We are having some of the coldest weather I can remember this month, and I am glad to bring some great cold weather recipes for your enjoyment. I made this last night and it was a big hit. If you don’t want to use all of the vegetables it’s OK but they really go together well to make a hearty flavor, I hope you enjoy it!

Slaven’s Venison Stew

with Red Wine

This is a traditional dish that serves as a great meal all on its own. It can be baked in the oven if desired.

Yields: 8 main-dish servings

Total Time: 2 hr 30 min

Prep Time: 45 min

Cook Time: 1 hr 30 min

Ingredients:

·        2 pounds of venison backstrap, and 2 pounds of  boneless beef sirloin tip or chuck roast, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 -inch chunks (2 pounds of lean eye of round or other type roast can be substituted for the venison, but you still need a total of 4 pounds of meat)

·        2 tablespoons olive oil

·        2 tablespoons unsalted butter

·        3 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

·        3 large parsnips, cut into 1/4 inch slices

·        6 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced thin-(this results in a smoother flavor)

·        1 large onion, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

·        10 small boiler onions peeled and left whole

·        10 small New potatoes, rinsed cleaned and quartered

·        2 tablespoons - all purpose flour

·        1- 29 0z. can diced tomatoes 

·        2- 14 oz. cans of  low sodium beef broth

·        1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

·        2 cup(s) dry red wine ( I really like the peppery taste of a Shiraz for the stew)

·        4 sprigs fresh or 1 teaspoon of dried  thyme

·        ½ teaspoon of  ground Cumin

·        1 teaspoon dried or fresh basil

·        2 pints of fresh mushrooms, sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices

·        1 red bell pepper, sliced into 3/4 inch pieces

·        1/2 pound of fresh green beans, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

·        1 bag(s) (16-ounce) frozen peas

Directions

In 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven, heat oil on medium-high until hot.* Pat beef dry with paper towels. Add beef, in small batches, don’t crowd the meat in the pan and cook 5 to 6 minutes per batch or until well browned on all sides. With slotted spoon, transfer beef to medium bowl.

* The meat pieces must be pat dry and not touching to brown properly.

To drippings in Dutch oven, add chopped onion, and cook 10 minutes or until onion is browned and tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour, canned tomatoes, and 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper; cook 2 to3 minutes, stirring. Add wine and heat to boiling, stirring until* browned bits are loosened from bottom of pan.

* The browned bits that form on the bottom of the pan add tremendous flavor. This is known as  the fond.

Return meat and any meat juices in bowl to Dutch oven. Add thyme, basil, cumin and the rest of the vegetables, except the peas; heat to boiling. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours or until meat is fork-tender, stirring a few times*. Discard thyme sprigs if using fresh thyme. Just before stew is done, stir in peas and allow them to heat through for 4 to 5 minutes.

* If baking the stew, cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours , stirring once.

Enjoy with some fresh Yeast rolls. (Some like to serve the stew over egg noodles)

Bon Appetit,

Bryan Slaven

The Texas Gourmet

In my opinion there is no risk in refreezing your venison. The only health risk is if you were to allow the defrosted venison to remain above 40 degrees for any length of time or the venison had been allowed to start spoiling prior to freezing. I also recommend thawing your frozen deer prior to processing in a controlled temperature cooler, not at room tempature. If thawing venison trim to grind with other meats, I again recommend doing so in a cooler or refrigerator.

Be sure and check out our Naughty or Nice Salsa as a stocking stuffer. It’s awesome!

Went down  to Nueces Canyon Lodge in Uvalde, Tx. a couple weeks ago for some dove hunting and cooked up some mesquite grilled dove breasts, center cut pork steaks, new potatoes, and squash casserole. Good times!

Mesquite grilled dove breasts and center cut pork steaks

We have received several requests over the last couple of years for a new barbeque sauce. Well we are happy to announce we will be launching the new “Honey Pecan Barbeque Sauce” by November . We will be making a set which will include all 3 of our grilling  and finishing sauces. If you are looking for the perfect gift for the cook in your family or something fresh to give out as corporate gifts , The Texas Gourmet is your place to shop for unique spicy food products!

We went down to the  Bay Flats Lodge in Seadrift , Texas on the 6th, 7th, and 8th of this month with an awesome film crew, and a masterful team of production and direction led by Joseph Profit and Debra Gutjhar from Unleashed Cinema. We put together the initial pilot for a potential upcoming television show. We called upon a local historian out of Needville to assist us in revealing some interesting history about the Seadrift area; we took an awesome airboat ride that brought us into the rarely visited backwaters of the Guadalupe Delta with some up-close encounters with alligators, Roseate Spoonbills, and plenty of other wildlife along the way. I had the opportunity to have a few minutes to quiz Chris Martin about the area, and the state of the fishery, he really practices what he preaches when it comes to conservation, and giving back to the bay system that he coexists with so well..  We wade fished for redfish along the shoreline of Guadalupe Bay, then headed back to camp to hit the kitchen and prepare some Redfish on the half shell. I topped it with a Spanish style pomodora sauce I developed from a salsa I introduced to Bay Flats Lodge. I included numerous cooking tips along the way while preparing fresh green beans Slaven Style and baby baker New Potatoes with a spicy and crispy skin and a soft and creamy inside. It all went well, and I hope the networks love it as well! The whole event was really made possible because of the generosity of Captain Chris Martin and his wife Debbie, who were so gracious to allow us the use of their lodge kitchen to shoot the kitchen scenes and show us some awesome hospitality. If you have never been there you really owe it to yourself to take a look at the beautiful grounds and accommodations , and all they have to offer on their  site @ www.bayflatslodge.com

I am looking forward to  the upcoming 09/ 10 dove season, and will be headed to Uvalde soon. If you are planning a trip, be sure and read my recipe and make a copy to carry with you to the hunting camp if you can grill there.  Go to the site at www.texasgourmet.com  and you can read about many other wild game recipes as well. I have been hearing that there should be a bumper crop of white wing, and the limit is 15   for all zones. Good luck to all of you  that get to go .

