My Sunday Project Day: Deer Bologna

There's almost nothing I enjoy more than a project Sunday.  Working at home preparing a new recipe, or an old trustworthy recipe.  Getting some food processed to be put up for use later on when you can no longer buy the product fresh.

Of all the recipes I've worked on over the years I'd have to say I'm most proud of the Deer Bologna recipe I'm currently using.  This is a sweet bologna with a bit of smoke flavor that I make from a 50/50 mix of venison and pork.  It's reminiscent of Hilshire Farms Summer Sausage that many of us enjoy around Christmas, but the knowledge of the hunt that resulted in this meat makes the product that much more enjoyable.

The multi-day process usually begins by placing the meat to thaw in the refrigerator the Tuesday or Wednesday prior to processing.  I like to grind my own pork, because the plane ground pork available in the stores is simply too lean for my taste.  I always choose a pork butt, with a nice cap of fat on the the top for this recipe. 

Usually by about Saturday morning I'm ready to start the next step: grinding. After boning out the meat, cubing it, and passing it once through the meat grinder I will weigh out my pork.  Since I'm going for a 50/50 blend with the venison, I remove any pork in excess of the amount of venison I've got thawing.  I like to season this excess pork and make breakfast sausage patties for the next couple days.

The equal parts of pork and venison can now be brought together, and your cure will need to be added.  I use Morton's Tenderquick, at a ratio of 1 tbsp per pound of meat.  If you have used, or have access to "pink salt" or straight sodium nitrate, you'll want to follow the manufacturer's recommendations on proportioning.  Once mixed thoroughly the entire mixture is put up in the fridge for at least 12 hours, I typically will go closer to 18. 

If you've never used these curing agents, don't fret.  I was apprehensive at first as well, but after 10 years of honing this recipe I'm much more comfortable with the process.  As to what they do, they kill off the harmful bacteria, and work to make the meat last longer.  In the end this will still be a cooked product that has been raised to 165 degrees, but it will be a more stable product in the refrigerator.  Think of the difference between keeping a pound of salami in the frig, next to a pound of steak.  They're both at a safe temperature, but the steak will spoil much faster.

After the cure has had time to work, it's time to add the remaining ingredients (see recipe below).  I've changed this list  up several times, and I'd encourage you to do the same.  In my opinion the sugars, and the liquid smoke are two of the keys and I rarely deviate from their proportions. 

The mixture is then stuffed into casings, and I like to give the meat time to rest here as well.  Two things happen:  First the seasonings have time to meld and work well together. Second the pork fat softens the casings making them more supple during the cooking process.

Now into the oven.  If you've done any smoking or roasting you know low and slow is where it's at.  This recipe is no different.  200 degrees for about 5 hours is typical, but I will place a probe thermometer in the meat after about 3 hours.  I also like to rotate the meat so that any liquid created inside the casing doesn't settle to the bottom.  After baking I'll allow the meat to cool in the refrigerator for a day or two, then I'll peel the casings, and slice into disks.  Once sealed into food saver bags they will last for months in the freezer.

My favorite serving is with a nice cheese, like a smoked Gouda, or cheddar.  I've made sandwiches with it, and even cubed it and eaten it with a sweet n sour dip.

Happy cooking,
Scott M


Scott Messenger's Deer Bologna

*Ingredients may be scaled up or down based on your batch size

5    lbs of ground venison
5    lbs of ground pork butt (all fat included)
10  tbsp of Morton's Tenderquick
3/4 c brown sugar
3/4 c corn syrup
4    tbsp of liquid smoke
4    tbsp minced garlic
3    tbsp of ground black pepper
2    tbsp onion powder
1    tbsp ground mustard
1    tbsp Accent flavor enhancer
1    tsp cayenne
1    c beer

Cube and grind the pork butt, including all the fat, and mix with ground venison.  Add 1/3 of Tenderquick, mix thoroughly, repeat for each 1/3.

Refrigerate mixture 12-18 hrs

Mix all remaining ingredients thoroughly until completely incorporated in the entire volume of meat.

Stuff the meat into fibrous casings and tie off ends hog rings.  Both of these are typically found year-round at many hunting stores.

Allow stuffed casings to rest in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.

Bake at 200 degrees on a cookie sheet for 4 hours, or until internal temp reaches 165.  Rotate the logs every hour, to avoid a dark streak on the bottom where juices settled.

