In this episode, we will recap my 2024 elk hunting trip to Montana. This story actually began in late 2022 and took a few twists and turns along the way.Chris Smith

I've decided to start out my cookbook review project with my absolute favorite! I use this cookbook weekly and am a huge fan. If you don't utilize Hank Shaw's cookbooks or his on-line resources, you are really missing out. Give a listen and give them a try!Chris Smith

I've decided to take a break from featuring recipe cooking on the podcast and will be pivoting to cookbook reviews for the next several episodes, so come along and hopefully you will discover new resources, new recipes and maybe a whole new way of looking at your wild game cooking. It's going to be interesting!…

Many folks likely toss out throats or collars with their fish heads and that's really a waste when it comes to your Red Fish. In this episode, I show you how to harvest the collars from the fish and a simple preparation on the grill. I guarantee if you give this a try, you will always keep and cook this part of your fish from now on!…

The flat iron steak is a tender cut that, surprisingly, comes from the front shoulder where most of us think about tougher cuts and long cooks required to produce tender finished products. Today, I'm using a flat iron steak from a bull elk. This can be done with any venison, but the larger species are generally better as you need to split the steak…

Now that the summer heat has arrived, the grilling season is in full swing. It's also fishing season, so I'm grilling a whole flounder for the first time. I'm utilizing a recipe from Outdoor Indoor Texan that is very straightforward, but yields a delicious result that will taste like you worked much harder for such a tasty dish! Link to Outdoor Ind…

Summer grilling season is here and I utilize venison kebabs to bring vegetables into my meat grilling scene! This is an easy recipe that can be scaled for a large or small groups. In this episode I used a top round or sirloin cut, but you could also use backstrap for a more tender end result. The veggies can vary based on your personal preferences.…

Today, I'm whipping up grilled redfish tacos outside! I'm using one fillet of redfish with the skin and scales on that I am grilling over medium high heat for about 12 minutes. I seasoned the fish with a fajita seasoning and put a few small pieces of butter on the fish to melt in while cooking. Meanwhile I am sautéing a couple onions that were slic…

In this conversation, Chris interviews Drew from the Outdoor Indoor Texan YouTube channel. They discuss Drew's passion for outdoor cooking, his love for hunting and fishing, and his journey into creating a successful YouTube channel. They also touch on topics such as butchering wild game, the challenges of finding reliable wild game recipes, and th…

Have you every considered using cast iron pans, but thought that keeping them seasoned and clean was too hard? In this episode, I share my perspectives on utilillzing cast iron cookware and how easy it really is.Chris Smith

Today I'm cooking whitetail shanks by braising them in a chili sauce that I made from dried chili. I'm utilizing a chili sauce recipe from Arnie Tex and I would highly recommend you check out the link below to see how he makes it! This is a simple prep as you just make the sauce, place the shanks and sauce in a dutch oven at 325 degrees for 4 to 5 …

On day 2 of the Total Archery Challenge, I sat down with Joel Smith and Judson Brown to talk a little be about TAC and a whole lot about wild game cooking and what we think about it. There's some good tips and lots of entertainment in this episode, so I hope you will enjoy it.Chris Smith

Quesadillas are a family favorite and are very versatile. In this episode we will cook up some whitetail quesadillas with a simple mixture of onions, peppers and cheese on toasted flour tortillas with a "CRUNCH" to let you know they are ready. It's also a great way to utilize leftovers when you have steak or roast available!…

I had the good fortune to be able to have Kriss Abigail on the podcast to talk about her journey to becoming a professional wild game butcher and how she then uses that knowledge to teach others through her work with other conservation organizations and clinics she holds (such as Hunters of Color, the Texas Wildlife Association and the New School o…

This recipe comes to us from Cowboy Kent Rollins and is intended for ground beef, but I've modified it slightly and use ground elk (and have also used ground whitetail) with no fat included. I highly recommend trying out this very straightforward recipe for a new dish to utilize your ground meat. Give it a try and you will be coming back for second…

In this episode I cook a whitetail eye of round in a stir-fry using sugar snap peas, matchstick carrots, bell peppers and mushrooms along with a homemade stir-fry sauce (see below). The recipe is essential one third meat to two thirds vegetables and you can use any combination of veggies you want. I highly recommend trying this for a quick, delicio…

Spring to me is White Bass Fishing and Turkey hunting! In this episode I'll walk you through the process of frying up a mess of white bass that I caught just the day before. This is a quick and simple approach that is sure to please.Chris Smith