As an avid cook and grilling enthusiast, I subscribe to and study the valuable information offered by the test kitchen and the food scientists associated with Cook’s illustrated magazine. I am always impressed with their  reviews of products and the thorough efforts that are taken in developing new recipes and revisiting old ones to make them as good as they can be. This article is a great example of valuable research done on a subject that many of us that enjoy good fried freshwater fish have struggled  with . I hope you enjoy this, and consider the magazine, if you love to cook as much as I do.

Thanks for your question, I hope that this will be helpful to you.

Bryan Slaven

The Texas Gourmet

Published May 1, 2008. From Cook’s Illustrated.

Why do catfish and tilapia sometimes taste muddy or swampy? Can I remove this unpleasant flavor?

BUTTERMILK CLEANSER: An hour-long soak in buttermilk washes away the muddy flavor from freshwater fish such as catfish and tilapia.

Hello evryone,

This is my first entry on my blog.

Martha Dyson asked a great question today on Facebook, I decided to post it up here for all of you to see. Thanks Martha!

“Hey Bryan - I have a BBQ question for you - what kind of equipment (grills, smoker, etc…) do you use for cooking your BBQ?  At present I have a gas grill and a Old Smokey electric smoker, but I haven’t been particualry happy with the way it cooks anything except poultry as I think it cooks too hot.  EVentually I’d like to build my own BBQ pit with a wood firebox and a grill that raises up and down.  I’m just curious what you use to make your brisket and ribs.  Your relatively novice friend, Martha”

I have a custom pit with the fire box on one end and a good adjustable window outside the box. It has 2 grates for smoking and a grate dirctly over the firebox for quick hot grilling while waiting for the slow cooking items to get done. It also has an upright chamber with 3 racks for hanging jerky or sausage  or for keeping items warm. The stack is above the upright chamber and it adjusts the temperature. This pit cooks like an oven, I was fortunate to have a friend that builds them from the ground up and he built it on a custom trailer to my specs , and it works well. If you intend to do much barbecueing, the firebox off the side is desirable to keep the temperature consistent , and to allow for pure smoking . I will caution you though, I don’t use green wood for smoking, its super smoky and will produce some bitter tasting meat,

always use dry wood and hose the wood down to clean off any dirt or other debris.

Gas grills are great for cooking  quick meals, from burgers and steaks to fish , shrimp, and chicken. I also like the way they work for grilling veges. Yes it does cook very hot, but that is the best method for cooking all of the above mentioned items. There are a few things to remember  with gas grilling:

Gas dehydrates as it heats the food, so remember to use a good marinade or baste on the meat to help keep it moist and preserve the natural juices. Try and use a meat thermometer to assist in knowing when your meats are done. This will keep you from guessing when things are done, and overcooking them as a precautionary measure when uncertain. Also, never leave your gas grill unattended when cooking . Meats tend to drip, and a baste will drip oils and juices on the fire and increase the likelihood of flare- ups. I like to have a spray bottle full of water right next to the grill to quickly extinguish any flare-ups. Adjust your fire accordingly to the type of food being grilled.

When cooking ribs on the gas grill, I first rub the ribs down with a good dry rub, such as The Texas Gourmet’s Sweet Chipotle Season All, then cut the rack  in half for easier handling on the grill.  Set the temperature at about 300 to 350 degrees F. I like to flip the ribs every  30 minutes to cook them evenly on both sides, after 1 hour I will start basting the ribs lightly . At 1 1/2 hours, place the ribs in foil, and baste again, then move to an area on the grill where the burners won’t be cooking directly under the meat, but still keep the heat going. This indirect and covered method will allow the ribs to continue cooking while broasting in the juices developing inside the enclosed foil . You can reduce the heat on the grill for this step, or if you wish you can place the foil wrapped ribs in the oven at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours more   . I dont like to cook the ribs in the foil longer than 1 1/2 hours or they tend to get too soft.

As for cooking a brisket with the electric smoker, choose a small to medium size brisket (approx. 8 to 10 lbs. ) Rub the brisket with your favorite dry rub, or at least with salt and pepper. Then place the brisket as far away from the heating element as possible with the fat side up. Be sure and fill the water tray for moisture, I like to use beer instead. Use your  favorite wood chips, I like hickory and pecan the best , but mesquite can be used sparingly as well. Smoke for approximately  2 1/2 to 3 hours then remove from the smoker, and place the brisket in a foil boat double insulated and place in a roasting pan in the oven  at 300 degrees  .  cook for 5 1/2  to 6 hours. Then remove from the oven, and make a small opening in the foil, pour off all of the juices in the foil into a sauce pot or a small bowl. Put the container of juices into the freezer for 30 minutes to allow the fat to separate from the natural meat juices. Discard the fat, then put the remaining juices in a sauce pot with some of your favorite barbecue sauce and maybe even a shot or so of your favorite Whiskey. Crown or Jack D. will do just fine. Add a couple teaspoons of honey and heat through to combine the flavors, then set aside for serving with the meat. Slice the meat across the grain in 1/4 ” thick slices. Serve warm, and by the way, this brisket will freeze just fine when wrapped up tightly in foil, then placed in a freezer zip lock bag.  Thanks again , and I hope this will be helpful when using these types of grills .