Craig’s Pro Tips for Changing The Game
I’ll be dropping some advice, “Craig’s pro tips” from time to time regarding topics that have helped me put meat in the freezer and delicious meals on the table. No topic is out of play and I’ll be sharing insights on anything that comes to mind including the shortcuts, suggestions and game-changing ideas that have guided me to success in the field, in the kitchen, and in every step of my field-to-fork process for “Changing The Game.”
August, 2021
Developing an Understanding of How and Where to Begin Butchering Your Own Harvests
While many of us know how to process our own harvests and optimize cuts of meat for flavor and tenderness as described in my book, “Changing The Game,” there is a significant portion of the hunting population who do not or have never tried doing their own game butchering for a number of reasons. These could range from “it’s not for me,” to I always wanted to try but, wouldn’t know where to begin.” This article is written for those who want to gain an understanding of where to begin butchering their own game.
“Changing The Game” is actually two books in one. It is both a cookbook with fabulous recipes (just sayin’) and a resource that covers in detail, how to butcher various types of game, where I share my 30-plus years of experience and compiled knowledge on how to butcher to achieve tender cuts of meat and bring out the meat’s beautiful flavors while eliminating any underlying gamey tastes that may be present. These learnings are my “7 keys to the game” that I compile and detail in chapters 2 and 3 of “Changing The Game.” And… “Changing The Game” is the only resource I could find that identifies and consolidates these key factors into one easy and fun-to-read resource. So, I begin chapter 2 “Identifying The Keys to the Game: Unlocking Your Meat’s Flavor and Tenderness” with a deeper discussion of developing your “gameplan” and pointing readers in the right direction in regard to how and where to begin and, provoking thought as to what tools you are going to need? Please ”bear” in mind, I’ve also shared techniques and reasoning that I have found to simplify the processing of game while optimizing the return on investment of doing so in these chapters. Once one becomes proficient in butchering large and medium game and optimizing their harvests, that individual can expect to be knocking out a deer in less than four hours, and that includes packaging, labeling, and cleanup of the work areas.
Most of you who are doing your own game processing will likely be doing it or some stage of it at home. So, prior to taking on such a gratifying and cost-effective endeavor, you may want to ask yourself “how is this going to go over with the other family members?” Yep. that reminder is in “Changing The Game” (a few times) and it’s just another sharing of one of my personal experiences so you can avoid such an awkward pitfall. It should be the first question you explore… with the rest of your family.
As for coming up with a game plan on how you’re going to get started and do this, let’s visualize you just harvested a whitetail and are dropping it off at the butcher. Have you ever observed what they do with it? If you’re thinking “hang it in the freezer for a few days,” bypass that notion. “Aging” a deer is not necessary if you follow my advice in “Changing The Game” and I’ll explain why and the science behind it that will ensure you achieve tender cuts of meat in an upcoming post or, you can read “Changing The Game” for that discussion. I have consistently employed my “7 keys to the game” and cannot recall having a tough piece of venison that I butchered since around 1993. Not kidding. It left a bad impression. But, I also learned from it. So, don’t let the fact that you don’t have access to a walk-in freezer or you have to wait until outdoor temperatures are in the high 30s to butcher a deer, deter you.
So, with impressions you’ve gotten from your local butcher shops, you may have noticed some of them have separate work areas for breaking down the carcass versus making final cuts and packaging the meat. Well, I delineate these further in “Changing The Game” using my many years of experience and have determined you should give thought to having at least two distinct work areas. One would be considered the “dirty side” where you debone the harvest into what I refer to as “rough cuts” and the other would be a “clean room” where what I refer to as “final cuts” and packaging are completed. “Changing The Game” also prompts readers to think about the proximity of these locations in relation to one another and the off-loading of the carcass from your vehicle or your friends’ vehicles. You may have noticed I used plurality in that last sentence in reference to your friends. Because once you begin butchering like me and as described in “Changing The Game” and your friends taste your venison, all of them will be bringing over their harvests for you to process. Hey, take the compliment for what it is and realize this could be the beginning of some new bartering-type relationships for you. For example, remind them to bring over some beer for you when they drop off their deer. So, when deciding if you want to butcher your own harvests the first questions you need to consider are:
Do I have the space or spaces to do this?
