Featured Photo: Greg Wagner, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Most of your state wildlife agencies offer a solid selection of wild-game recipes on their websites. What's even better, it's not unusual to find an regional twist to a common, wild-game dish. These surprises are often linked to local food preferences and traditions. For instance, Texas Park and Wildlife offers a wide selection of southwestern-style Tex Mex recipes using wild game common in the state (so, yeh, there’s a lot of wild boar recipes).
But since St. Patty’s Day is coming up, we found a corned beef recipe courtesy of Nebraska Game and Parks that substitutes wild meat in place of the traditional, domesticated fare. With a little planning, you can enjoy your own homemade, wonderfully salty corned meat, cabbage and ice-cold Irish beer this Saint Patrick’s Day.
O’Wagsy’s Quick Corned Meat
Ingredients:
3 to 4 lbs. Deer/Elk Shoulder or Round or Beef Brisket (Cut)
1/2 C. Morton’s Tender Quick
1/2 C. brown sugar
2 tbsp. pickling spices
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground red pepper
1 tsp. black pepper
Instructions:
With a fork, pierce meat or thick meat slices thoroughly on both sides. Mix Tender Quick, brown sugar and all spices together. Rub mixture onto all sides of meat. Place meat in plastic bag or bowl, pour in remaining spices. Seal bag or cover bowl and refrigerate for 24 hours (more time is even better), turning two or three times during curing process. Use as you would any corned beef.
— Greg Wagner, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Corned beef or corned beef brisket is not considered an Irish national dish. The connection with Saint Patrick's Day specifically originates as part of Irish-American culture, and is often part of the celebrations in North America. Corned beef was used as a substitute for bacon by Irish-American immigrants in the mid to late 19th century. In New York City, these immigrants learned from their Jewish butchers and neighbors about corned beef, which was cheaper and easier to find. Photo: Jonathunder
For more of Greg Wagner's corned beef and wild meat recipes, plus a collection of corned-beef facts and historical notations, go here.
