Why in the hell.........
Whitetail Deer
Why in the hell have I not cooked WT shanks in the past? I listened to a few recipes on you tube, concocted one that fitted my skills and came away with a great meal of tender and favorable meat, made in the crock pot after I braised the shanks, and then placed on a mound of sautéed vegs and then cooked for 5 hours. Poured over a mound of mashed potatoes and washed down with a glass of red wine. Yum.
I never have either, but that does sound good!
Yup, shank is awesome!! And every ungulates comes with four of them.
The best way is slice/ saw them into 1 1/2” thick slices. The marrow adds a lot of flavour.
Paul, off your subject a bit but thinking of cooking wild game, I am wondering what is the best approach to preparing grouse in the field with only a camp type stove. In the past, I've just buttered them, flowered, and fried them up. I know that you have given good recipe advice on bigger (probably tougher) birds so you may have some experience here. Dove, quail, and teal would be in the same category I would think. Thanks for any thoughts that you may have, Badbull
In the field , cave man recipe for grouse.
# 1, kill grouse
In the field , cave man recipe for grouse.
# 1, kill grouse
#2, build fire and then down to hot coals.
#2, build fire and then down to hot coals.
#3. Cut off head, wings, and gut. and then burn off feathers. Place green stick in cavity. (pictured with bird plucked but leaving on skin is better and keeps moisture in)
#3. Cut off head, wings, and gut. and then burn off feathers. Place green stick in cavity. (pictured with bird plucked but leaving on skin is better and keeps moisture in)
#4, roast over fire, turning on occasion until done.
#4, roast over fire, turning on occasion until done.
salt to taste and rip into it, just like a cave man
salt to taste and rip into it, just like a cave man
leave the carcass for the jays
leave the carcass for the jays
or any other critter that might show up
or any other critter that might show up
Paul, I’m actually not involved in the decision making in my household but my son has been after my wife to cook the shanks. She refused. For some reason this fall she tried it, unbelievably good meals
Same here. Cooked the Hank Shaw shank recipe last year and it was one of the best meals I ever had.
Paul, great advice, hope to get to try your caveman method with my grandkids for an experience that they would never forget, especially if they got the game themselves. Thanks, Badbull
Best deer meals I’ve ever made have involved shanks. Either cut into disks for osso bucco or whole and shred the meat. Same for turkey legs of which I have two thawing for tomorrow.
Cook the grouse over an open fire on a green stick. Season liberally, then toss the grouse and eat the stick because it will be more tender.. :-)
NO Lou, that is the carp recipe!
Jaq, Ha ha, sounds like the voice of firsthand experience. What if I pound with a rock first? Badbull
Badbull, that might work and give some flavor to the rock, but you'd have to roast it longer than the stick...
Have eaten them the same way Paul, not my favorite bird but will do in a pinch. That's a neat pic of the Marten, they've got an attitude!
I’m not sure about this one, Paul. Sounds like you have been talking with midwest too much. Freaking shanks!
I've always wondered about shanks. I've always just grund them. I can't help but think that it's the meat texture of them that folks like more so than the flavor except perhaps as mentioned cut bone in. Seams to me that after being in a crock pot for 5+ hours the meat is gonna blend with whatever other ingredients are in the pot along with it. But I can definitely see as how the meat texture would be unique. I'm gonna give it a try some day.
My mom always cooked lamb shanks, so venison makes sense apartment from perhaps a CWD concern. State law here says you can’t bring in bone (apart from a cleaned skull or plate) from a “CWD State”, so I assumed that marrow might be an issue. If it’s not, shanks are easier to prepare as shanks than as boned-out and ground.
Another of those parts - along with heart, liver, tongue, kidneys, tripe, brains, etc - which have fallen out of favor just out of the abundance we all have. My parents ate pretty much all of the above, between the Depression and my grandmothers being raised on The Farm…
The crazy thing is that these unfashionable organ meats are actually as tasty as any other part when prepared right. I always loved a bowl of oxtail soup….
Delete: the double post ghost is at it again
An Insta Pot can transform shanks/neck meat into delicious meals in only 90 minutes.
Timely post Paul! We’re cooking shank tomorrow for dinner. Our method is similar.
Hank Shaw's shank recipes are awesome!
The instant pot makes them into a delicious meal! I cook them for 60 minutes with potatoes and onions and its fantastic!
Potatoes & onions in an insta pot for 60 minutes ??? Surely they'd be mush. Perhaps im wrong ....learn me something.
Todd, when I use small quartered potatoes, I place them in the insta pot or Crock pot later so they do not get over done. ie, no mush.
Oh ya man. Browned shank in the instant pot 45-60 mins boom!!! Awesome meal!!!
Can someone post the recipe - complete from start to finish - please? Or a link to one?
Hopefully I'll shoot a deer tomorrow and give it a try.
Just do as I did. Google hank Shaws braised shank recipes.
A good Buddy is sitting in my blind with his young son this weekend and all this shank talk got me hungry. I dug out the last two shanks I had. I deboned them and sliced across the grain into 1 1/2” thick pieces. I just finished browning them and now they’ll go into the crock pot which I’ll turn in at noon. When I get back from hunting at after dark they will be ready to eat. Hopefully bring home four fresh ones too.
There has got to be room for some fresh NM green chile!?!
I sincerely hope to find you, Paul, in the mountains some day and we can share a fire. You not only have stories galore but have accomplished culinary cuisine.
I had been throwing them in the grind pile until about 3 years ago when I saw a MeatEater recipe. Tried Hank Shaws as well. Can't believe I've ground them for 40 years.
Hey Jeff, we should plan on that. My wife has always said " if one can read, one can cook".
I grew up back in the day when McDonnell's had only sold a few million ham burgers and only in the US, and many families would sit down and have an evening meal together made in the home kitchen. Lots of good home made cooking back then. Today, well that is another story but thankfully hunters know where their meat comes from and are willing to try new dishes. Thanks for the nice note. Paul
That's some sure shank redemption right there..... =D
Many "tough" meats are tough because of connective tissue, crock pots and pressure cookers are great for breaking down that tissue and it adds a nice flavor to it as well. I've been told it's good to eat the connectives etc for injury recovery and general health too. Gonna have to try Ambush's bone in recipe, that has possibilities....
Grouse can have a bit of texture, but usually nothing like the jerky that's been in the bottom of your pack for several weeks...... It's a really "raw red" meat and if you cook it till the "raw" is gone it can be leather. I think just show it enough fire so it stops twitching.... We debone/breast them then cook the breast and thighs/drumsticks. Now those are something to chew on for a while.....
Fir and pine aren't the greatest cooking fires but good enough for the girls I go out with. And as stated above..... tastes like a five star meal after a week of freeze dried.....
Made myself a little snack on Saturday. The drippings are so dang good ladled back over the meat
