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Wild Game Cooking: Get Sauced

By: Josh Dahlke
24 comments Mixed Bag with Josh Dahlke

Jul 18

(Make sure to read this entire blog post for your chance to win some special sauce!)

Prior to my life as a hunting writer, I spent several years putting up with ornery wait-staff while slaving over cutting boards, hot stoves and stinky deep fryers. I was a cook—a "chef" if you so choose to elevate my culinary skills to a higher level of respect. Bottom line: I dig food, and I absolutely love manipulating it to please palates.

As a hunter and a culinary crusher, there's no greater satisfaction than bringing a wild game animal from field to fork. The humble appreciation and respect for the creatures I harvest grows with each mouthful of delicious flesh ... and I'm sure most of you feel the same way. It's something vegetarians, vegans and especially anti-hunters will never get to feel. Their loss. 

In the kitchen it's all about experimentation. You never know what new technique or random ingredient might ultimately be responsible for a masterpiece that'll make its mark in your recipe book for years to come. 

There's one thing that can really take wild game to the next level: sauce. But it's gotta be the right sauce. Get the perfect blend of secret ingredients together into a delicious pool of liquid love and your wild table fare might never again be the same.

For me, a sauce has to be flavorful, but not overpowering. It's also great to keep a sauce on hand that's capable of transforming mediocre wild game into give-me-more goodness.

I recently fell upon a sauce designed specifically for use with wild game. It's called Chatellier's Rare Game Sauce.

Waterfowl, upland game, venison (even fish)—Chatellier's works on everything. It can be used as a marinade or dipping sauce, or just shamelessly pour it over your meat like it's nobody's business.

Check out the video below to see my very first cooking and feasting experience with Chatellier's Rare Game Sauce. 

(Note: I used Chatellier's as a marinade for some cubed, grilled venison roast the following day after shooting the video, in combination with no other seasonings. I served a party of five people and they all gave it rave reviews.)

CONTEST: Share your best venison recipe in the comment box below. I'll choose my favorite next Monday and send the winner a free jar of Chatellier's Rare Game Sauce.  

24 comments

# hatfield hunter
Monday, July 18, 2011 3:58 PM
Whats wrong with Wild game taste ? In my years of Hunting and Fishing I have never found a sauce that does not cover or overpower game taste. There is nothing like fresh from the water to the pan Walleye or back Straps and onions----
# DSHEMAK
Monday, July 18, 2011 5:23 PM
I have a great one. I take (steaks or canned) venison and place it in the bottom of a baking pan. Season to taste. then, on goes some green vegetables, (I have used green beans, broccoli, or even a mix). Next comes either tater tots or hash browns on top. The end layer is cream of mushroom soup watered down. Bake it on 350 degrees for approx 1hour. Pull it out of the oven and sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake for 1/2 hr. My mouth is watering just thinking about it...... Try it !!!
# jkisamore2
Monday, July 18, 2011 5:48 PM
I like to fry butterflied tenderloin in just a little Lawrie's season salt. But I sure would like to try it with some of that dipping sauce!!!
# whisky
Monday, July 18, 2011 6:08 PM
Venison Backstrap ala Gooney
butterflied backstrap, floured, salt and pepperd. In a saucepan
saute fresh chopped garlic and green onions in butter till soft.
remove till later. sear steaks in a little more butter on both sides.
put in onions and garlic add two ounces red wine and one cup
wild shaggy mane mushrooms. Cookfor twenty minutes on
medium high. Delicioso!
Bill Kinder
696D Arden Hill Road
Colville, Wa. 99114
Phone (509) 685-1011
E-Mail spike@q.com
# whisky
Monday, July 18, 2011 6:13 PM
I have many marinade recipes that somes just get thrown
together. I would like to try Chetallier's sauce it sounds
goooood!
# jscott21
Tuesday, July 19, 2011 2:26 PM
My specialty is wild hog. I marinate a ham in a brine of brown sugar and salt. (1/4 cup of each in just enough water to cover the meat) For two days in the fridge and then pour off the brine and replace it with fresh water to marinate one more day. I cut slices into the meat and pound in the cheapest bacon I can find. (lots of fat) I coat the ham in jam and wrap it in aluminum foil. I put it in the smoker about 8:00 a.m and smoke it all day at 200-250 degrees. When I take it out about 5:00 p.m. the meat is falling off the bone. Exceptionally good. I never have leftovers.
# sandstrom
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 1:21 AM
Try my mango sauce. Chop two ripe mango, 1 vadallia onion, two cloves garlic, 1 habanero chile, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1/8 cup brown sugar, 2 tea spoon Worcestershire sauce, grate 1 tea spoon nut meg, salt and pepper, 1 tea spoon paprika. Cook mango onions garlic in olive oil for few minutes once onions translucent add other ingredients and 1/2 cup mango juice, simmer and reduce by half. Pour in blender and blend until smooth. Makes great sauce for wild game and birds. I like it little hot so sometimes use two or three peppers, when you do double the brown sugar to make a better heat/sweet combination.
# drod
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 9:48 AM
Venison Steaks with Blue Cheese


