Nebraskaland

18 Nebraskaland • December 2024 IN THE FIELD By Ryan Sparks 'HEAT AND EAT' DEER SHANK ENCHILADAS The past few years my ace-in-the- hole recipe for deer shanks has been "heat and eat enchiladas." You can make a half dozen trays of enchiladas to freeze and have ready for days when you don't want to cook or do dishes. Depending on how many shanks you have, you can double or even quadruple the recipe. We usually aim to put four to six trays in the freezer. Use this two-tray recipe as a base. Servings: 5-6 per tray Prep time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 3 hours Ingredients: • 2-3 tbsp. canola or vegetable oil • 2 deer shanks • 10 flour tortillas • Enchilada sauce (see below) • 2 (4-oz.) cans diced green chilies • 2 white onions, diced • 8 oz. shredded cheese, plus extra Enchilada Sauce • ¼ cup vegetable oil • 2 tbsp. flour • ¼ cup chili powder • ¼ tsp. cumin • ¼ tsp. garlic powder • 8 oz. tomato sauce • 1½ cups shank water Salt to taste Equipment Needed • 2 (9x13) aluminum baking trays • Vacuum sealer and 15x18 vacuum sealer bags • Aluminum foil 1. Coat the shanks with cooking oil and salt lightly. Brown the shanks on all sides in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat or in a 425˚ oven for 10-15 minutes. Place the browned shanks in an electric slow cooker or large stock pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a steady simmer, cover, and reduce the heat to low. If using an electric slow cooker, use the "high" setting. Cook until the meat easily separates from the bone. 2. In a 3-quart saucepan or large deep skillet, heat ¼ cup oil over medium heat. Once hot, add 2 tablespoons of flour and ¼ cup chili powder and cook until lightly browned. Stir constantly to prevent burning. Stir in cumin and garlic powder and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes. Gradually stir in the tomato sauce and water from your shank pot. Simmer for 10 minutes. Taste for salt. 3. When the shanks are very tender, separate the meat from the bones and tendons. 4. Create an assembly line with all your ingredients in individual containers (tortillas, meat, cheese, green chilies, white onion and enchilada sauce). 5. Pour enough enchilada sauce in the baking trays to lightly coat the bottom. Dip a tortilla in the enchilada sauce on both sides and then place it in the aluminum baking tray. Put a fistful of shank meat in the tortilla, along with a scattering of white onion, diced green chilies and cheese. Roll the tortilla up with the seam side down. Continue assembling until the tray is full. Repeat for the second tray. 6. Once both trays are assembled, use aluminum foil to create a tight seal over each tray. Place each tray in a vacuum sealable bag, label the contents and vacuum seal before freezing. The trays stack nicely and will last a year or longer. 7. To heat and eat, remove the tray from the vacuum sealed bag and place in a 375˚ oven for one hour or until the enchiladas are warmed through. Remove the aluminum foil, add extra cheese to the top and return to the oven until melted. Deer shank enchiladas, "heat and eat" style. RYAN SPARKS

• Cover