The Huntavore – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In this episode, Nick Otto discusses five essential steps to ensure the best quality venison after

a successful hunt. He emphasizes the importance of shot placement, quick recovery, thorough

field dressing, proper cleaning and chilling, and effective packing and freezing methods. Each

step is crucial for maintaining the quality of the meat and ensuring a successful outcome from

the hunt.

The hardest part of hunting is often getting on the animal, as it requires patience, skill, and

understanding of wildlife behavior. Once the opportunity arises, shot placement becomes crucial

for ensuring a quick, ethical dispatch and maintaining the quality of the meat. After the shot, a

fast recovery is vital to prevent loss of meat quality. Thorough field dressing helps remove heat

and bacteria, while promptly chilling the meat is essential for preserving its freshness. Proper

cleaning during processing prevents contamination and spoilage, and careful packing and

freezing help avoid freezer burn. Using a vacuum sealer can further maintain meat quality over

time. Throughout the entire process, working in a clean environment and keeping knives sharp

are key to efficient and effective butchering.

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Nick tracks down Dr. Brent Race, a lead scientist from NIH (National Institutes of Health) who worked on the study; Inactivation of chronic wasting disease prions using sodium hypochlorite. The findings are exciting and promising for home or commercial processors who could be butchering infected deer. Using a solution of 40% bleach and a soak of 5 minutes, CWD prions can be inactivated, saving your cutlery, and non-porous cutting surfaces from infecting further butcher jobs, thus having to be pitched. With many parts of the country, including my home county in Michigan, having to face this growing problem that is showing to be very formidable. However, this may be a battle won in the ongoing war of CWD.

Dr. Race explained that deactivating other infectious prion diseases with bleach is “old news”, but no work had been done on CWD in cervides (classification of the deer species) with a bleach treatment. Running several simulations with infected brain matter, stainless steel rods were covered in infectious prions and submerged in different concentrations of bleach along with varying amounts of time. The now treated roda were moved over to a solution of healthy prion material. Activated infectious prions would begin mutating healthy prions, making them infectious. In-activated infectious prions can’t mutate healthy prions, meaning they couldn’t spread the infection.

Article: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/household-bleach-inactivates-chronic-wasting-disease-prions

Actual Study (if you enjoy scientific reading):

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0223659

From the discussion, Huntavore has put together some procedures to think about when cutting up your own deer that could be infected. Mind you these are steps are being proactive, reacting to not knowing your deer is positive for CWD, rather than reactive and scrambling with the news of knowing your deer is positive,

Setup:

Put down a disposable ground covering, like plastic drop cloth or construction paper (the large rolls). Place cutting table on covered area. Might want to avoid the kitchen table.

Proceed cutting up the animal making sure keep cuts in non-porous containers

Bag, seal, wrap, whatever your storing method then box up, freeze, and wait for the results (hardest part). Try to avoid grinding meat at this point.

Clean Up:

Make sure the area is WELL ventilated.

Brush fat, and silverskin, small bits on the ground cover, rollup and bag up.

Wash and scrub both table/cutting boards, and used saws or knives per usual. Removing all remaining macro bits. Rinse and let dry (to not dilute the bleach treatment.

Sack up all sponges/rags/Brillo pads that were used (wait on the test results, if positive, toss with the meat. If ok, they can be used again.)

Mix up a container of 1 to 1 parts water and household bleach. Place all cutlery in the solution, making sure bleach can get to all surfaces. Set a timer for 5 minutes, watch carefully. Pull, rinse, let dry before putting away.

In a spray bottle, filled with full strength bleach, spray down cutting boards or cutting table, as long as they are non porous. Let set for 5-7 minutes, watching the surface so it’s not damaged by the bleach. When time is up, rinse off and let dry.

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In this episode, Nick shares his journey of purchasing a boat, emphasizing the importance of family bonding through outdoor activities like fishing. He recounts the story behind the boat's history, the excitement of first experiences on the water with his sons, and future plans for upgrades and adventures. The conversation highlights the joys and challenges of boat ownership, as well as the significance of creating lasting memories with family.

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On this episode of the Huntavore, Nick calls up Sophie May, author of the website wifeofahunter.  Sophie finds herself as the solo cook in her house.  While her husband, father, and even herself go hunting, when game enters the kitchen, she has taken it upon herself to transform it into meals.  Sophie explains that for her family a big hurdle is picky eaters who are not fans of the wild funk many of us enjoy.  If this sounds like your household, than stay tuned, we got some good picky palate pleaser and weekday wildgame talk on the way.

