Rarely in life on the East Coast do you come across a Choctaw Native American who hails from Oklahoma. Let’s be real, you usually don’t even meet people from Oklahoma on the East Coast. I met the Manly Chef in 2008 in Washington D.C. at a conference, we bonded over being the only outsiders at the conference. Quickly after that we realized we both had a passion for cooking. Since then we’ve grown up and moved away, but I can always count on the Manly Chef to provide me with a great manly story or a hunting inspired recipe.
So Why The Manly Chef Title?
Because he is the manliest man I know! He hunts, fishes, he does Spartan Races, he literally does everything I can’t/wont/don’t, and on top of all that he’s been a cook in a restaurant. AND HE’S A DAD! (Nothing manlier than being a good father folks *cue the nice music*, but seriously there isn’t.)
He never ceases to amaze me with his stories and exploits. He will be guest posting on “The Unmanly Chef” from time to time, when he’s not hunting bears and fighting mountain lions of course. He shares my passion for cooking and strong ingredients.
The Manly Chef will be kicking off grilling week. Because it’s a short week and everyone is grilling this week I thought I would include some great recipes for this Fourth of July Week. We’ll be taking a look at Venison Burgers (below), Saffron Swordfish Kabobs, Smoked Babyback Ribs, and we’ll finish it all off with a great summer dessert, Strawberry Rhubarb Pie.
I hope you enjoy his recipes/stories as much as I have/do. You can follow him @HrvestingNature & you can follow his blog here.
Like him on Facebook also at Harvesting Nature
—————————-
Okay guys and gals, this set of recipes has been streamlined to impress. Independence Day is just around the corner and everyone is looking for a show stopper to excite their friends at those backyard BBQs across the nation. We are talking hamburgers… but not just your run of the mill hamburgers from down the road at McDonald’s. These are real burgers, actually they are venison burgers, with meat harvested last Fall from Grade A Oklahoma Whitetail Deer.
Your Independence Day BBQ just got a whole lot more independent.
Venison Burgers
Yield: (4) quarter pound patties
1 lb ground venison (store bought or wild harvested, wild is always better)
½ purple onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup Wood Ear mushrooms, diced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
- Mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl
- Form the meat into balls slightly larger than golf balls
- Smash the meat balls flat into patties and lightly coat them with the olive oil
- Place them in the refrigerator to chill while you fire up the grill
- Fire up the grill, preferably charcoal, these patties deserve that smoky charcoal grill flavor
- Once the grill is at a suitable temperature, place the patties on the grate.
- Cook 2-3 minutes each side, if you are adding cheese, I highly recommend white cheddar, add it to the patties after the first flip so that it get nice and melted.
- Don’t forget about the condiments
Although they may not be needed, any one of these condiments can enhance your already delicious burger, add at you own risk!
- Stone Ground Mustard
- Garlic Aioli
- Substitute Fresh Mustard Greens instead of Lettuce
- Chili
- Fried Egg
- Plum Jam or Preserves
- Bread and Butter Pickles, homemade are the best
