Grilled Wild Turkey Breast

Fall turkey season is fast approaching here in Michigan and I was lucky enough to draw a state land permit for the county I live in. I just started turkey hunting last year and had no idea what I was missing all these years. I fell in love with it instantly. This last spring I was lucky enough to bag my first turkey and had no idea how I should cook it. My first attempt was to cook the tenderloins over an open fire with some Cajun seasonings and it turned out OK but a little dry. Not to be deterred I continued searching for a grilled turkey recipe. Finally I ran across a recipe for the Best Grilled Wild Turkey Breasts on Field and Streams website. I saved the link and waited for my chance to cook up one of the breasts. I just so happened to be heading up to the Thumb for a camping trip with my wife's family so I decided to take one of the breasts and cook it up for everybody. One night for dinner I decided that I could cook it up and cut it into little cubes and server it as an appetizer. While I was slicing it up i helped myself to a little piece to make sure it turned out OK. I could not believe how incredible it tasted. It was so juicy and tender and OH so flavorful. I think the rest of the family agreed with my assessment. That breast disappeared in less than five minutes. I cannot wait to make this again.

Grilled Wild Turkey Breasts

10-12 3-ounce turkey breast steaks (I used one breast and cut mine in portions about the size of a deck of playing cards)
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. pepper
3 cloves of garlic, crushed and peeled
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Toss the turkey steaks with salt, pepper, garlic, and olive oil. Cover and chill for one to two hours.
Preheat grill to medium high. Remove turkey from fridge and let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes. Remove turkey steaks from marinade. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

Venison Summer Sausage

Well this years deer season was my best year to say the least. I was able to take three deer on opening day (two does and a six point) and a week later another doe. With all the venison in the freezer I figured I should make up a batch of summer sausage. While searching for a good recipe, I stumbled upon this recipe that sounded like a great starting point. I made a test batch and it turned out fantastic. It was actually better than summer sausage I have purchased from commercial smoke shops in the area. I plan on making a larger batch this weekend. As I said this is a great base recipe. I plan on adding jalapenos and cheese to a couple pounds this time.

Venison Summer Sausage

5 pounds ground venison 

2 tablespoons sugar-based curing mixture (such as Morton® Tender Quick®) 

2 teaspoons mustard seed 

2 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt 

2 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper 

1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring 

1. Place the venison in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with the curing mixture, mustard seed, garlic salt, pepper, and liquid smoke. Mix well with your hands until the mixture is evenly blended and begins to stick together, about 2 minutes.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight
3. Preheat an oven to 170 degrees.
4. Divide the mixture into 5 one-pound logs
5. Roll logs in aluminum foil and poke holes in the bottom of the foil to drain any fat.
6. Place onto a broiler pan with a wire rack.
7. Bake in the preheated oven until the logs are no longer pink in the center, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 170 degrees F, 6 to 8 hours. Turn the meat once or twice during cooking. Allow to cool before slicing thinly and serving.

Tony's Venison Swiss Steak

Here is another great recipe I had to share. It looks like this blog is becoming a recipe blog. I think I need to get back to the bench and start tying again.

Tony's Venison Swiss Steak

1lb Venison Steaks (Beef Round Steak will work also)
2 Cans Rotel
1 8oz Can of Tomato Sauce
1 Cup Beef Broth
1 Large Onion Cut into thin Rings
2 Carrots Chopped
2 Stalks Celery Chopped
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Salt

Place steaks in crockpot and add the rest of the ingredients on top of the steaks. Cook on low for 6 hours or until tender.

Next time I will thicken remaining broth to make a gravy to serve over mashed potatoes.