Slow Cooked Deer Balls (Venison Meatballs)

I know. Tacky, tacky title. However, if you know my husband's sense of humor then you understand how this recipe got it's name.  Ground turkey can be substituted for the venison.  It makes a big batch but the meatballs freeze well. (please don't ask my husband what he calls frozen venison meatballs!)

Ingredients:


1 slice fresh whole-wheat bread, pulsed into crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 large carrot (pulsed fine in food processor)
1 medium onion (pulsed fine in food processor)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds ground venison (or ground turkey)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients except the venison into a large work bowl.  Once the ingredients are well-mixed, add venison.  Using your hands, combine ingredients.  Form meatballs into 2-1/2 inch balls (I use an ice cream scoop).  Place meatballs on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake in the oven, turning the meatballs every 10 minutes until nicely browned. Place meatballs in crockpot.  Cover with your favorite spaghetti sauce and cook on low approximately 6 hours.

Rabbit with Wild Herbs (Lapin aux Herbes de la Garrigue)

"Ten lords a-leaping"


Ingredients:

1 large rabbit, about 3 1/2 lb.
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 large fresh thyme sprigs
2 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary
2 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups water
2 English cucumbers, peeled if desired
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 tsp. sugar
20 small white onions, each 1 inch in diameter
10 garlic cloves
2/3 cup crème fraîche
2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation:

Place the rabbit, belly side down, on a cutting board. Run a sharp knife around the outline of each leg, slice away from the tail area of the carcass, then remove the legs. Using a cleaver or heavy knife, sever the front legs from the saddle (loin) section. Cut the saddle crosswise into 3 pieces, then the large back legs into 2 pieces each. Cut off and discard the small triangle containing the tail. You should have 9 pieces plus the ribcage area, which you may use or discard.

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the rabbit pieces and brown well on all sides, about 15 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and add the thyme, rosemary and sage. Toss to disperse evenly, then add the wine and 1 cup of the water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer gently, turning the rabbit pieces once, until tender when pierced with a knife, about 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, halve the cucumbers lengthwise and remove any seeds. Cut each half lengthwise into thirds. Then, using a small knife, shape uniform long, oval pieces from the fleshy part, forming them as neatly as possible.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the sugar and cook until it starts to brown, about 1 minute. Add the onions and sauté, tossing, until they turn brown, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup water, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the onions are almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add the cucumber ovals, re-cover and continue cooking until both vegetables are tender and the water is nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes more.

Meanwhile, fill a small saucepan three-fourths full of water, add the garlic cloves and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until softened, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and press through a sieve set over a small bowl to puree the cloves.

When the rabbit is ready, using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer to a bowl and keep warm. Add the crème fraîche, the onions and cucumbers, and the garlic puree to the pan, increase the heat to high and boil down to a sauce consistency. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Return the rabbit pieces to the pan and stir to coat with the sauce. Add the parsley, mix well and transfer to a warmed platter. Serve immediately.

Sweet Bacon-Wrapped Venison Tenderloin

My dad was a fisherman and a hunter.  So I grew up eating deer burgers, fresh perch, deer steaks, walleye, and an occasional "what is this??" (it turned out to be frog legs).  My husband is now the provider of the venison in our household.  The following recipe is for my dad who taught me frog legs do taste like chicken. :)

Ingredients:

2 lbs venison tenderloins (or beef tenderloin )
1/2 lb bacon (plain, thin-sliced bacon is best)
3 cups dark brown sugar
2 cups soy sauce

Preparation:

Mix brown sugar and soy sauce together in a bowl. They should combine nicely into a soupy soy liquid.  Put deer tenderloin in a cooking tray and pour brown sugar/soy sauce mixture over loin. Roll tenderloin over in mixture, completely covering it.  Let meat marinate in mixture at least 3 hours or overnight in fridge. It's best to marinate for 8 hours if you have the time.  Remove loin from tray, and place on a slotted broiler pan to catch drippings.  Don't throw away marinade.  Wrap a piece of bacon around the very end of the tenderloin.  Repeat this process until the entire loin is wrapped in ten or so bacon "loops." The tenderloin should look like an arm with a bunch of wrist watches on it, the watches being the bacon strips.  Drizzle remaining marinade over deer loin. You can continue to baste the loin with the marinade throughout the cooking process with either a brush or a turkey baster.  Place on center rack in oven and bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and place on cutting board. Using a knife, cut the loin between each strip of bacon.