Of the many holiday traditions, there is one that pretty much everyone will be partaking in this season: eating! But, how many families will be able to say that they caught the meal themselves?
If you are the hunter of the family and plan to provide dinner “the old-fashioned way,” here are a few wild game recipes to help make your holiday meal into a truly mouth-watering feast.
Wild Boar Bacon
After spending one or two days on a boar hunt, the reward of bringing home a big hunk of meat is more than satisfying. But, how should you serve it up? For us, there is one very obvious answer to that question with bacon! The great thing about bacon is that it’s delicious and can be used for a variety of other recipes and meals during the holidays, and with this recipe from Wide Open Spaces, you can’t go wrong!
Ingredients:
2 medium to large wild boar bellies
Brine:
2 gallons of water
2 cups sea salt
1/4 cup curing salt (pink salt)
1/4 cup whole peppercorns
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup brown sugar
Instructions:
First, mix the brine ingredients together and soak the pork belly in the brine for two days, allowing it to cure. When you take the pork belly out, rinse it under cool water then hang to dry with a fan for one hour until a thin film forms. Next, cold smoke the meat for two hours using apple wood chips. After the meat has been smoked, it can be frozen, sliced thinly and served.
Bacon Wrapped Elk
Appetizers are key when hosting family and friends during the holidays. Everyone loves little finger foods to munch on while they are chatting and opening presents, and if you happen to have meat from an elk hunt in your freezer, you are going to be fully prepared to make a holiday treat nobody will soon forget. With this bacon-wrapped elk recipe from the Outdoor Channel, you can use your wild game to feed a large group – and even use the wild boar bacon you might have prepared earlier.
Ingredients:
1 pound elk steaks
1/2 pound bacon
Instructions:
Cut your elk meat into one-inch squares, then wrap each square with a strip of bacon. Use a toothpick to secure the roll and skewer six to seven of these wraps onto a bamboo or metal skewer stick. Broil until lightly brown, then turn and cook the other side. Serve and enjoy!
Grilled Apple Cinnamon Venison Steak
The main course of your holiday dinner should be impressive and delicious – and unique whenever possible. With Wide Open Spaces’ holiday-inspired venison steak, you will accomplish all of this and more! Mixing sweet and savory is always a winning combo, and using your very own meat from your most recent deer hunt will make your supper a favorite holiday memory.
Ingredients:
8 ounce venison steak
6 ounces frozen concentrate apple juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions:
Mix the marinade ingredients (apple juice and spices) in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 15 seconds. Once the cinnamon is dissolved, put the steak and marinade into a sealable container and let it marinade for at least eight hours. Then just grill the steak over a medium hot grill for three to five minutes and serve.
Buffalo Meatball Sliders
During the holidays, it is likely you will stay up late with family and friends drinking, talking and playing games. That means you are definitely going to need some late-night snacks. With Game & Fish’s meat-eater sliders, you can use any lean game meat, but we would suggest using meat from your buffalo hunt.
Ingredients:
2 pounds buffalo meat
1/3 pound pork fat
10 cloves garlic
1 cup bread crumbs
1 dozen slider buns or small dinner rolls
1/2 pound provolone cheese, sliced thin
32 ounces crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Oil
Instructions:
Grind the buffalo meat and pork fat together and shape them into big, thick meatballs. Salt and pepper the meatballs liberally and brown them in oil in batches. Once browned, put all the meatballs into a pan and cover with crushed tomatoes. Simmer this on low until the meatballs have cooked through. While your meatballs are cooking, cut buns in half and place them on a cookie sheet. Cover each roll with with provolone and toast them on the cookie sheet until the cheese is melted. Serve up a meatball on each bun with a small scoop of tomato sauce and enjoy.
If these recipes have you drooling and you haven’t booked your guided hunting trip yet, it’s time to contact the Tioga Boar Hunting Ranch! With a variety of hunts to choose from, you are sure to find the right trip for you – and your holiday dinner table. Don’t forget that a hunt makes a fantastic gift for the avid hunter on your holiday shopping list! Learn more by calling us today at 570-835-5341.