4 venison tenderloin steaks, 1 to 1½ inches thick
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbsp. crumbled blue cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste
Couple drops Worcestershire sauce
Couple drops hot sauce
2 Tbsp. oil
½ cup toasted pecans


Stir together softened butter, blue cheese, parsley, caraway seeds, sauces, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Place the mixture in a plastic bowl, cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Before cooking steaks, remove blue cheese mixture from the refrigerator.

Pan-fry the venison steaks in oil, about 3 minutes per side (depending on thickness) and prepared to your liking. Remove to a platter and let rest for a couple of minutes. Serve each steak with a dollop of the cheese mixture on top. Add toasted pecans on top.



# TGORMAN
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 11:11 AM
I like easy recipes with as few ingredients as possible. Take Venison back straps, place in a zip lock bag, add a couple tablespoons of "Dale's Marinade" (found in most grocery stores, I know the super Wal-Mart's have it. It's a soy based marinade with other spices and has awesome flavor). Let it set on the counter for a few hours turning in over from time to time, them get your grill real hot, sear both side a couple minutes then transfer to indirect heat to finish off to your liking. Do some fried potatoes & onions on the side burner and you have a meal fit for a King. Pretty damn good, hope you like it.
# rstevens211
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 2:44 PM
Caribou flank steak marinated in dales and molasses with garlic and prepared horseradish. Cooked on grill at about 400 degrees for 4 min per side depending on thickness. Salt and pepper just before going on grill. Accompanied by fresh potatoes Au Gratin and green bean cassarole.
# dmzap
Thursday, July 21, 2011 10:21 AM
DEER CAMP VENISON ROAST:
Always cook this favorite at camp while deer hunting in the evening.
Put venison roast in covered baking pan. Season with salt, pepper, lemon pepper. Powder with Adolph's unseasoned tenderizer. Fill pan with water 2/3 height of roast. Add one sliced onion on top. Cover and bake 250F 3 hrs and go hunting. When back, pour off almost all the water, cut up roast into smaller pieces, and pour a bottle of your fav bbq sauce on top. I like spicy honey sauce. Leave lid off and bake another 20 minutes. I found that the wild taste leaves with the water when poured off. Even folks that do not like wild game eat this. Enjoy!
# jdw0676
Thursday, July 21, 2011 8:58 PM

italian venison roast

5 lb. venison roast
3 cans french onion soup
1 1/2 tbls. minced garlic
1 tlbs. italian seasoning
1 tsp. basil flakes
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. onion powder
mozzarella cheese ( shredded or sliced )

