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Venison backstrap is a cut of meat that’s held in the highest regard by most big game hunters. Whether this tender, tasty cut comes from whitetails or mountain goats, it is the meat we most often associate with high-quality wild game meals. We’ll hoard it for months just so we can enjoy a chunk of simple, grilled backstrap well after hunting season has ended. But you can only eat backstrap cooked the same old way, time after time, year after year...

My wife was raised in the south and she still enjoys some good southern comfort food. Since we only eat wild protein, I’ve had to adapt some southern classics to fit our venison-rich diet.
Country fried steaks are one of her favorite meals and it wasn’t hard to come up a venison version of them. Our kids love it too and this trophy meal has become a regular in our household dinner rotation. “Backcountry Fried Steak” is easy to make with just...

 
Trail food is an essential part of any hunter’s kit. Snacking in the field keeps your energy level up whether you’re burning calories on long hikes or sitting in a blind all day. This is especially true in cold conditions. On most MeatEater hunts, various bars, jerky, and trail mix make up a huge part of our daily caloric intake. The best trail snacks are easy to carry, don’t spoil, and blend energy-rich fats, proteins, and carbohydrates...

Chorizo is a spicy pork sausage that’s not commonly associated with wild game. There’s many versions of chorizo, including fermented, cured and smoked dry links and loose, bulk sausage which needs to be cooked. Red chili powder is usually the main spice used in Mexican chorizo while paprika is favored in Spain and Portugal.
Traditionally made with domestic pork, the fattier meat from wild pigs and black bears works very well for making chorizo...

One of my favorite wild game meals is elk pastrami. I serve it on rye bread, topped with swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and stone-ground mustard. It’s phenomenal, and very easy to make. Think of it as your simple corned beef but with added layers of complexity from smoke and spices.  Although the process of making pastrami takes several days, the reward is worth the wait.
I like to use elk round or sirloin roasts for pastrami because of their uniform...

A meal I’ll never forget is blacktail deer heart and liver that was cooked high above treeline on Prince of Wales Island just as the sun was setting. We finished eating just as the northern lights began glowing on the horizon. What I loved about that meal is it was the culmination of a bunch of completely new experiences. It was my first trip to Alaska, my first blacktail deer hunt, and my first time seeing the northern lights. That field meal...

Trophy Meals: Beer and Citrus-Braised Wild Game Carnitas Street Tacos
The best street tacos I’ve found were sold at a small Mexican grocery store in Colorado. For a few bucks, you could load up on a variety of carnitas tacos made from beef tongue, pork shoulder or chicken thighs. They were simply prepared, seasoned perfectly, and garnished with only a few toppings. In the interest of translating this meal into the world of wild game cooking, I...

One of the best ways to introduce wild game to hesitant friends is to prepare something that’s instantly familiar and appealing. Appetizers are a good starting point for people new to wild game because there’s no commitment to eating an entire meal and most people associate appetizers with good tastes and enjoyable experiences. If I’m planning on hosting a group of friends for a casual backyard party, I’ll make sure to have a wild game appetizer...

With winter in full swing, hearty wild game meals like braises, soups and stews are often on the menu and a good stock is the foundation of many of these recipes. The base of savory sauces and gravies also starts with stock so it’s a good idea for aspiring MeatEaters to be able to make their own. Any recipe that calls for chicken or beef stock or even water can be made even better by using a wild game or fish stock made at home.
It makes me...