Some find it offensive that I eat bass. The looks that I get while carrying a stringer full of smallmouth are startling. Apparently, somewhere along the way, bass have become an untouchable. But, bass is a white and tender meat that’s simply delicious. I like to compare it to snapper for those who are pescaphiles. It cooks quickly, a quick sear and pan roast in the oven is all that is needed. Take note, though. Older bass can accumulate some toxins in their bodies, specifically in their fat. ...

If you’ve been deer hunting for a number of years, you’ve likely had your fair share of venison summer sausage. Usually stuffed into five-pound sleeves of dark colored collagen casing and served in slices alongside beer, cheese and crackers, this cured meat staple is ubiquitous in deer camp kitchens across North America.  Frequently prepared in butcher shops and small-scale wild game processing plants, the roots of summer sausage can be traced back to pre-industrial Germany where it was ...

I hung up the phone and sank into my office chair, rubbing my temples in anticipation of the stress from the reality of what I had just done. I just accepted an invitation to cook at the 4th annual Field to Table Dinner at the North American Rendezvous. I’d be cooking alongside some of the best chefs that I knew of. I am an extremely talented eater, I told myself, not a chef. My initial thought was to make a bò kho (Vietnamese beef stew). I figured you can’t screw that up. The ...

I grew up watching Reading Rainbow – bear with me – and on LeVar Burton's “My Little Island” episode, he visits the Caribbean island of Montserrat. There, he visits the sandy beaches, discovers exotic fruits and vegetables at the street market, and most interestingly, LeVar follows a local into the mountains to look for the “mountain chicken.” Leptodactylus fallax, commonly known as the mountain chicken or giant ditch frog, is a frog species endemic to the Caribbean islands. True to its ...

Every year at BHA’s North American Rendezvous, our chapters bring their best dishes to BHA’s Wild Game Cookoff, where members present a suite of locally harvested, regionally significant dishes to a panel of celebrity judges. Competition is fierce in this wildly entertaining event. Field to Table is honored to feature this recipe from Rendezvous 2019. We’re from the great state of Michigan, and those who live here love a little savory hand pie called the pastie so much that it might as well ...

This recipe was prepared by Montana BHA member and chapter Vice Chair, Tom Healy. The dessert features elk bacon, made from a cow Tom had harvested last fall. The fat came from a beatiful color phase black bear shot by Montana Chapter Coordinator, Kevin Farron. Though Tom presented this dish at the 2019 Montana Campout, it was clearly a community effort as all good wild game dishes tend to be. Elk Bacon, Almond & Bear Fat Brittle Ingredients: 2 oz. ek shoulder bacon – chopped into 1/4” ...

This recipe, prepared by BHA member and Montana Chapter Vice Chair Tom Healy, was featured fare at the 2019 Montana Chapter Campout. To say it was a hit is an understatement; the dish was a highlight of the event. In addition, Tom prepared a dessert of elk bacon, almond and bear fat brittle over hand-cranked maple buttermilk frozen custard and topped with rhubarb currant jam. Here's how to make the bacon.  Elk Shoulder Bacon Ingredients:  5 lbs. elk shoulder & neck maple syrup  black ...

With their dish, Antelope Jackrabbit Tacos, Johnathan O’Dell and Michael Cravens of Arizona BHA captured the spirit of their region and won the 8th Annual North American Rendezvous Wild Game Cookoff in Boise. You can find their winning entrée recipe, pictured, in the summer issue of the Backcountry Journal. (Not a member? Join now to get your copy!) The tacos that the duo carefully prepared were served with Elote style cholla cactus buds as an hors d’oeuvre and a side of rattlesnake. For a ...

At BHA, we believe food to be an important part of our hunting heritage—a sacred link to the wild world that drives many of us into the mountains, forests and plains of North America. Holding the meat we harvest in such high regard, however, can create some challenges in the kitchen. At times it causes us to play it safe, preparing only a few tried and true recipes that ultimately leads us to miss out on the breadth of dishes wild game affords. Other times, we’re simply left wondering what ...

I hate recipes. They’re confining and require that you have every ingredient at hand. Life doesn’t work like that, in my estimation, and neither should cooking. I prefer, instead, a bit more anarchistic approach in the kitchen with general guidelines, concepts and ratios that can be applied at all times utilizing what you’ve got in the pantry. I love backstraps. They’re easily thawed if frozen, they cook quickly and they are arguably the best grilling cut of many game animals, be it a deer, ...