What are these spaces and how convenient and easy can I make this on myself?
How do I get the “rough cuts” to the “clean room” work area while minimizing contamination? (I got yelled at for that too, a few times.)
Will these spaces accommodate the staging or hanging of a carcass that will enable me to harvest the “rough cuts” in somewhat of a safe and convenient manner?
What tools will I need to easily suspend and process the game and do I already have them?
You just don’t want to do what my friend, Bob did (unless maybe you had that discussion with the other family members) the first time we butchered at his house. By the way, you’ll get to “meat” Bob when you read “Changing The Game.” He hung the deer in his barn, about 60 yards from the house and we ended up doing final cuts there, on a lower-than-normal worksurface might I add, on a cold January day, without running water. We would have had a more enjoyable experience if we could have done the “rough cuts” in his attached garage and “final cuts” in the kitchen or, at least on a suitable, clean work surface in his garage. So, when determining if you want to take on butchering your own harvest, give some thought to visualizing your process flow, seeing your harvest go from your vehicle to your freezer, considering where wastes or scraps will be generated and the efforts it will also take to get those to the trash receptacle. Give thought to the tools you have available and those you may need to purchase to make your endeavor as easy and successful as possible. You may have many of the things you need already at home.
I’m hopeful this brief discussion will prompt those of you who want to try processing your own harvest in some type of direction and arm you with the confidence to try it. Doing so is very gratifying, especially when your family and friends will be raving over the meal you served them and you tell them that it went from field-to-fork and you executed every step on your own. It can also be a real cost saver as well as an educational activity you can do with other family members and friends. A sample flow diagram along with more detailed discussion on “game planning”… what factors you will need to consider to prep for and take on the project of butchering your own large and medium game, along with detailed instructions on how to butcher are spelled out for you in the first four chapters of “Changing The Game.” YOU can do this!
July, 2021
Strategic Management of Game Meat
I am sharing this post at this time because some of you, may have recently looked at your freezer(s) and thought, “I wish I had another package of this cut or that cut to make this recipe.” So, I just wanted to share my thoughts on how I manage the game meat that I harvest to ensure I have the cuts I desire, on hand and am able to extend my supply until the next hunting season. My game meat management efforts begin during each harvest and encompass strategic decisions that are accounted for during the hunting season. These decisions usually change with each subsequent harvest. The decision logic that goes into this also accounts for the consumption of game meat beyond the hunting season and, regular reassessments are made throughout the year as we consume our harvests.
I’m fortunate enough to be able to harvest enough wild game so I have it throughout the year and I make the effort and take steps to manage my inventory of cuts so I can make them last until the next hunting season. While our family enjoys game meat year-round and “Changing The Game” offers recipes for every season, summer is my favorite time of year to enjoy the game meat I harvested because I am pairing it with freshly harvested vegetables and herbs from our garden and local farm stands. In fact, I will specifically save a few packages of certain types of cuts to ensure I have them available for meals on summer weekends or even during the week. One example of this is saving venison medallions or my New Jersey Strip Steaks for grilling, after marinating them in my lemon-soy-garlic marinade and then pairing that fare with my Central Jersey Pesto and a Caprese salad. And… while we absolutely love our stroganoff recipe, especially during cooler weather, I’m always saving a few packages of cubed meat for dishes such as my delicate Cinghiali and Fennel Essence Stew which I first experienced on a hot August day in Siena, Italy. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how both Sue and I absolutely love fresh arugula and grape tomatoes from our garden on our Pronghorn (or venison) Milanese. By the way, all of the dishes I just mentioned are in “Changing The Game.”