Once safe internal temp is reached remove from oven, allow to cool slightly on the counter, then place in the refrigerator overnight to cool completely.

Remove casings, slice into lunch meat style rounds, or leave in longer logs.  Vacuum seal and freeze.

Thank you Mr Lincoln

Here's the story about harvesting the largest deer I've taken up to date.  The story's over 5 years old, and I've shopped it around a time or two.  It's never seen the light of day, so I figured what better forum than right here.  I hope you enjoy it!

Thank you Mr Lincoln

I don't normally consider myself a superstitious person, but when it comes to deer hunting, all bets are off.  I’ve got my favorite flannel, and a usual routine that I like to follow.  I pack up early and check my gear often.  Sometimes it seems like good karma is almost as important as the license, so I try to have a positive attitude, and be as prepared as possible.  Well, at least prepared enough to have a good day, without looking like a Polar expedition.

I feel that being prepared means having everything I’ll need from the beginning of my hunt to the end.  Including all of the items I’ll need, should I be successful.  Often if I get to the woods and realize I don’t have a pen, then mentally, my day is shot.  All hunters are great at coming up with excuses; mine tend to revolve around poor preparation.  As if not having a pen, or a piece of string is some kind of jinx that keeps the animals away.

The 2007 deer season was no exception to this.  Like most hunters I packed my field bag and vest a good two days prior to the season.  After checking and double-checking my gear, I finally placed all of it in the vehicle for safekeeping.  Later on while running some last minute errands I came across a head's up penny lying on the ground in front of a grocery store.  Being within 24 hours of the start of the deer season, I had to pick it up, and hope for any bit of good luck for tomorrow.  As I slipped the coin into my wallet, I laughed to myself, thinking that this was a little silly, but what's the harm.

I went about the rest of my day, not giving it too much thought of that penny and I set to completing some yard work while trying to clear my mind, so that I could relax and enjoy the season opener, tomorrow.  As a cleared the yard I came across another head's up penny, lying on the front step of my house.  This was just too much, so I laughed out loud as I placed my second "lucky" penny into my wallet.

I felt that my “lucky” penny experiences were just too foolish to tell any of my hunting partners.  Knowing them, if I did tell them about my pennies, I’d never hear the end of it.  There's always a good bit of ribbing out in the deer woods, and my pennies would be just too easy of a target.

As with most other hunter's, I barely slept the night before the season.  Finally giving up the struggle, I got out of bed around 4:15am.  I showered, dressed, and went downstairs to have some breakfast, and watch the weather forecast.  Saying that the weather here in Northwest PA was less than ideal would be an understatement.  We had fog and rain forecast for the entire day.  Undeterred we made the 35 minute drive to my cousin's property where we always spend opening day.  The property is small, but we’ve had good success on the opening day.

The day progressed just as usual, with some shooting on either side of the creek, but no deer through our spot.  By 9:15am my hunting partner Joe, left his tree to push through a brushy area that usually hides a deer or two.  I remained at my favorite tree hoping that Joe, and other hunters, would push the deer my way.  With the rain falling steadily I knew it would be hard to hear any deer approaching.  About 9:45am I glanced over my left shoulder in time to see a heavy antlered buck slipping past me at less than 20 yards.  The wet leaves had hidden his approach, and he has about to crest a small slope.  If he made it to the crest my shot would be unsafe.  Before reaching the crest the buck glanced away, and as he looked away I swung my gun and body into position to make the shot.

The Marlin 30-30 cracked and the deer bolted over the crest of the hill.  I worked the action and then made it up the slope to try and get a glimpse of where the he had run.  Just outside of my wood lot are two fields separated by a road.  All together the two fields span about 250 yards. Even with such a great distance the deer was out of sight by the time I reached the spot he had been standing.  Since I was pretty sure he was hit well, I began the search for blood, but the steady rain made finding blood, a lost cause.  Knowing the deer had to cross a road, I searched up and down the road for tracks, which might give me a clue to the deer's location.

Having no luck finding tracks or blood on my own, I got my hunting partner Joe on the radio, and told him I needed his help in locating a downed deer.  From his location it took him about 20 minutes through wet golden rod, to meet up with me.  Of course this was the longest 20 minutes of my life.  While I waited I searched with binoculars the field edges, hoping for a glimpse of a white belly or antlers.  When Joe arrived, I went over the shot and the deer's possible location.

