Too Prissy to Hunt? I Don't Think So!

I surprise many people when I tell them that I am a hunter.  They stand amazed with their mouths open, speechless, and I know what they're thinking..."You're too prissy to hunt." 

I'll let you decide for yourself...

That's me at a dove shoot with  In Style magazine in my left hand and my 20 gauge in my right.  How's that for prissy?!?!

My favorite hunting is deer hunting; although, during Christmas break I had the opportunity to hunt waterfowl and that was really cool.  My hunting days began when I about ten years old in Bartow, Georgia.  Before then, I would help my grandaddy at his hunting club prep the deer stands during the pre-season.  We would go up and down the stands, cleaning windows and carpet and replacing chairs.  A fall from the top of one of his tower stands, which resulted in a broken wrist, didn't halt my interest in hunting and it was a few years later when I asked my grandaddy if I could go hunting with him.  Well, if you know my Grandaddy Gunn well, you won't be shocked when I say that the very next day I was the proud owner of a 243, junior rifle, with a nice scope mounted on top, a ditty bag, and a plethora of camouflage.  I will never forget the first time we set out for the woods.  I was nervous as heck as my grandaddy sat me down in his cookhouse and drew a picture of a deer.  Above and a little to the right of the deer's front leg, he drew a bulls-eye (I am laughing hysterically as I write, thinking back to that day!).  Grandaddy told me if the cross-hairs in my scope were situated on that spot, all I would have to do is pull the trigger and I'd have me a deer.  Well, won't you know that I have knocked down every one since.  I like to call it "the sweet spot."  Thanks, grandaddy.

My grandaddy has taught me lots of other great things about hunting, including how to scan the food plots slowly and with minimal movement as I turn my head, how to use my peripheral vision, where to place binoculars, that it's okay to snooze but remember I may lose, and that I should only place one bullet in the chamber at a time (that's for scatter-brained people like me who often "forget".).  More importantly, he has also taught me that hunting should not just be about shooting animals but instead having meat for food.  I have tried to remember that over the years.  However, I have failed until recently at cooking venison and other game as I have not been able to find recipes that take out enough of the "gamey" taste.  Thanks to our sweet neighbors here in Augusta, who have encouraged me and given several recipes, I gave it another try and was successful.  This recipe I am sharing is wonderful and by marinating the venison overnight followed by slow-cooking all day the wild taste is barely noticeable.

Slow Cooker Venison

www.food.com

• 3 to 4 pounds boneless venison roast (I used a backstrap)
• 1/2 cup vinegar, plus
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 7 teaspoons salt
• 7 garlic cloves, chopped (I substituted with jarred minced garlic)
• flour
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 (14 oz) cans tomatoes, chopped

1. Put the roast or backstrap in a deep bowl.
2. Make a marinade using 1/2 cup vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the salt, and 4 cloves of chopped garlic.
3. Pour the marinade over the roast, adding enough water to cover the venison; cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. Remove venison from the marinade and pat dry.
5. Sprinkle the meat with the remaining teaspoon of salt and dredge with flour.
6. Heat oil in a heavy skillet and brown the roast on all sides.
7. Transfer the roast to a crock-pot and add the sliced onion.
8. In a bowl, mix the brown sugar, mustard, 3 tablespoons of flour, and the Worcestershire to a paste; stir in the tomatoes, the remaining 1/3 cup of vinegar, and 3 cloves of chopped garlic; dump this mixture over the roast in the crock-pot.
9. Cook on LOW setting for 8-10 hours, until tender.
10. Allow about 5 minutes to set before cutting. Serve with rice. Can also add potatoes and carrots.

Enjoy!

Marie