I discuss “game planning” and processing your harvest to achieve the cuts you desire in the first three chapters of “Changing The Game.” The foundation of that discussion is to ensure you give thought to and have the cuts you want available to create your endgames… or the recipes you want to make with those cuts that may have caught your eye in chapters 7, 8 and 9. Part of this “game planning” process includes the ongoing assessments of what cuts you have available such as those that I previously mentioned.
So, if you haven’t done so. My suggestion is to take some time to think strategically about how you want to use your game meat over the next few weeks and complete a brief inventory of what is left in your freezer(s). What you may find may require you to shift on the fly if there is a recipe you want to make and you don’t have the desired cut for it. But, that is where “plan B” comes in. For example, I keep the front portion of the hindquarter or what would be described as a part of a round steak, as roasts. These cuts are vacuumed sealed and frozen. If I run out of steaks or medallions, one of these roasts may be sliced into steaks for grilling. Or, I may use it for ground meat or sausages if I run out of those. Otherwise, it is getting roasted or smoked using my Brace Yourself Brisket recipe, also in “Changing The Game.”
Lastly, there is some commentary in “Changing The Game” on simplifying the inventory process by separating the cuts into the various freezer space you may have available. For example, we have four freezers in the house, three of which Sue allows me to use for storage of both our game and domestic meats. And if you really need to know, I’m good with that little rule because not only is she just in that request, but it also simplifies my inventory efforts. Within those freezers, I separate the meat by type, then by cut. This is done by placing it on a specific shelf, separating with a divider… maybe cardboard or, placing similar cuts into a plastic or paper bag or box.
So, yeah, that’s kind of it. Thinking strategically from the onset and having your endgames in mind goes a long way in ensuring you have the cuts you need to create your desired endgames. Then, ongoing management of your inventory to get you to the next season is all it takes. I’m hopeful the sharing of these observations will provide you with some food for thought when it comes to managing your game meat inventory for the remainder of the summer and for future hunting seasons. “Changing The Game” contains an even more encompassing discussion of these “game planning” aspects and readers can actually follow the entire process I use, to achieve my endgames or… how I go “from field to fork.”
June, 2021
How to Clean Blue Claw Crabs
It’s summertime! The crabs are running and fresh seafood is calling your name, especially if you are vacationing near the ocean. Don’t ya hear it? So, Craig’s pro tip for June is going to be how to clean crabs since this may not be something most folks realize is even “a thing.” You will find the following tutorial comes in handy when making various recipes including my crabs in white wine and garlic sauce, a recipe I will be sharing shortly on my Recipes of the Month page.
I feel very fortunate to be able to obtain fresh seafood where I live and we eat it regularly, sometimes mixed with some game meat. For example, in “Changing the Game” I use my Andouille or Chorizo sausages to flavor my “Surf and Turf Jambalaya” and in some other recipes such as “My New BFF’s Shrimp and Grits” and “Almost Like Manny’s Wife’s Paella Valenciana.” Later this month, you will also see how I use my Chorizo to take grilled oysters to that next level when I post that recipe on my Recipes of the Month page. So, check back in the near future for those postings or follow me on Instagram or Facebook to see when new recipes get posted.
For the longest time when I was growing up, we seasoned and steamed our live crabs and ate them whole, working our way around the lungs, face, and yes, the “mustard” (guts). (Like getting past the face wasn’t difficult enough… and if you read “Changing The Game” you will understand guts and other “non-red” soft tissue is not my cup o’ tea.) One day we were “down the shore,” at Sue’s friend’s aunt’s house and were served freshly caught crabs that were cleaned and sauteed in garlic and oil with some Italian herbs. That’s when the little light inside my head went on noting how much more enjoyable crabs can be when you can just sit back and enjoy their white meat on its own, So, I learned from Sue’s friend’s aunt how to clean crabs and have been preparing and eating them this way ever since, in various recipes.