The deer's most direct line would lead into the woods at the south end of the field.  I entered those woods at the nearest point, while Joe walked the field edge searching for sign.  After we covered the nearest portion and did not finding any sign, I began to lose heart that I had even wounded the deer.  I quietly hoped to myself that I missed clean, and we wouldn’t have a long messy recovery.  As I continued on the south end of the field, Joe crossed the field to begin checking the north side.  Shortly after reaching the field edge, Joe hollered to get my attention.  I began crossing the field and from Joe's body language, I could tell there was a deer down in the brush.  My spirit lifted as I made the quick walk across the field.

His antlers were larger than I remembered, with a standard eight-point rack and a two-inch kicker on the right G2, making him a nine pointer with a fourteen inch inside spread.  He field dressed out just north of 180 pounds.  He was a massive animal.  We made quick work of the field dressing, and let him hang for a short time, while we recounted the story.

I never fail to be amazed at how far and fast a wounded deer can run.  This deer had crossed almost 200 yards in the same time it took me to cover 20.  It just goes to show, in bad weather conditions, you have to take every necessary step to recover the deer you may have wounded.

We loaded him into the van, and made the short drive to our favorite meat market.  After I filled out the order form, I placed the receipt into my wallet.  Upon opening my wallet, I realized, I still had my two “lucky” pennies that I had found the day before.  I laughed out loud, as I thought to myself, "Sometimes superstitions really do payoff."

Happy Hunting

Scott M

Why Camping?

It's not always a direct question.  More often it's a look, but it always happens.  If I'm talking about a camping trip I just went on, or a camping trip that I'm currently planning, someone will give me the look. 

The "why camping?" Look.

As if it's fundamentally absurd to leave the comfort and amenities of your permanent residence, just to go to a non-permanent, even a movable residence, for a couple nights at a time.   A place where you have to work to just get along.  You have to gather wood, water, maintain a fire, safely handle and prepare food without refrigeration, or at least from a cooler, but again you have to manage that process as well. 

So why go through all that?  It's hard for me to explain without being a little rhetorical, but I go through all that in order to go through all that.  It's about surviving on simpler terms.  I don't need to worry myself with the ephemera of life.  I need to worry about keeping my food cold, my fire hot, and my head dry. End of list.

When camping there's always something to do, and those things have real implications.  If I'm at home and I leave food on the counter, fine, I've got more in the freezer.  If I'm camping and food spoils, well one meal is going to be a little thin.  The focus on survival, breaks you down to a very primitive self.  It wipes away the nonsense of the modern world.  I don't worry that I have 70 channels and nothing to watch because there's wood to be gathered, a fire to be tended, and a trail over there that I haven't walked down yet.

That unknown trail is the real other reason to go camping.  The ability to explore the unknown, and particularly the wild places of this Earth.  My family and I love to hop in the car and roadtrip to find a new park or diner, but just like being at home, if plans fail on the road, there's an easily accessible back up plan.

In the woods that is not always the case.  For me knowing that I'm a visitor in this wild place helps to ground me and make me more mindful of my surroundings and how I'm going to move through them.  I'm not going to blindly leap over that log or creek, because failure in the woods is often catastrophic.  Now, if I  re-read that last sentence it sounds overly dramatic and frankly a little pessimistic.  Injuries happen, and you do need to be mindful of your surroundings.  However, instead of allowing that anxiety to weigh you down, allow that mindfulness to lift your spirit, to focus your attention on the REAL. 

Mindfulness in the woods have lead to some of my greatest experiences.  A doe and two fawns within 20 feet. A flock of turkeys meticulously picking bugs while moving through the undergrowth 30 feet away. A fresh bear track within 50 feet of a fresh coyote track.

Now-a-days, I have the distinct pleasure of teaching two young boys these skills.  With time and patience I believe they too will appreciate wild places and the simplicity of life at a campsite.

Happy Camping

Scott M

Hirschgulasch, and other Christmas adventures

It started simply enough.  My aunt was hosting Christmas dinner, and right on par for our family, there was a quickly growing list of proteins for the table.  I was already smoking a turkey and my second idea had fallen through when my PA antlerless tag went unfilled in the firearms season.  My aunt was already preparing two ducks, a brisket, and sausage with onions and peppers. So when her brother dropped off a venison roast, she was at a loss. 

