Lone Elk; Not Just a Park Anymore

March 27, 2011

Week 13-Animal=Elk

Elk burgers.  One would think that they would closely resemble beef burgers, or possibly even bison burgers...alas they did not. 

Burgers had a very gamey taste to them and a texture that could only be described as....odd. 

Seasoned ground elk with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Grilled over direct heat for approximately 3-4 minutes a side. 

The two bite rule was in effect for the Spouse.  As for the Boy...a poke with his index finger is as far as we got.  He even did not enjoy the potato spears, as demonstrated by the raspberry blowing and frantic wiping of the mouth. 

Burgers were served on English muffins and topped with cheddar cheese (both of which are excellent with burgers)

I thought the burgers were ok and finished about half of mine.  Could have been a lot better.  Oh well.

Way Down in the Bayou

March 19, 2011

Week 12 - Animal=Alligator

This week marked a historic point in this Carnivore Quest.  The Spouse and Boy both survived past the two bite rule.  Shock was evident on my face.  Not only did the Spouse eat the Cajun seasoned alligator skewers, she also ate bratwurst.  The boy also enjoyed the chicken brats.  Must have done something right. 

The alligator fillets were soaked in milk for about 2 hours to remove some of the gaminess.  They were then sliced into inch pieces and coated with a mixture of spices and herbs.  The herb/spice mixture is as follows:

• Paprika
• Kosher Salt
• Ground Black Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Cayenne Pepper

The alligator pieces were placed on bamboo skewers and allowed to rest. 

Along with the alligator skewers, I grilled Hungarian bratwursts and Chicken bratwursts (both from Kenrick's).  All were grilled over direct heat without any wood or smoke. 

The alligator was a little chewy, but had a nice flavor and was not gamy at all.  The spice mixture proved to be a good compliment to the meat. 

As of now, alligator could find its way into the rotation on special occasions.  Till next time...

What a pheasant Sunday evening...

March 13, 2011

Week 11- Animal=Pheasant

Wild pheasant, shot and killed by either my father in-law or brother in-law and retrieved by their Black Lab was the animal of the week.

Very gamy smell before grilling.  Pheasant was cleaned and split into the breast section and leg and thigh section.  I grilled over indirect heat and smoked using apple wood chips.

Result: Pheasant had a nice flavor, very close to chicken.  the texture was much tougher than we would have liked.  This could be contributed to the amount of time on the grill or the age of the pheasant (unknown). Either way it was not terrible.  Probably won't add to the rotation but would not be opposed to trying it again.  The Spouse summed it up as, "Tough. Tough but more edible than the frog or rabbit."  The boy preferred his Beefaroni.

Results of the February poll requested Alligator.  Stay Tuned...

Mango Marinated Chicken

March 6, 2011

Chicken was marinated in a mango citrus sauce and then smoked over indirect heat for approximately 1 hour.  Cherry wood was used to smoke the chicken.  Did I mention that I really am beginning to enjoy cherry wood?

Keeping Your Head in the Sand Won't Hide You From the Quest

March 5, 2011

Week 10 - Animal=Ostrich


John's Butcher Shoppe up near St. Charles Rock Road carries ground ostrich and ground elk.  Sadly the elk was absent during my last visit.  Try as he like, ostrich was unable to escape the all seeing grill eye.

Ground meat is ground meat and really the most likely solution is a burger. 

Ostrich was seasoned with black pepper, kosher salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.  The meat was shaped into patties and grilled over direct heat for about 4 minutes a side.  The burgers were topped with colby/jack cheese during the last two minutes of grilling.  The Spouse said that they were edible and better than the frog legs and rabbit.  The Boy took a few small bites so he gets credit for this one. 

Non-Meats
Baked potato spears - Potatoes were microwaved for approximately 8 minutes.  They were allowed to cool and then were sliced into spears.  A mixture of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder was brushed on the potato spears.  They were grilled over direct heat for 4 minutes a side.

This week was successful.  Thinking ahead...

Sausage, Sausage, and More Sausage

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Kenrick's has the BEST bratwurst and Andoille sausage anywhere.  Grilled brats, sausage, and Hebrew National hot dogs over direct heat.  Pretty hard to screw up.