Cleaning crabs is relatively simple once you learn the secret to prevent them from nipping you… stun the crabs in very hot tap water. You will then be able to safely grab them. Cleaning can then be accomplished by sticking a clamming or butter knife underneath the private parts and working behind the shell then, prying upwards. This will remove the top of the shell allowing access to the organs. You can then scrape out internal organs, lungs, and face. The last step is to thoroughly rinse each crab prior to setting aside and moving onto the next one. The finished products are depicted in the following photo which is followed by my two-minute tutorial.
I hope this tutorial was helpful and will enable you to enjoy crabs that much more, just like learnings from “Changing The Game” can help you to more easily process and prepare your game meats so they are tender and delicious. Speaking of “Changing The Game,” it would make a great Father’s Day gift, so please consider obtaining a copy from your favorite online book retailer or navigating to my Buy the Book page for your copy.
May, 2021
Maintaining Your Grill and Smoker for Optimum Performance and to Positively Impact Flavor
Last month I shared some learnings on how I plan and prep for the next hunting season. This month, since it is National Hamburger Month (see May’s Recipe of the Month), I want to build on lessons I’ve learned that are associated with outdoor cooking, so I can ensure that terrific tasting meals make it all the way to the table. These observations are a little closer to the endgame or what I consider the meal that is served. So, May’s Tip of the Month will focus on how I maintain my grill year-round as well as my annual “preventive maintenance” routine that takes place every spring. I’ll also touch upon what I do to keep my 14-year-old smoker ready for that next meal.
First, I have to note I admit in “Changing The Game” that I am a little “Type A.” Ok. Maybe more than a little. Most of you may think that is why I have one side of my two-burner grill dedicated to light-colored meats, seafood and vegetables, and the other side dedicated to grilling red meat. And yes. The right side is for red meat. But the truth is, I’ve noticed over the years and during specific instances that flavors from a previously grilled meal were noticeable in one that I was currently grilling and eating. Something I was not expecting nor wanting. So, that is the main reason why I dedicated specific locations on the grates for grilling specific types of food. While I have found that this learning makes a substantially positive impact, it must go hand in hand with the next learning: cleaning your grill after each use.
I can remember my father-in-law telling me he would always pre-heat the grill at a high temperature way ahead of time to let the drippings and the fats from a previous meal “burn off” the grates as well as the rocks or whatever one can have under the grates these days. While this makes sense to some extent, I tend to do it right after I’ve completed grilling for the day so as to reduce costs associated with fuel consumption and to allow those drippings that are already superheated and charring to get further along in the consumption process. BTW, I am not “cheap.” I consider myself to be “efficient.” Prior to the next meal and if necessary, I can then brush off the charred drippings from the flame tamer or rocks I’m using or turn the rocks, prior to lighting the grill to further remove charred food remnants. I have found such efforts make a significant impact on flavor and are well worth spending the extra time and effort to ensure that the flavor you are aiming for in your next meal is “dead on balls accurate.” – Quick! What movie and which actress said that quote? Hint: it’s one of my favorite comedies, if not my favorite. OK. Maybe that’s not the way we should describe the desired flavor of your next meal, either.
Equally important is keeping the grill’s grates clean. This is not only important from a flavor perspective but also from aesthetic and even safety perspectives. I’ve been to a few barbeques and saw crust-covered grates that made me opt for something other than what was coming off the grill. “Please pass the salad.” My grill is 17 years old and came with heavy-duty, stainless-steel grates for the food. While I’ve replaced pretty much every other part over the years, I still use the original grates that came with my grill. Dinner guests are like, “Dude, do you buy new grates every year?” They are surprised when I tell them these are the original grates. But the same effort goes into cleaning them after each meal while I’m “burning off the fat.” However, there’s a little trick you may not be aware of, and that is to use steam while brushing the grates. While this is effective, extreme CAUTION must be exercised to avoid receiving a steam burn on your hands or arms and if you try this, it is at your own risk.
