venison chorizo nachos at Blenheim
12/14: Wilbers BBQ, green bean casserole, cornbread, venison chorizo chili
12/15: Venison chorizo chili and deer tallow cornbread
12/16: Turkey pozole, cornbread pudding
12/17: Leftover turkey pozole
12/18: Duck camp- goose breast, lots of beer
12/19: Duck camp- venison andouille and hominy
12/20: Venison andouille, angel hair pasta, red sauce
12/21: Venison andouille, butternut squash, greens, red cabbage
12/22: Venison pastrami, butternut squash
12/23: Shrimp, piccata sauce, pasta
12/24: Elk neck pot roast
12/25: Leftover pot roast
12/26: Deer camp- Venison backstrap, roasted sweet potatoes
12/27: Venison Italian sausage, red sauce, spaghetti
12/28: Beaver bratwurst, sauerkraut, pasta
12/29: Duck & snakehead, udon noodles, ginger-scallion sauce, yod fah
12/30: Shrimp, snakehead & cobia curry, yu choy, rice, pear tart with venison tallow crust
12/31: Leftover curry & bok choy