Sophie May is a native to Texas.  Growing up working outside, and enjoying the outdoors, Sophie is no stranger to being behind the gun.  Chasing many types of game that Texas has to offer, from a whole number of deer species, wild hog, waterfowl, and even gators.  Her niche in her household formed procrastinating in her college studies at Auburn, into pleasing her family with a spread of wild game dishes that they would enjoy.

Sophie, like many of us has a full time job that can suck the energy from ya.  Sometimes coming home to prepare a meal can be more of a chore, even for the most hardy kitchen lovers.  Sophie enjoys using tools like a crockpot or instapot in her cooking.  For example, from a box, two alarm chili mix can be whipped up and put on low in a crockpot.  Or the shanks from her axis deer put on simmer all day to be stacked high on an axis french dip in a matter of minutes.

When time is available, a good home cook will put meals up in the freezer.  Be it burritos, freeze a stew, or a good lasagna can last a long time, and be ready for the table with minimum effort.  Sophie drops a recipe from her book with a White Gator Lasagna that sounds fantastic.  We discuss that here in the Midwest we might not be able to get gator easily, but can transition this recipe to use wild turkey.

Sophie can be found on facebook and instagram, @wifeofahuntercooks and on her website, www.wifeofahunter.com   

Tappecue Meat Probes

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On this Episode of Huntavore, Nick is joined by Steven Athay, author of Live Wild Eat Wild.  Self proclaimed good cook and terrible hunter, Steven writes about his hunts, and then follows up with recipes and write ups about the dishes he and his wife make from that animal.  Steven has a true passion for being connected to his food and the process it takes.  We go deep on a bare bones home butchery set up, contaminating wild ground with domestic fat, and an incredible story of a once in a lifetime Utah Bison hunt.

Steven Athay runs the blog, Live Wild Eat Wild.  His whole mission with his platform is to be an educational tool for hunters and anglers who take pride in their harvest and want to celebrate the hunt and the animal through more ways than antlers on a wall.  In fact, I had to ask for Steven’s name because its not written on his page.  He told me that was purposeful, the focus here is the wild game, and the butchery.  He was afraid of trending into the “instagram influencer” territory.  I appreciate that mindset.  Ironically, maybe more hunters and anglers should be influenced by Steven.  

Living out in Utah has offered a bountiful amount of game for Steven along with a wealth of adventures to write about.  We start with a bare bones home butchery set up:  a utilitarian 6” boning knife, plastic wrap and butcher paper, and a hand grinder.  Many decades, if not centuries of animals were processed this way.  Recently home setups have expanded to near cut shop size and quality (including my own), but there is no need to drop a fortune on equipment to get into the home butchery game.  Steve has taken animals to the processor, and knows that the professionals do a good job.  His hang up was he was giving up why he wanted to hunt for food in the first place, the connection.  

We take a deep tangent on ground meat.  Our conclusion on grinders, a hand grinder is a great way to start.  If you want to go electric, forget the cheapies, budget friendly, base models.  This is one area where bigger is better. Stay away from plastic parts, cast and steel are essential.  Mixing domestic fats into wild burger sparks opinions.  Some are purists and want only lean wild.  Others, including myself, cut in domestic fat for a number of reasons related to cooking.  Steven goes for an “all around ground” of 80/20 with pork or beef fat.  Sausage is more of a 70/30 with pork.  For griddle-enthusiasts  I challenge you to try a 60/40 round of smashburgers.

To finish out the episode, Steven takes us on an epic saga of his father’s journey to bag a Utah Bison.  “20 years applying, tons of planning, and a successful hunt.”  Be sure to follow Steven @livewildeatwild  

Tappecue Meat Probes

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On this episode of Huntavore, Nick calls up Travis Stockstill, member of team USA butchering team and host of The Meat Block Podcast, to talk about field care, and prepping your carcass for better quality meat.  Using his expertise from over a decade in the butchers trade, he gives some tips and tricks hunters can use whether it's taking your animal to the processor or the DIY butcher job.  If you are a fan of geeking out over meat, this is the episode for you.

Travis Stockstill lives in California, but has spent over a decade mastering the craft of animal butchery.  Getting his start on the slaughter floor, knocking a holstine on the first day, holding just about every position on the cut floor, and hosting a podcast about butchering and meat cutting.  While having not a lot of experience as a hunter, Travis had his fair share of time butchering venison.  He explains that bringing your venison to the processor in pristine order should be a concern of yours.  Not just for your peace of mind, but for the other hunters as well.  When cutting at home, taking good care at the start will help with your final product.  Travis says hide off to get any contaminants in the hair away, and to spritze the carcass with vinegar to stop bacterial growth.  He also touches on surface and knife cleanliness, using 180 degree water to sterilize.  Cleaning with soup is a start but now adding a sterilizing process to your home butchering is a good idea.  Travis also claims that when people ask what is his favorite cut of meat, that it's ground.  Versatile, no meat loss, delicious, hard to screw it up.  A good argument for full animal utilization.    