First, ensure that you have and only use a long-handled wired brush for cleaning the grill so you can use the entire length of the handle and keep hands and arms away from any rising steam. That’s because it will rise, folks, and fast. Second, begin at the back or far side of the grill and work towards you so you are NOT reaching over the part of the grill that has just been cleaned with the water and brush and has steam rising from it.
To safely get the steam to the grill, soak a small and manageable, clean rag in water. Place it on the far end of the grill and work it back and forth, using short strokes along the grates with the wired brush. Use both the bristles and rag to remove drippings and food from the grates while brushing. Work your way to the portion of the grill closest to you and when finished, remove the rag using the brush or another utensil since it, too, will be very hot. These are my in-season preventive maintenance tips for maintaining you grill so the flavor of each meal is what you expect it to be.
As for my spring tune-up or, as we say in the chemical and refining industries, annual “turn-around,” I’ve been assessing grill performance all year since we grill year-round and I’ll have an idea of what needs attention by the time I’m ready to perform this exercise. Ensuring that the grill is cold and properly isolated, I’ll begin by removing the grates and inspecting my rocks, racks that hold the rocks or my flame tamers and burners, and making plans to replace as necessary if I cannot remove drippings or corrosion that impacts their performance, or if they are compromised in any manner. I also remove all of these components so I can get at and remove any drippings and food from the bottom of the grill chamber that made it that far. Any parts that need to be replaced must be specific for that grill’s make and model. Check with your dealer to ensure that you are purchasing the correct replacement parts for your specific make and model. I do this annual maintenance a few weeks before we start having guests to ensure that we are starting the barbeque season with a clean slate… grill.
As for my smoker, all I can say is I expect the insides to get beyond the point of being able to make it like new, again. So, while I’ll maintain the outside and racks after each meal, I’ll scrape the inside walls and top a few times per year. I also coat the bottom trays with foil, which can be removed after each meal. Doing so makes for easier cleaning of those components that are going to get dripped on. I’ll probably get a new one if one of the components fails or it rusts through at some point. But I’m pleasantly surprised I got 14 years out of it with all the smoking I do.
I’m hopeful these tips will help you enjoy some of my recipes from Chapters 8 and 9 in “Changing The Game” or whatever you decide to make this barbeque season. Best wishes everyone for a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend and may God bless all those who protect our freedom and their families, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
April, 2021
End of Season Evaluation and Prep
The primary hunting seasons are over for most of us and this is the time of the year I’ll take to evaluate and ready my hunting equipment for next season. (You know, during the time I’m not spring turkey hunting.) Or, make decisions on what I need to replace or add. I’ll systematically go through my various “packages” of equipment (I have the “bow package” for deer hunting, the “goose package”… you get the point.) and inspect everything while also giving some thought as to how each item performed and if it was satisfactory. By the way, it’s always the equipment that is at fault and not human error, right?
My end-of-season efforts include everything from cleaning, removing mud, fine-tuning, sharpening, and tweaking as needed. I even evaluate and inspect all of my hunting clothes including base and mid-layers in this year-end evaluation. By the way, my hunting clothes and boots are only used for hunting. This aids me in achieving a significant return on investment on these purchases and getting many seasons of service out of each. In fact, I had a pair of winter boots I took good care of and only used for hunting and got more than two dozen seasons out of them. Use of my hunting clothing and boots for only hunting also makes maintaining them as scent-free as possible an easier task. We’ll discuss this last topic in more detail as we get closer to the season. So, on one of these brisk, early spring days while you are waiting for the dinner you made from Chapter 9 to “cook down,” take some time and start getting fired up for next season.
Pro tip to myself… “Gotta get another Chessie.”
Don’t forget to check back next month for another one of Craig’ Pro Tips and a few chuckles to make you smile.
