It is that season again: Hunters are in the woods, and all kinds of wild game are landing on the grill. Though a trophy buck is a beautiful thing, meat in the freezer is also the thing.
To some, it might seem an easy swap of red meat for wild game meat in recipes, but it isn’t always that simple. So much wild game cooks differently, for some of us it’s taken many seasons and years to get it right.
Nowadays, there is a lot of help out there for aspiring game chefs. We have a list of 4 of the best or at least the most popular wild game cookbooks right now. Some amazing recipes and information in all three of these. Follow their recipes and you are sure to truly enjoy your meals this winter.
The MeatEater Fish and Game Cookbook: Recipes and Techniques for Every Hunter and Angler
One of the most respected and well-spoken hunters in America today, Steven Rinella is the host of the NetFlix series and podcast MeatEater. He also is an accomplished wild game cook and fans clamor for his recipes for their hunting bounty.
This 360+ page cookbook includes everything from big and small game to birds and fish to even snapping turtles, bullfrogs, and alligators. Oh, and don’t forget about the best sauces and sides for your game. Rinella also shows readers how to cook their game outdoors or in the kitchen, at the campfire or on the grill.
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the beautiful photos that Rinella includes in his cookbook. The recipes will make your mouth water, and the photos will take your breath away. Whether you are a fan or new to MeatEater, an expert cook or a novice, this is the perfect book to buy.
“Rinella goes to the next level and offers some real deal culinary know-how to make sure that your friends and family will dig what you put on the table.”—Guy Fieri
Buy from Amazon or MeatEater.com.
Buck, Buck, Moose
Published in 2016, Buck, Buck, Moose is Hank Shaw’s first comprehensive, lushly photographed guide to working with and cooking all forms of venison, including deer, elk, moose, antelope and caribou. With more than 100 recipes, you will see everything from traditional preparations to unique and delicious ways to eat venison.
This is not only a cookbook. Readers will get thorough instructions on how to butcher, age and store venison, as well as how to use virtually every part of the animal. It also includes a section on curing venison and sausage-making.
What adds to this cookbook’s uniqueness is Hank Shaw’s stories of the hunt and essays of how venison gained a special place in human society. “Venison is far more than mere food. It is, in many ways, what made us human,” the book says.
A former reporter and restaurant cook, Shaw used both of these talents to make him a household name for hunters. His writings, cooking, and other outlets are all for one mission: honest food. This cookbook is a staple for this time of year, from the moment after the kill to the dinner table.
Buy from Amazon and Honest-food.net.
Girl Hunter: Revolutionizing the Way We Eat, One Hunt at a Time
For that lady hunter in your life, classically trained New York chef Georgia Pellegrini takes readers on a wild ride into the world of local, organic, and sustainable food.
“While I was writing [my first book] Food Heroes, I realized each person I spoke to shared a common bond: a connection to the land,” she says. “I knew my next task had to be refocusing on getting to the heart of where our food comes from by heading to the source, Mother Nature.”
Girl Hunter is more than a food-laden hunting narrative. It teaches readers how to be a self-sufficient eater, from fundamental stocks, brines, sauces, and rubs, to venison sausage and stuffed quail. Go on this adventure with Pellegrini and you are sure to enjoy delicious dishes by the end of it.
Buy from Amazon.
Wild Game Cuisine Cookbook
If you are looking for many options, Wild Game Cuisine Cookbook by Kristy at Nevada Foodies offers 100+ recipes for cooking wild game. Featuring elk, venison, antelope, bison, waterfowl, and more, enjoy dishes from winter through summer with chilis and stews, burgers and sandwiches, as well as tacos, enchiladas, and burritos!
Kristy is a hunter as well as an amazing cook, and her beautiful photos and delicious recipes on her website and social media accounts will sure make your mouth water. I mean, who wouldn’t want wild game cottage pie on a snowy winter day?
Buy from NevadaFoodies.com.
If you are preparing for the hunt, use our resources on The Hunting Page. After you return home with success, make sure to reference these three cookbooks to make the very best, most delicious meals for you and your family. Happy hunting!
