Canned Venison

This is a pantry staple in my house! And being that it is full on hunting season I wanted to share. There are so many options for canned venison once you have a cupboard full of it. Chili, stew, pan fried with gravy and onions, add to sauces. Use your imagination!

Start with some fresh venison. Make sure you get as much fat as possible off. Cut it into small pieces. I leave a few pieces with minimal fat for flavor. Venison is naturally low in fat content. 

Using clean canning jars fill right to the brim. Do not add water! The venison will make it's own juice. Using a butter knife push the meat down to get rid of as many air pockets as you can. If you so desire you may add a pinch of salt.

Variety: fill the jars with layers of meat and potatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and other spices. It becomes a meal in a jar and once put through the canning process can be opened and eaten with out heat. ( I prefer to heat mine)

Put you lids on snugly and process for about 90 minutes at 15lbs

San Francisco Pork Chops

I got this recipe offline. Can I just tell you what a huge hit this was for my family. I did double everything because there are so many of us! For the link I got it from see here http://allrecipes.com/recipe/230995/san-francisco-pork-chops/

What you need:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 (3/4 inch-thick) boneless pork chops, trimmed
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown chops in hot oil, about 5 minutes per side; remove pork to a plate, reserving oil in skillet.
Cook and stir garlic in reserved drippings until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, and red pepper flakes in a bowl, dissolving brown sugar. Return pork chops to skillet and pour soy sauce mixture over the chops. Bring sauce to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to low. Simmer chops until tender, 30 to 35 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking.
Transfer chops to a serving platter. Whisk cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth; stir into pan juices and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Pour sauce over chops to serve.

Chicken and Gravy with "Biscuits"

The ultimate in comfort food. And my Price Chopper had a sale on bakery rolls, so I used them instead of biscuits! This recipe is for 9 of us so cut it half if needed.

What you need:

6-8 Large chicken breast cut up

2 bags of frozen mixed veggies

3 packets of gravy powder

4 cups of chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot add a little oil and lightly brown cut up chicken. Add 3 cups chicken broth and cover. Cook on med-high heat till cooked through. Breaking the chicken up as it cooks to get the shredded texture. In a bowl thoroughly mix the 3 gravy packets with the other cup of chicken broth. Add gravy mix and veggies to the pot. Add salt and pepper and cook till veggies are tender and gravy thickens. Serve over rolls or biscuits with a side of garlic-sour cream mashed potatoes. 

Venison Cheese Steak

Yes it's hunting season! Here's a twist on a classic.

What you need:

Small venison roast, sliced thin, the thinner the better

1 large onion 

oil

Loaf of French or Italian bread

Cheese, whatever you like, I made a cheese sauce

Cheese Sauce:

4 oz Velvetta

4 slices American

1/4- 1/2 cup milk

In a large skillet or on a flat top grill add a some oil and saute the onions until soft and tender. Remove from heat. Add the venison and cook until no longer pink. About 3-6 minutes depending on how thick you sliced it. When it is almost done add the onions to it and cook about 2 minutes.

For the sauce. In a small pan combine the milk and cheeses and heat until melted and smooth.

I toasted my bread, that's a personal choice. Slice 3/4 of the way through, pile with venison and onions and top off with the cheese sauce. 

Pork Loin with Pear Sauce

I like to experiment with fruit in my recipes. I don't eat enough fruit and it's not because I don't like it. I just don't eat it. I'm more of a warm comfort food type of snacker than a healthy fruit snacker. So I try to put it in my meals. 

1 pork tenderloin
2 pears, diced
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken stock
Oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper


Heat the oil in a skillet placed over a medium-high heat. Season the pork tenderloin to taste. Brown the pork on all sides, and remove from the skillet. Add the pears, the onion, and the garlic to the skillet, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Bring the pork back to the skillet, pour in the chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Slice the pork and serve with the pear sauce.