Most of us get in a rut (pardon the pun) when it comes to cooking our venison and other wild game. We have a handful of go-to recipes that we come back to over and over—because they’re delicious, or easy, or because every member of the family will eat them without complaining. But if you’re looking to shake things up, try going beyond your norm and checking out some of these Asian-inspired recipes. They might even cure your craving for take-out.
Crispy Mongolian-Style Venison
This recipe from From Field to Plate offers a new way to use venison backstrap, slicing it in thin strips and lightly coating it in cornstarch before frying til crispy. The marinade and the sauce require mostly simple ingredients, and the whole dish comes together in no time at all (other than the marinating time). Serve it over rice, and I’d be tempted to steam some green beans and make a little extra sauce for them to add some veggies to the meal. Photo courtesy fromfieldtoplate.com
Santa Rita Firecracker Quail
This is a personal favorite in my family, and although quail breasts are the perfect size, I have also made this with chicken and wild turkey cut into bite-sized nuggets. I bet it would even work well with rabbit. If you’ve ever had “bang-bang shrimp,” this is the same sauce and flavor profile. The recipe uses buttermilk and cornstarch for a thicker-but-still-light breading that carries the sauce well. Caution: This one does not do super well as leftovers, so plan accordingly based on how much you think your family will eat.
Photo courtesy tonycaggianooutdoors.com
Photo courtesy melissacookston.com
Asian Glazed Smoked Pheasant
Fire up the smoker the next time you manage to bag some pheasants and try this recipe from Melissa Cookston. It starts with dry-brining the plucked birds overnight, so make sure you plan ahead for that. She uses a proprietary spice blend, but I’d improvise something with the usual suspects—salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, etc. After that, the brown-sugar-based glaze is the trick to most of the flavor. As the recipe states, keep an eye on your smoker and don’t overcook the birds.
Korean Extra Crispy Fried Rabbit
I haven’t eaten rabbit since I was a child, but if I ever get the chance to hunt them as an adult, this recipe would be at the top of my list. Come on, extra crispy fried anything has to be good. Like other recipes in this article, it uses buttermilk and cornstarch for a super-crisp crust, and although the double-frying technique is a little time consuming, it’s worth it for that crunchy coating. The pieces get tossed in a Korean-inspired sauce before serving, and while it’s mostly simple ingredients, you might have to add gochujang to your shopping list.
Photo courtesy themeateater.com
Thai Green Curry Venison
In the mood for Thai? Got venison in the freezer? Hank Shaw has your answer with this curry recipe. He makes his own green curry paste, but he admits that store-bought is totally acceptable. You’ll need a few special ingredients you might not already have in the pantry, but the whole recipe comes together quickly. You’ll start by stir-frying a sliced onion, and then the rest happens in the same pan in pretty short order. Hank even includes a number of “keys to success” at the end of the recipe to help newer cooks. Photo courtesy honest-food.net
Duck Pho
If you’re not familiar with pho, it’s essentially a rich broth-based Vietnamese soup, often made with beef. This duck version looks delicious. It’s not exactly a quick recipe, but you can make the stock ahead of time if you need to. In comes together in one pot and includes time-consuming but flavor-building steps like charring the onions and ginger and toasting the spices. The fun thing about pho is how customizable it is for each person who’s eating it, so be sure to serve with lots of condiments and garnishes, like chilies, mint, cilantro, scallions, Siracha, and more. Photo courtesy greatcurryrecipes.net
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