The following stew is inspired by the Chilindron, Spanish Stew, by Hank Shaw, which can be found in his book Buck, Buck Moose. I’ve imparted my own twist on the dish by making the most of what’s on hand in my pantry. The real beauty of this stew is that it affords improvisation, from the type of meat and veggies you opt to use, to the variety of spices, stock, wine and carbs. Use what you have and trust that your stew will turn out great. Though I make this stew throughout the year, it seems ...

If you’re lucky enough to kill a bear, as my husband Kevin was, do yourself a favor and pack out as much of the fat as you can. Spring bear or fall bear, I’ve had both and can confidently say both are delicious. Though many will insist that fall bear fat tastes the best, the only thing I can say for sure is that fall bear will yield more of it. Bear fat is pure gold. It will give you the flakiest, best tasting pie crust for sweet or savory pies, and it makes a darn good biscuit. I’ve heard ...

I’m a little hesitant to so eagerly endorse beaver meat amongst friends, because I’m worried there won’t be enough left for me. I’ve written pretty extensively about our first time cooking beaver, but if you need any more encouragement to try it, this recipe is a good place to start. It’s simple, easy to make and everyone likes barbeque. The Korean-style black barbeque sauce is a little different but absolutely delicious. As an alternative you could also prepare this meal with a North ...

Recently, several BHAers had the opportunity to join the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and our conservation partners North Carolina Wildlife Federation and National Wild Turkey Federation at our state farmers market to cook wild game for anyone who wanted to try it.  When cooking for this sort of crowd or even for extended family, I tend to look for preparations that have stood the test of time across cultures, which usually means I end up adapting recipes from the lamb/goat ...

Wild fruit is a food collector’s fantasy, a gift that practically begs to be taken. Starting in spring, the plants wave their white flower flags to show you where to find them come summer – juneberries and cherries in the hedgerow, strawberries in the sand, blackberries and raspberries along the logging cut, elderberries on the streambank, and blueberries from the mountaintop all the way down to the granite pond. With every passing day in spring, a new place flushes white with beacons of ...

Some find it offensive that I eat bass. The looks that I get while carrying a stringer full of smallmouth are startling. Apparently, somewhere along the way, bass have become an untouchable. But, bass is a white and tender meat that’s simply delicious. I like to compare it to snapper for those who are pescaphiles. It cooks quickly, a quick sear and pan roast in the oven is all that is needed. Take note, though. Older bass can accumulate some toxins in their bodies, specifically in their fat. ...

If you’ve been deer hunting for a number of years, you’ve likely had your fair share of venison summer sausage. Usually stuffed into five-pound sleeves of dark colored collagen casing and served in slices alongside beer, cheese and crackers, this cured meat staple is ubiquitous in deer camp kitchens across North America.  Frequently prepared in butcher shops and small-scale wild game processing plants, the roots of summer sausage can be traced back to pre-industrial Germany where it was ...

I hung up the phone and sank into my office chair, rubbing my temples in anticipation of the stress from the reality of what I had just done. I just accepted an invitation to cook at the 4th annual Field to Table Dinner at the North American Rendezvous. I’d be cooking alongside some of the best chefs that I knew of. I am an extremely talented eater, I told myself, not a chef. My initial thought was to make a bò kho (Vietnamese beef stew). I figured you can’t screw that up. The ...

I grew up watching Reading Rainbow – bear with me – and on LeVar Burton's “My Little Island” episode, he visits the Caribbean island of Montserrat. There, he visits the sandy beaches, discovers exotic fruits and vegetables at the street market, and most interestingly, LeVar follows a local into the mountains to look for the “mountain chicken.” Leptodactylus fallax, commonly known as the mountain chicken or giant ditch frog, is a frog species endemic to the Caribbean islands. True to its ...

Every year at BHA’s North American Rendezvous, our chapters bring their best dishes to BHA’s Wild Game Cookoff, where members present a suite of locally harvested, regionally significant dishes to a panel of celebrity judges. Competition is fierce in this wildly entertaining event. Field to Table is honored to feature this recipe from Rendezvous 2019. We’re from the great state of Michigan, and those who live here love a little savory hand pie called the pastie so much that it might as well ...