pour french onion soup over meat in slow cooker. add enough water to cover meat and add garlic, italian seasoning, basil, salt, and onion powder. cook on high for 6 to 8 hours. when roast is done, remove from cooker and shred meat. mix shredded meat back into juice. serve on hoagie bun topped with melted mozzarella cheese and with pepperoncinis on the side.
# alderdog
Friday, July 22, 2011 9:54 AM
1/4 cub each of cider vinegar and olive oil. 3 tbs mesquite seasoning from costco, 3 tbs granulated garlic or use about 6 cloves of fresh minced, 3 tbs italian seasoning or use K Paul's little Italy seasoning, mix it all up and put in two to three 6 inch long pieces of back strap, marinade 2 to 3 hours. Get the grill going, I use a webber smokey joe, when coals are hot, sear the meat on both sides, then move to a cooler part of the grill and finish cooking to your liking. I like mine medium rare. Pull off grill, tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving. I like green salad, and asparagus or corn on the cob on the side. Might just have to rummage around in the freezer and see what I can find for dinner tonight. I think I still have some deer or moose in there!! Enjoy.
# alderdog
Friday, July 22, 2011 9:54 AM
Darn old fat fingers, 1/4 cup!!!!
# sweetlou
Friday, July 22, 2011 3:44 PM
i would like to try your sauce i am 77 years old and love to hunt
with my grand kids we get the deer we clean the deer and we process it and then we eat . my name is louis paradise
whats the price email louandbetty@hughes.net
hope to hear from you thanks
# freeload1970
Friday, July 22, 2011 4:36 PM
grilled backstrap
as many backstraps as you want
cover with cains barbacue spice,onion powder,garlic powder,and pepper rub in and put in gallon bag or plastic bowl over night
next day set on counter for about 1 hour
get grill good and hot
cook 4 to 6 minutes each side good with any thing
i eat it alone enjoy
# lilduke
Friday, July 22, 2011 5:41 PM
I like to let my dear meat marinade in a mixture of a few big chile's from the garden, salt, pepper, fresh garlic clove, onion, red pepper seasoning, 2-4 limes, soy sauce, cumin, and a few basil leafs. You boil a med. sauce pan of water with chile's, onion, garlic, salt, and basil leafs until chile's are real tender. After that is ready, blend with a cup or 2 of water(depending how much you are making). Then mix everything else. Place in gallon freezer bag with meat and let sit in fridge for 2 days. Its a little spicey, but still has the wild taste.
# engel
Friday, July 22, 2011 8:57 PM
Keep it simple. Take a three pound roast of good quality. slice it in three places. Spread some horse raddish in each slice, 2 strips of thick sliced bacon, mushrooms, and diced onions till full. Tie the roast with butchers string and roast at three hundred till about 150 degrees. Coat withhoney and cook to 160, and enjoy. Da Rev
# BISHOPC
Saturday, July 23, 2011 4:39 PM
I LIKE TO TAKE A BACKSTRAP WHOLE. TRIM IT INJECT IT WITH CAJUN HONEY PRALINE SAUCE LET SET OVERNIGHT. THEN SMOKE IT WITH HICKORY OR APPLEWOOD AT 300 FOR 4 HOURS. TAKE IT OFF SMOKER AND GLAZE IT WITH HONEY PRALINE AND BAKE TILL 160 DEGREES IN MIDDLE. LET ROAST REST FOR 31/2 MINUTES. SERVE WHILE HOT. IT WILL MELT IN YOUR MOUTH.
# jthiede
Saturday, July 23, 2011 9:25 PM
I like to take some venison and poke it with a fork all over. Then take some Italian Dressing with some garlic powder to taste and stir it up in a 2cup measuring cup. Put the steaks or backloin steaks in a ziploc bag and dump the dressing mixture in and marinate at least 2 hours in the frig moving the bag around every half hour. Take it out and give it a chance to warm up a little. Grill it to your liking.
# jbuzzard
Saturday, July 23, 2011 10:47 PM
1 whole venison Backstrap, 1/2 pound thin slice'd Deli ham, 4oz Bluecheese or mozzarella cheese, Garlic powder,Blackpepper, cyeane pepper, cut Backstrap length wise 3/4 way through seson with spice's allover fill with ham and cheese tieup with kitchen string sear on all side's on charcoal or gas Grill then wrap foil place back on Grill for 1 hr. remove from grill let stand for 10 min. slice crossway's place on platter set platter on table and then move away very Quickley. P.S. COUNT EVERYONE'S FINGER'S WHEN DON.
# garrettwilliams1995
Sunday, July 24, 2011 12:38 PM
1 Venison Backstrap cut to your choice.
Marinate in Apple Cider for appx. 24 hours
Season generously with lawrys season salt, cajun seasoning, and crushed red pepper.
Mix worchestire sauce with red wine and make a grilling sauce.
Grill tenderloins on high on each side for appx 4 minutes brushing sauce generously.
Serve hot with a pile of fried potatoes and fresh sweet corn.

# everett3
Sunday, July 24, 2011 4:18 PM
I like my game meat to taste like game meat, not beef or chicken. Isnt that the whole point?
# Web Editor Josh
Monday, July 25, 2011 12:22 PM
My stomach is growling and my mouth is watering after reading all the exceptional recipes that everyone submitted. I'm overwhelmed with the response for this small contest, and want to thank everyone who took the time to share their venison cooking secrets. I'll absolutely be trying several of these recipes in the future.

Without further delay, alderdog is the winner of a jar of Chatellier's Rare Game Sauce. Alderdog, your recipe was detailed and sounds delicious. The recipe is also simple and the ingredients are rather inexpensive, allowing for a wide variety of folks to try it. And it's clear the recipe will accomodate cuts of venison beyond backstraps. Lastly, based on my years of cooking experience, I can say without a doubt that your recipe will be a perfect match for use with Chatellier's Rare Game Sauce. I'll be trying your recipe out very soon. Congratulations!

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