NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/1028906
28 NEBRASKAland • OCTOBER 2018 experience. I do this by cooking game in as many ways as I can think of so that different people can connect with it. What I do find interesting is how wild game is perceived in different countries. For example, eating game is so often considered "redneck" or "backwoods" in the United States. But across the pond in the U.K., a wild game dinner is an elevated experience. Hunting is the sport of gentry in Britain, whereas here, it is the sport of the common man, and it's interesting how that is reflected in the food. Rick and I visited Scotland in June, and we ate as much local game and seafood as we could find: red deer that was hunted on a nearby estate; wild salmon, cod, haddock, hake and lobster caught off the Scottish coast; and fresh scallops and oysters harvested the same morning from a local saltwater bay loch … we even came home with a few new recipes to try. I can't think of a better way to truly experience – take in a new place – than to consume an animal that spent its life living and breathing in that space, eating the grass that grew wild on its native soil, and drinking from the streams that bubbled from deep underneath that same earth. That animal is an embodiment of its environment, and the connection of being able to hunt and prepare a meal with its meat is magical. You just don't get that experience with factory meat. How has your experience hunting, fishing, and cooking wild game in Nebraska influenced your perception or understanding of the state? It's made me appreciate the state's bounty, and how important conservation is in maintaining this bounty. I come from Southern California, where their idea of "conservation" is more hands off and fairly anti-hunting, all the while turning a blind eye to how much urban development and our very existence affects wildlife. Speaking from personal experience – when you spend your whole life living among buildings and concrete, your idea of the countryside, of the forest, and all the creatures that live in it are more fantasy than reality. This realization has changed the way I look at our wild places, and I have hunting to thank for it. Rick and I would've never been able to sustain Food for Hunters back in SoCal. Living in Nebraska now, we always have a freezer full of game. I'm thankful for all our biologists who are so passionate in what they do, all the like-minded hunters and anglers who buy their hunting and fishing permits every year to support conservation, and our Nebraska landowners who are stewards of the earth and water upon which our wildlife depend. You will find Jenny's recipe for venison steak tartare in the following recipes. To me, this is the essence of venison in its purest form. Don't be intimidated – as someone who has used the recipe, I can assure you it's easy to prepare and unbelievably delicious. You will also find a recipe for foraged oyster mushroom tacos by former executive chef at Lincoln's Hub Café Abigael Birrel, candied garden squash rings by my grandmother and lifelong cook Jane Sparks, and Sander's Farm bobwhite quail by chef and owner of The Grey Plume in Omaha Clayton Chapman. I hope these recipes inspire you to get outside and explore Nebraska's autumn flavors. ■ Venison Steak Tartare Yield: 4 appetizers • ½ pound venison loin or roast (never inside straps) • Kosher salt • Half a shallot, minced • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar • ½ teaspoon juniper berries, toasted and ground • Himalayan sea salt, to taste • Coarse ground pepper, to taste • Fresh parsley, chopped and to taste • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce • Grated zest of half a lemon • Woodland violet flowers for garnish, optional • 2 egg yolks, from a reliable source • Capers • French bread, sliced, buttered and toasted 1. Trim off any silver skin and fat on venison. Cover liberally with the kosher salt and set in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to firm up. Meanwhile, soak minced shallot in red wine vinegar. Wash your hands thoroughly before handling the meat. When venison is firm, rinse salt off the venison and pat dry with paper towels. With a sharp knife, finely dice the meat. Transfer meat to a bowl and keep cold. (Never use tenderloin/inside straps for this recipe due to possible contamination from the gut.) 2. Drain shallots and combine with minced meat, ground juniper berries, Himalayan sea salt to taste, coarse ground pepper, chopped parsley, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Taste for seasoning. 3. Divide meat into two serving bowls and make a depression in each. Lay an egg yolk into each bowl and garnish with lemon zest – edible flowers are purely decorative. Serve with capers and thinly sliced, buttered, toasted French bread. Try this dish with sliced/diced avocados. – Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley