Side Dish Recipes
Potato Hot Dish
While working on a television show, I wound up in a popular restaurant in Brainerd, Minnesota, for lunch. One of the featured dishes highlighted on the menu was the “tater tot hot dish,” apparently the state casserole. Four out of five of us, the locals, ordered the hot dish. I was the odd man out.…
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Apple-Braised Neck Roast
Following the usual braising protocol, the venison neck roast is first browned, and then slow-cooked in a shallow liquid bath in a covered container. I’ve added an additional flavor element by brining the roast for several hours before roasting. This process works just as well with any venison roast. I often hear fellow hunters complain…
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Braised Venison Shanks
Please, please, please stop throwing away those delicious venison shanks! Roasted in the oven and simmered in liquid, venison shanks make exceptional stocks and broths. But when braised osso bucco-style, the delicate, moist meat will impress even the most game-wary eater. The process takes a few hours, but it can be prepared a day or…
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Shepherd’s Cottage Pie
My mother used to make something she called “shepherd’s pie” several times a year. It was one of her best dishes, but the best part was watching my dad stir up the potatoes with the tomato sauce, green beans and ground beef. It looked like something a 4-year-old would create, and it drove my mom…
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Meatballs for the Masses
Many years ago, I owned a catering company, Silver Sage Caterers, with my buddy, Greg Cornell. I’ve since moved on to other, less demanding pursuits, but Greg’s still cranking out some of the best chow in northern California. As any caterer knows, when preparing food for large groups, most of the grunt work has to…
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Bacon-Wrapped Backstrap
It’s not what you think. This recipe takes the relationship between bacon and venison to a whole new level. Picture a seasoned venison backstrap, topped with chopped mushrooms and totally encased in crispy bacon. If your deer was a small one, you might have to use a pair of backstraps. Since the recipe specifies the…
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Apple-Stuffed Backstrap
Backstraps can be stuffed with just about anything you can imagine — asparagus, roasted bell pepper, your favorite cheese, mushrooms, ham, cream cheese, dried fruit and anything else that honks your horns. This is one of my favorite combinations that’s sweet, sour, cheesy and spicy.
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Fig-Glazed Roast
I usually keep a jar of balsamic vinegar-infused figs on hand. The mildly sweet figs pair well with the not-so-acidic vinegar. Add a sprig or two of fresh sage or rosemary and a few garlic cloves, and it’s an instant pan sauce. This balsamic-fig combo is one you’ll want to use again and again on…
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Texas-Style Hindquarter Oven Venison Roast
Blasphemy! Making a “Texas-style” hindquarter venison roast indoors just ain’t right. Here’s the deal. Not everyone owns an outdoor cooker. Others can’t get past the snow bank to even find the barbecue, but they’d still like to turn a big deer roast into something that’s long on flavor and eats like a pot roast. Plus,…
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