Nugent Shemane - Kill It & Grill It: a Guide to Preparing and Cooking Wild Game and Fish

PRAISE FOR TED NUGENT

Were glad youre here. You are a good man.

President George W. Bush

It gives me great pleasure to personally commend Teds efforts to preserve and promote our proud sportsmens heritage. His attention and unwavering devotion to the needs and best interests of the sporting community aligns him with those who exemplify the founding principles of this great nation.

Tom Ridge, Director, Office of Homeland Security

I appreciate all Ted does in support of the Second Amendment. Our adversaries never let up, and neither can we.

Congressman Bob Barr of Georgia

We are proud of Mr. Nugents contributions to his profession, and to our state. His involvement should inspire others to greater awareness and action.

Governor John Engler of Michigan

I thank Ted so much for his continued friendship and support. I cannot tell you what that means to me.

Tommy G. Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services

Copyright 2002 by Projectile Marketing, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, website, or broadcast.

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Holding Corporation

This e-book edition published 2016, ISBN 978-1-59698-145-4

Originally published in hardcover, 2002; cataloging information below Paperback edition published in 2005.

The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:

Nugent, Ted.

Kill it and grill it: a guide to preparing and cooking wild game and fish / Ted and Shemane Nugent.

p. cm.

1. Cookery (Game) 2. Hunting.

I. Nugent, Shemane. II. Title.

TX751 .N84 2002

641.6'91dc21

2002000625

Published in the United States by

Regnery Publishing

A Division of Salem Media Group

300 New Jersey Ave NW

Washington, DC 20001

www.Regnery.com

Manufactured in the United States of America

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Distributed to the trade by

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New York, NY 10107

Dedicated to the great American families

who celebrate hands-on environmental awareness

in the grand and honorable culture of

hunting, fishing, and trapping,

thereby guaranteeing balanced biodiversity.

[ A Note on Style ]

SOME FOLKS MIGHT REMEMBER that George Bernard Shawa sandal-wearing socialist vegetariantried to reform the spelling of the English language. Big deal. Big musty flop. This bookby the hard-drivin, hard-lovin, full-throbbin, high-octane, deerslayin, allthings-scarin, ballistic guitarboyNugetizes it. Get ready to rock, doc.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

P RAISE AND BRAISE THE FLESH! Wild game meat has no equal. Tribe Nuge has not bought domestic flesh since 1969, and the quality of our average meal is nothing short of awe inspiring. Venison is the term generally used to describe deer flesh, but it includes all wild flesh, be it fowl, herbivore, or carnivore, large or small. Backstrap fever comes in many forms. We celebrate the delicious, natural, pure, organic, high-protein, no-fat, low-cholesterol dynamo of elk, deer, moose, caribou, buffalo, antelope, gemsbok, kudu, impala, eland, hartebeest, dik-dik, steinbok, duiker, hyala, bushbuck, reedbuck, cougar, bear, duck, goose, pheasant, quail, dove, grouse, woodcock, snipe, squirrel, rabbit, woodchuck, beaver, wild hog, and other gifts of renewable sustenance with vigor. It is good to know exactly where ones food comes from. Handson cause-and-effect provides valuable lessons in environmental responsibility. You cant deny a gutpile.

There is no trick in preparing game for the table. If every step of the hunt is taken to heart, from the intense studying and understanding of wildlife, through marksmanship proficiency and woodsmanship skills, right on down to the gutting and butchering of game, that dedication will form a lasting bond that produces a certain respect and value for this life-giving commodity. The cycle works, and there is no pretending or avoiding it. Sharpen them knives, and celebrate the Spirit of the Wild!

Clean, cold, and fresh. Those are the three magic ingredients for a perfect meal. Cleaning the carcass properly in the field; keeping it as cool as possible before aging, cooking, or freezing; and serving it in a timely manner are the keys to quality premium tablefare. If these steps are followed, heaven will be on your dinner plate and in your gut.

Conscientious intelligent fieldcare is the first step, and diligent care must be taken to remove all entrails and body fluids efficiently and thoroughly. Plenty of books and videos are available in the marketplace to show blow-by-blow detail, but there is still no better lesson than hands-on by an experienced master. Be sure to taste the masters game meals before you conclude his mastership. Then proceed slowly. Take care. And common sense will steer you properly.

Aging game in a cold environment is always a good ideabetween 33 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit is best; 35 is perfect. Only pork and bear call for limited hanging. Deer and smallgame will benefit greatly from the aging process and become more tender and tasty with time. A few daysbut ten or more is betteris enough time to break down the enzymes and bring out the wonderful and unique flavors that excite us all.

Once family-sized portions are cut, any recipe will do. From the simple to the elaborate, each concoction will bring different taste sensations to every meal. The real trick with game is to NEVER OVERCOOK! Heres a simple example: Pick a flesh, any flesh. Cook slowly over hot coals, but elevated away from intense heat. We use Mexican mesquite, oak, cherry, and hickory coals made of half seasoned and half green wood to keep the smoke coming. Baste and brush with a goop made from butter, olive oil, brown sugar, seasonings, and preserves of your choice (our favorites are raspberry and apricot). By constantly brushing the yummy slop onto the meat, we can determine when a nice singed crust is formed while keeping the inside rare and juicy. This works for wild pork and most other wild critters. Bear should be cooked slightly more, but dont cook bear to the core. Oftentimes we add a good mustard and honey to the baste as well. Let your imagination be your guide. If a grill is not available, a roasting pan with everything added at once including the bastecooked at 450 degrees and basted regularlywill work just fine. (We follow the same procedure with sliced peppers, potatoes, rutabagas, turnips, eggplant, celery, asparagus, earcorn, apples, squash, and onions.)