I did some quick Internet searches, and with my recent infatuation with German cuisine I stumbled upon an obscure recipe for German style venison stew called, Hirschgulasch.  Once I located the formal name the real hunting began.  Everytime I searched the name, or some variation of the name, better than half of the Internet results were from German websites.  Now I was intrigued.  After running two of the recipes through Google Translate, to be sure I had a true approximation of the dish, I made my commitment. 

The venison roast itself was what my uncle calls the "rump" roast.  It's the very top of the hind leg.  After splitting the pelvis, and making the top cut leaving the venison ham, where he'll cut his steaks, he leaves the hip meat on the pelvis for roasting.  Since I was making a stew I decided to bone out the roast, collecting all the meat that would eventually be broken down to cubes. 

Prior to all that I reached back into my grandmother's bag of tricks.  Any whole muscle cut of venison, my grandmother would soak in salted water overnight.  This light brine works to draw the blood out, which can lead to the off taste some people experience from venison.

So after boning, and brining, I cubed the meat and followed the recipe I had gleaned from several Internet searches (see below).

The side dish was never really in question.  For me the simple yet hardy spaetzle was the only choice.  For the uninitiated spaetzle is an ultra simple noodle made from flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, eggs and milk (see below for full recipe).  After boiling to cook the pasta the noodles are pan fried in bacon grease with a touch more salt and pepper.

And to properly set the scene, remember, while all this was happening I was also brining and smoking a turkey, and my aunt worked a brisket, two ducks, and some spicy sausage with onions and peppers.  A crazy Christmas dinner, but undoubtedly one of the best.

Happy Cooking
Scott M

Hirschgulasch, German style venison stew
1 lb venison, trimmed and cubed
4 small onions cut to a large dice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp flour
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth
dash of paprika and cayenne
2 springs of fresh thyme, stemmed
1 spring of fresh rosemary, stemmed and chopped
8 juniper berries
8 peppercorns
2 bay leaves, crushed
1 tbsp of sour cherry jam (or ligonberry if available)
lard as needed

In a cast iron skillet, melt tbsp lard.  Sear venison on all sides in pan.  Small batches will keep the meat from steaming as it cooks.  Remove venison and add lard if necessary.  Saute onions until golden brown add garlic and saute for 1-2 more minutes.  Sprinkle flour and stir through pot to cook out flour flavor.  Deglaze the pan with the red wine stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to lift any browned bits that are sticking to the bottom.  Return meat to the pot, and add beef broth.  Stir in all remaining ingredients.  Transfer contents to a dutch oven with a tight fitting lid and place in oven at 350 for 1 hour.  Check for tenderness after the first hour, and allow additional time as necessary.  If the gravy hasn't thickened to your liking use a slurry of flour and water to thicken before serving.

Spaetzle
--As with any noodle or dough, this recipe relies as much on technique as it does on ingredients.--
1 c flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk

Sift flour and add dry ingredients.  Beat egg and add to milk.  Incorporate wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  This dough should be more stiff than a pancake batter, but not stiff enough to handle with your hands.  Depending on local humidity you may need more flour or milk to gain the correct consistency.  Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil.  If you have a colander with 1/8 - 1/4 inches holes you can pass the loose dough through the colander so that the dough drips into the boiling water.  I prefer a potato ricer.  The holes are a good size and the ricer has a handle to apply gentle pressure to the dough.  Cook in small batches until all the spaetzle float.  Remove from heat and immediately cool off with cold running water in another colander.  Melt some bacon fat in a pan and toss through the spaetzle, salt and pepper to taste.

Holiday Gift Ideas

December 7th. 

Mathematically 18 days until Christmas.  Plenty of time. Right?  What's your calendar look like for the remainder of the month?  Work Christmas party.  Spouse's Work Christmas party.  Family coming into town early. Your leaving to be out of town for Christmas.  Now what do those 18 days look like? 

They probably look mighty thin, especially if there's an outdoorsman (or woman) on your list.  As outdoors-people go we rank among the hardest to shop for when Christmas roles around.  Why?  Not everyone is into the outdoors, so they don't have any idea of what we use or need out there in the field.  Even if they have an idea, outdoorsman are notorious for just buying what we need when we need it. 

So here's a trick:  Don't try to buy something he doesn't have.  Replace something he already uses.

Let's talk optics.

