KAMPFIRE KOOKIN’ WILD THANGS

I usually end up with a lot of deerburger left in my freezer at the end of the deer meat. What do you do with 25 to 30 pounds (sometimes more) of deerburger??? Here are two ways to ‘save/use’ the ground meat. First, I never have pork mixed in with my deer burger like a lot of hunters do. To me it tastes rancid over time. Next I get out these two recipes and go to town. Sometimes I wrap the finished product in fancy paper and give it away to my huntin’ buddies. If I gave them deerburger they’d throw it in the bottom of their freezer so I prepare it this way and then I know they will use it.

JERKY BURGERS (An easy way to use that extra leftover deerburger in the bottom of your freezer)

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For jerky burgers, I use either a store bought jerky seasoning or I use a 10-oz. bottle of soy sauce and a 5-oz. bottle of liquid smoke mixed with 1 tablespoon of garlic powder for every 5-pound package of deer burger. I mix it all together and form it into 1/4-pound balls.

I flatten each one of them between two saucers, and put the flattened ‘burgers’ in my dehydrator for about 24 hours. If you slip each saucer into a plastic bag the raw burger patties will slide off the plates easier and it’s a snap to clean up; just throw the bags away.

I store the dried round disks in a brown paper bag; close the top, fold it down, and secure it with a clothespin or I’ll put them into Ziploc bags and store them in my freezer.

Don’t forget to label the bags.

Jerky burgers are easier to eat if you use a pair of kitchen shears and cut them into bite size pieces.

WILD HOT DOG CHILI/SAUCE (Not your ordinary hot dog sauce.)

6 lbs. deer burger  3 tsp. red pepper flakes

6 tsp. salt  6 tsp. paprika

7 tsp. chili powder  4 cloves garlic (minced)

4 (4 oz.) cans tomato paste  1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard

About a quart of water  Butter amount the size of a walnut

Brown the meat in the butter and then drain off the grease.

Add other ingredients and simmer for about 7 or 8 hours adding water as needed or until it is of the desired consistency.

Ladle the sauce over a cooked hotdog in a bun and top with mustard, chopped onions, shredded cheese and/or coleslaw.