Venison Chop Suey or Chow Mein
Cindy Higgins

1 1/4 # ground venison
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 cups diced celery
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts
1 jar (4 1/2 oz.) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
2 cans (1 # each) LaChoy Bean Sprouts, drained

Thickening:
3 T. cold water
3 T. cornstarch
1 1/2 T. soy sauce
1 1/2 t. sugar
1 T. LaChoy Brown Gravy Sauce

1. Cook meat and onions in butter until lightly brown.
2. Add salt, pepper, celery and water and bring to a boil. Cover
and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Add remaining vegetables and heat until hot.
4. Combine the thickening ingredients and add to the meat mixture.
Cook until slightly thickened, stirring constantly.
5. Serve over hot cooked rice or chow mein noodles.

Minestrone Soup
Cindy Higgins

2/3 cup chopped onion
2T vegetable oil
1/2 pound ground venison
1/2 pound Italian venison sausage
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. oregano
1 t. basil
2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) Italian stewed tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables
1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups cooked elbow macaroni
2 T. cider vinegar
1/2 t. salt, optional
Pinch pepper

1. In a large kettle over medium heat, sauté onion in oil until tender.
2. Add the next 6 ingredients, cook until meat is no longer pink.
3. Add tomatoes, broth, zucchini, and mixed vegetables; cover and
cook on low heat for 5 minutes.
4. Add beans, macaroni, vinegar, salt if desired, and pepper.
Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes or until heated through.

Almond Duck/Pheasant/ Goose or Almond Quack/Cackle/Honk
from Maryanne Belyea

1 or 2 duck, pheasant or goose breasts (depending on size)
1 large green pepper
1 medium onion
1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots
2 T. almonds ( I use more)

Meat marinade:
2 T. soy sauce
1 t. sugar
1 t. sherry or rice wine
2 t. cornstarch

Seasoning sauce:
2 t. soy sauce
1 t. salt
2 t. sesame oil
1 t. ground ginger
1 T. cornstarch
2 T. water
1/2 t. MSG (optional)

1. Cut meat into 1" cubes and marinate for 15 to 30 minutes.
2. Clean vegetables and cut green pepper and onion into 1" pieces.
3. Cut bamboo shoots into 1" slices. (If you use sliced bamboo shoots, cut each slice in half.)
4. Heat 2 T. oil in wok or skillet and toast almonds. Remove and drain.
5. In same skillet with 2 T. oil, stir fry onions for 1 minute, then add green pepper for another minute. Remove from wok.
6. Drain off any excess marinade from meat. Then in same skillet, heat 3 T. oil and stir fry the meat until it changes color. (Do not overcook if using duck or goose.) Add the precooked vegetables, bamboo shoots, and seasoning sauce. Stir quickly over high heat until mixed well. Remove to a platter. 7. Sprinkle the almonds on top. Serve over rice.

We took a Chinese cooking class years ago and this recipe was originally intended for chicken but it is a favorite of ours for duck, pheasant, and goose.

Don Harter's Black Bear Roast
Brown a 2 1/2 to 3 pound roast or equivalent in bacon fat in a skillet that has a cover. Add a can of chicken broth and a can of cream of mushroom soup. Add water, if necessary and cover. Simmer for at least 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. Remove meat and slice. Use remainder for gravy. This recipe will make you want to save the meat from every black bear you ever harvest.

Mary Harter's Bear Pastry
1 1/2 cups bear lard
5 cups unsifted white flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 tbs. white vinegar
Cold water

To render bear fat, set fat in a 200-250 degree oven in a large pan; let set all day. Pour off fat as it melts in freezer containers. Freeze what you are not going to use soon. Bear fat is unbelievably pure white and smells very clean.

Cut bear lard (be sure it is very cold), flour, baking powder and salt until pea size. Beat egg in measuring cup. To this egg add vinegar, then fill to 3/4 cup mark with very cold water. Cut all together very gently. Shape in a roll and refrigerate or immediately roll out into pie crusts. The colder you work it, the flakier the crust. Do not reroll because the more you work it, the tougher the crust becomes. Makes three large pie crusts.

Wild Game Salami
From a friend of the Harters.
Use ground deer, elk, moose, caribou, snow goose, etc.

Mix:
5 pounds ground meat
3 t. black peppercorns
2 1/2 t. liquid smoke
l 1/2 t. garlic powder
5 t. Morton's Quick Salt
2 1/2 t. mustard seed.

Mix well, refrigerate 24 hours and mix again. Refrigerate another 24 hours and mix and form into five loaves rolled round. Place on broiler pan and bake at 150 degrees for 8 hours. Freeze unused portions.

Corned Venison
2 to 3 pound roast
2 quarts water
1/2 c. canning and pickling salt
1/2 c. Morton's Tender Quick salt
3 T. sugar
2 T. mixed pickling spices
2 bay leaves
8 whole peppercorns (optional)
1 or 2 cloves minced garlic

Place meat in large cooking bag. In sauce pan, combine all ingredients except meat. Heat to just boil. Remove and let cool. Pour cooled brine over meat in bag. Squeeze air out of bag and seal. Refrigerate for 4 to 5 days and every day move the meat around in the bag. After the 4 or 5 days, drain and rinse in cold water (will look awful). Cover meat with cold water and heat to boil. Pour water off. Cover again with water and bring to boil, then turn down and simmer for 3 to 4 hours until tender. (To substitute boiling, put in pressure cooker under pressure for one hour.)

Taco Soup
1 lb. ground wild meat (any kind)
1 lb. ground sausage (wild is best but domestic is OK)
1 package taco seasoning, dry
1 package Ranch Dressing, dry
1 can cream corn, undrained
1 can whole corn, undrained
1 can pinto beans, undrained
1 can navy or great northern beans, undrained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chili beans, spicy, undrained
1 28-32 oz. can stewed or home canned tomatoes
1 16 oz. jar salsa (medium) 1 onion chopped (not browned)

Cook the meat and rain. Dump everything else into a huge pot (8 quart) and cook slowly for about 2 hours. Be careful that the tomatoes don't burn. Serve in a bowl with crushed taco chips, shredded sharp cheese, sour cream, and taco sauce or salsa on top. Add avocado, if you like. This freezes very well, too.

BRINED TURKEY BREAST
Wild turkey breast is quite tough and this brining method will make it better.

Make a brine of: 7 cups water 1/2 cup kosher salt 1 T. black pepper, 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 2 cups ice cubes.

Pour in a two gallon zip lock bag, add one whole turkey breast, boned and skinned, and refrigerate for 24 hours. For ease of handling, put the zip lock bag with the turkey in a large bowl.

Rinse well so it won't be too salty and dry the breast before cooking. You can cut the breast into strips and fry, cook on the grill, or roast in a bag with dressing. It can be cooked any way you like.

SLOW COOKER VENISON STEW
Brown a piece of venison, preferably one with a bone. (shoulder or neck is the best) Salt and pepper the meat. Add potatoes, carrots, onions, fresh mushrooms, celery. Use as much as you like but have the chunks of vegetables fairly large. (Quarter potatoes and onions, halve the carrots) You can get really creative and use rutabagas, or parsnips, too. Add: Two packages of dry onion soup mix, one can of mushroom soup, undiluted, 1/2 soup can of red wine. Cook on low for 8 or 9 hours. You can make this first thing in the morning before you go hunting and eat it when you get home.