Chapter 34

Camp Cooking-Recipes

Venison Steak Cut steak about 1 1/2 inches thick. Remove excess fat and wipe clean and dry. Have a very hot fire and when frying pan is smoking hot drop steak into the pan and allow to sear quickly on one side. Then turn.

If you like steak medium or well done, reduce the heat of the fire and turn occasionally, until at desired stage. If you prefer a rare steak, it will require 10 to 12 minutes; medium, 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve on a hot platter. Spread steak with butter and add salt and pepper to taste.

Venison Cutlets Cut small slices of meat from the loin about 1 1/4 inches thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and brush with melted butter. Roll in bread crumbs. Fry in butter.

Roast Duck Clean and dress duck. Steam about 1 1/2 hours before roasting. Stuff with sliced onion or apple. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover breasts with several slices of salt pork. Bake about 20 minutes in a very hot oven, basting every 4 or 5 minutes with fat in pan. Remove stuffing before serving.

Roast Leg of Venison Cut leg and a piece of the loin which will weigh about 5 or 6 pounds. Wipe dry with a damp cloth. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and roll in flour. Attach several strips of salt pork or bacon. Put in roaster and bake three hours.

BILL GORMAN > If I had a leg of venison, I would grill it, medium rare. It’s healthier and the flavor is better.

Fried Grouse Skin and dress the grouse. Remove the legs. Cut breast in half lengthwise. Break down flat the piece containing the breast bone, doing this with a camp axe or back of a hunting knife. Wipe with damp cloth. Fry in pork or bacon fat. Season to taste with salt and pepper when served.

BILL GORMAN > One of the highlights of hunting as a teenager was my mother’s cooking. We’d bring home grouse, pheasant, rabbit, even gray squirrel, and she would cook it. She loved it (and she still does).

Roast Pheasant Dress and clean pheasant. Tie several pieces of fat bacon on breasts. Bake 30 to 50 minutes, basting frequently with fat in pan. Remove bacon before serving.

Pea Soup Place one cup of split peas and ham bone in kettle and cover with water. Let simmer until peas and meat are well done, this requiring about 3 hours. Remove the bone and strain peas. Remove bits of meat from bone and add to soup. Thin with milk if too thick. This is enough for four people, one generous serving each. Pea Flour is now available in 3/4 ounce packages (one serving). Ready to serve in about 10 minutes.