What most of us know about optics, binoculars specifically, could fit in the palm of our hand.  Hunters included in this discussion.  So let's go with a basic primer on optics and look at some options that won't break your Christmas budge and the outdoorsman in your life won't be scared to lose in the woods.

Unless you're heading out west for a Elk or Antelope hunt you really don't need a big over-powered set of binoculars.

All binoculars have two statistics that you should worry about:  Weight and Objective lens size.

Weight is easy.  Lighter is better.  If it's hanging around my neck, or weighing down my pocket, the lighter the binoculars are the more likely I am to carry them.  Save the full size binoculars for bird watching when you are heading afield with a book and a good pair of binoculars.  Look at the compact models for packing in with the rest of your hunting gear.  The typical hunter is probably carrying between 10-15lbs of gear including the layers of clothes, and whatever lands in their pockets and packs.

Objective lens size.  Okay this is honestly a tougher choice, but in my opinion, boils right down to usability.  When you see a binocular and it's called a "10x25" or "8x42" the second measurement is called the "objective lens."  The objective lens is not the lens near your eye, it's the lens that let's in light.  Therefore the bigger the objective lens the more light that enters the binoculars.  More light, more detail.  However that objective lens can contribute a lot to the overall weight of the binoculars. 

The reality for most hunters east of the Mississippi is we hunt small thick woodlots.  So in this case if you hunt in areas common to Northwest PA you simply don't need a bigger objective lens.  It's not going to help you to see through the thick brush, so unless you really like being able to pick out individual thorns on the brier bushes 50yds away, save the weight and go with a 10x25.

So before you head off to the local sporting goods store, write down these two things:
Compact binoculars, 10x25

I'll let you decide between black and camo!

For more gift ideas check out my gear article in this Sunday's Erie Times-News www.goerie.com on the NWPA Outdoors page.

Happy Hunting
Scott M

2nd Week of Deer Camp

It is the 2nd week of Deer Camp. 
Or at least the 2nd week of Pennsylvania's firearm deer season is here, and as the song goes: 

"It's the 2nd week of Deer Camp.  And all the guys are here." 

These days there's probably more fiction in that line than ever before.  As little as 10 years ago I can remember opening day being an event that everyone actually participated in, but this year was a bust.  At least in my little corner of Northwest PA.  While it may sound odd to be nostalgic for the days when you would hear 50+ gun shots before lunch, realize this:  all that activity is why people came out to hunt, and why deer are taken.  Without hunters out there pushing the deer around, the deer can hunker down and simply watch Pennsylvania's orange army stumble around the woods for a day. 

Don't misunderstand me.  I've never been one of the guys that despised the PGC's recent deer management practices.  I've been to the areas in Warren and Forest Counties where hay scented ferns are the last remaining undergrowth for as far as the eye can see.  I've witnessed the return of berry bushes and young oaks and cherries deep in the woods, and I think it's fantastic.  What I've also seen is the deer management practices decimate hunter numbers across the state. 

Where I hunt, along the banks of French Creek, I would estimate half to a third of the hunters that used to hunt that area 15 years ago are hunting that area today. Perhaps their life has taken them down a different road, and hunting no longer holds a place in their hearts.  Or perhaps the perception of over harvest of Does has led to a preponderance of yellow Posted signs.  I'd never advocate purposefully trespassing, but I have on occasion wandered behind those signs.  Even on the opener, and the first Saturday, I didn't bump into  hunters.  If you're not going to hunt the land, why close it to others that would like to hunt the land?

The demographics of the rural landowners has changed.  Perception of hunters has begun to lean to the more negative side.  And a feeling that deer have been over harvested, therefore I must post my land, to protect "my deer," pervades modern thought. 

How is a modern day hunter supposed to adapt to this?

With any luck the modern hunter will also eventually be a landowner.  Maybe not on your own.  Maybe we will hearken back to a more communal ownership models of camps and wooded land.  Where generations of a family, or a collection of friends, pool resources and own their own property for hunting. If this isn't in the cards for you I'd suggest the tried and true method of driving a country road and knocking on doors.  You don't know what you'll find until you ask.  Don't do it the week before the season.  Don't do it dressed in camo, with a gun on your shoulder.  Put in your time in June and July.  Make an introduction.  You may not have success behind each door, but you will build relationships and you will find places where you are welcome to hunt.

Happy Hunting
Scott M