PolkCountyToday.com

Stews
By Mike Atchley

Stews have always been popular in America since the days of Indians and Colonists.  Even when the pioneers headed west and camped out at night, the pots were hung to cook over the fire.  Long, slow cooking produces tender and moist meat.  You can use our modern versions of our ancestors iron kettle, electric slow cookers, dutch ovens, or cast iron pots that allow the ingredients to simmer very slowly.  This type of cooking locks in the flavor of all the ingredients in your stew, but more importantly, it tenderizes game animals and birds.
 

Day in and day out the meat served at the chuckwagon was beef and more beef.   So anytime there was a change in the meat it was most welcomed by the cowboys that ate at that wagon.  Any time Cookie had a chance to cook up something wild he did so.  Venison, buffalo, elk, quail, duck, turkey, hog or pork and big horned sheep, any one of these were a welcomed change from the diet of beef. 

Anytime someone had a chance to bring in something wild to the wagon whether if be Cookie himself or one the cowboys, it was considered a treat.  If didn't matter if it was rabbit or elk meat everyone looked forward to the next meal that Cookie was going to dish out of the dutch ovens.

The weather is starting to turn cold and hunting season is here.  The recipes I have put together for you will deal with cooking wild game.  So when the hunters in your household bring in their bounty, whatever it is, try these recipes and welcome the change in your menu.

 

RABBIT STEW

1 large rabbit cut in serving pieces

2 tsp salt

1 cup potatoes, cubed small

1/2 cup celery

1 medium onion

1 8 oz. can tomato paste

3 Tbsp butter

1 cup carrots

salt and pepper to taste

Cover rabbit with water and one tsp. of salt.  Bring to a boil for ten minutes then discard water.  Cover rabbit again with water and 1 tsp salt.  Simmer until rabbit is tender.  Remove meat and reserve 2 cups of broth.  When cool, bone rabbit and cut into 1 inch pieces.  Melt butter in dutch oven and add vegetables.  Cover and cook 15 min.  Add broth and tomato sauce.  Bring this mixture to a boil and add rabbit.  Thicken broth with cornstarch if necessary.

 

SMOTHERED QUAIL

6 quail

1/2 c of vinegar

1 gallon water

6 Tbsp butter

2 cups chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

cooked rice

3 Tbsp flour

Place cleaned quail in water and vinegar solution and let stand several hours.  Wash with cold water and dry thoroughly.  Brown the quail in a dutch oven, the remove quail.  Add flour to butter in dutch oven and stir well.  Slowly add chicken broth and salt and pepper to taste.  Blend well and add quail.  Cover and bake 1 hour with moderate heat or 350 degrees in a conventional oven.  Serve with rice.

 

ROAST VENISON

1/2 cup vinegar

2 cloves of garlic

1Tbls Worcestershire sauce

cold water to cover game

4 lb venison meat

2 Tbls flour

1 large onion

2Tbls brown sugar

2 Tbls salt

1 tsp mustard

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 1 lb can tomatoes

Mix vinegar, salt and water in bowl to cover game.  Soak overnight.  Remove from marinade, season with salt , roll in flour and brown in dutch oven.  Add remaining ingredients.  Cover and cook for 6 hours or until tender.

 

CHICKEN FRIED VENISON STEAKS

salt and pepper

2 eggs

1 can of milk

venison steaks

flour

oil

Pound the steaks with a meat tenderizer.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Dip in milk and egg mixture and dredge in flour.  Repeat process.  Heat oil in dutch oven.   Fry steaks until golden brown.  Make milk gravy with the drippings.  Serve with some mashed potatoes and biscuits.

 

ELK STEAKS-ENGLISH STYLE

Elk is more like beef than any other game meat, and is best treated like beef.  This is a good way to prepare steaks if you're sure the meat is fairly tender.  The quantities of ingredients depend upon how many steaks are being prepared.

1/2 inch thick elk steaks

salt and pepper to taste

flour

2 onions, sliced

1 can onion soup

Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper.  Fry just long enough to brown.  Remove from dutch oven and fry onions slowly with salt and oil until clear.  Add steaks and onion soup.  Bake covered 1 1/2 hours with moderate coals or at 350 degrees in conventional oven.  Add water if steaks become too dry.