This week I found roasted hatch chiles in a jar and a cold front blew into town, so I decided to cook up Elk Green Chile Stew! I'd never tried this recipe before and was blown away with the spicy robust flavor. It is a hit that I will be coming back to again and again. I based my stew on Hank Shaw's Green Chile Stew and his exact recipe can be foun…

I sat down with Jeff Benda who is a professional Wild Game Chef with over 20 years of experience, to discuss how he got started, what he has learned and what advice he has for all of us as we strive to improve our skills as wild game cooks. I highly recommend you check out his website ( https://wildgameandfish.com ) and view his library of wild gam…

Fajitas are a simple and quick meal that you can customize to fit the tastes of you and your family. It's also the basis or filler for quesadillas and/or burritos. This is an example of one approach that I think you will really enjoy. Ingredients: 2 Venison steaks (equivalent with 0.5 to 1 pound) (in this case I used elk) 2 medium onions rough chop…

On this episode I'll be cooking one of my favorite winter dishes, Cajun Piquant! It utilizes diced venison roast and is similar to a gumbo. Give this one a try and I gaurentee it will become a favorite! Link to Hank Shaw's Cajun Piquante Recipe: https://honest-food.net/venison-sauce-piquante-recipe/Chris Smith

Osso Buco is an Italian dish that traditionally utilized veal shanks that are cross cut to short sections 3 or 4 inches tall. Today, I will talk you through this dish using Whitetail Shanks. This sounds and looks like a very fancy recipe, but it's actually pretty simple. The hardest part, in my opinion, is just cutting the shanks through the bone t…

I sat down with Joel Smith, Judson Brown and James Jubran to talk about their experiences as outdoorsmen and wild game cooks. It was a great discussion with lots of cooking tips and plenty of laughs!Chris Smith

I decided to experiment and modify the traditional Texan casserole, King Ranch Casserole, that usually features chicken by tweaking it to include ground elk, chipotles in adobo, cream of jalapeño soup and a few other new ingredients. I was really pleased with the outcome and I hope you will be also. If you want to see this being made, take a look a…

I sat down with Andrew Lukosevic of the EndurHunt Podcast to talk about his own journey to wild game cooking as a new hunter. Andrew is a self taught adult onset hunter who has found success and now shares those lessons in his own podcast. We discuss how he approaches wild game cooking, his ventures into jerky and sausage and his own tips and trick…

In this episode we are making a one skillet meal that has a tamale flavor without all the work. We will take 2 pounds of ground Elk (substitute any ground venison or beef) along with some fantastic seasonings topped with a masa dough to complete the tamale theme. This recipe is adapted from Cowboy Kent Rollings and his recipe can be found here at t…

Chili is a foundational dish that every hunter should have in their toolkit. This is well balanced chili recipe that can be modified to deliver more or less heat. You can use any wild game burger in this dish. I regularly use whitetail deer or elk ground meat with no fat added. Below is the ingredient list: 2 lbs meat of choice 1 Chopped onions Red…

I sat down with Cary Beason, the host of The Salty Yak Outdoor Podcast, to talk about what the Wild Vittles Podcast is, how I got into wild game cooking and a few other rabbit trails along the way. If you haven't listened to the Salty Yak Podcast before, do yourself a favor and give it a listen. It is informative and entertaining and covers the spe…

Have you heard of cooking with a sous vide? It is a tremendous tool for controlling the exact temperature of your cooking and it can make you a real hero in the kitchen when it comes to a perfectly done deer steak. If you have considered using a sous vide and want to learn more, this is the episode for you.…

New Year, New You and Better Wild Game Cooking. Here are 5 things you can do now to improve your wild game cooking in 2024. Make this part of your goals for 2024 today.Chris Smith

If you are tired of timing and grinding your deer shoulders, stop and keep those cuts whole. They make tremendously good barbacoa as you will learn in this pod cast. The recipe is from Hank Shaw and can be found in this link https://honest-food.net/barbacoa-recipe-venison/ . This yields a shredded venison that can be used in tacos, tamales, quesadi…

This is a Tex-Mex casserole that calls for a lean ground meat and it is delicious. It is a regular in my rotation of wild game dishes and it could be your next big hit in your household. Listen along as we cook this dish together. The recipe can be found below or through this link http://www.singforyoursupperblog.com/2010/09/13/easy-mexican-cassero…

Let's start this thing at the beginning. Everyone knows how to make burgers, but why don't you hear more about folks making deer or elk burgers? Well usually it's because they are dry. Here's a straightforward approach to give your burgers more flavor while making them juicy and delicious.Chris Smith

As the initial episode, this will episode we will dig into what the podcast will focus on, the format and a preview of what's to come. We will also touch on the "why" behind the podcast and what we hope to achieve, while becoming better wild game cooks.Chris