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On this episode of the Huntavore, we talk about adventure, and spiritual reflection while on the hunt.  It's hard to separate ourselves from wild creation and the majesty of it all without opening up those big questions while glassing from a peak, or hunkering into the stand.  Hunter shares some of past experience that has lead to the making of The Hunter’s Quest and opens up about his family in the kitchen, making some wild exotic dishes that has this midwest foodie wide eyed and wanting a taste.  Join Nick and Hunter on this walkabout style episode comin’ atcha’.

Hunter McWaters is a native to Virginia.  However he isn't one to stay still for long.  Hunter’s drive for adventure had him shooting footage in lots of amazing places.  Being a Christ-follower, Hunter also sees our backcountry wilderness, not as any random chance, but a glorious display from an intelligent designer.  When chasing caribou, elk, or even whitetail he explains that adventures like these can have you working on filling your soul along with pursuing your game.

Hunter does provide wholesome natural game for his family, but takes a back seat when it gets to the kitchen.  His mother-in-law, raised in the middle east, grew up with quarters and halves of animals coming into the kitchen.  Her experience at breaking quarters, and butchering animals for meals has Hunter watching attentively.  Her sure handed knife skills rival any butcher shop.  In addition, Hunter shares some traditional dishes that utilize every scrap.  His description of simmering the butchered bones, including the spine has Nick’s culinary wheels spinning.  While the concerns of CWD makes him nervous, utilizing the last bits attached to the bones to make a delicious meal is something Nick can get behind.

Tappecue Meat Probes

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On this episode of the Huntavore, Mahting Putelis, CEO of Hunt to Eat joins Nick for a chat about a wild foodie’s favorite fashion wear.  Hunt to Eat started as just a t-shirt company that has blossomed into an organization whose mission encompasses community, real food, and conservation.  Mahting opens up about his start in the outdoors as a kid, how the phrase “food for fuel” relates to his upbringing, a love for photography lead to getting behind a rifle, and reveals some incredible new content coming from Hunt to Eat.

Mahting Putelis comes from humble beginnings.  Living within their means and having a perspective of “food is fuel”, Mahting and his siblings had a unique upbringing with food.  Which makes hunting for sustenance a reality.  Only fitting that Mahting and his brother started the company Hunt to Eat.  First just a t-shirt company that created tasteful wears for hunters and anglers, expands to an organization that brought together a community of folks who showed what they can do with their harvest, introducing new people to our passion of acquiring real food, and teaching others the importance of conservation.

Mahting does admit that he may not find his home in the kitchen, but he does take his place as the grill master.  Mahting likes to keep things simple which given his choice of wild protein will ultimately end up delicious.  A marinated turkey breast grilled up nicely into carnitas is a goto from Mahting.  Or a beautiful elk burger with straight ground.  Letting the game take the driver seat in the dish.

Hunt to Eat also is announcing that they are growing from just a website and clothing, but breaking into the media realm.  With a few of their own podcasts, a show, and a magazine launching soon.  I myself, am excited to soak up the content from folks who hunt to eat.

Tappecue Meat Probes

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On this episode of Huntavore, we take a culinary deep dive on a topic of wanting to get the most flavor bang from their wildgame or anything really can do.  Nick unpacks the flavor profile umami as best he can.  What is it? How do we taste umami? And most importantly, how can you use it on your food?  Nick goes into detail about the process of making your own umami seasoning shake that blows your mind.

Nick took a trip into the world of flavor enhancement.  Umami translated from Japanese means pleasant savory taste. That is exactly what we are going for on our wild game dishes, pleasant and savory.  Now along with umami, we need to unpack Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG).  MSG is a chemical compound that can be added to food to enhance flavor, but not a whole lot of folks are looking to do that.  At least in its mass produced, ultra refined form.  However MSG is a natural occurring chemical compound in quite a number of foods already.  Many of the items that top pizza have a high concentration of MSG (tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, anchovies, parmesan).  Capturing this as a seasoning that can be applied to meat, veg, etc became the challenge.  By dehydrating these items and blitzing them in a grinder, you can amp up the exhausting flavors of food, without over doing the salt.  Salt has its purpose, but overdoing it can take away from the taste.

Check out these two videos I found that will help you make your own:

Guga foods

https://youtu.be/sE3dYCphy2M

ChefSteps

https://youtu.be/WFMtBstGHAA

Tappecue Meat Probes

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On this episode of Huntavore, Nick is joined by Lee Kleinow, fellow podcast host of Freshwater bite and MI Life Outdoors on Sportsmen’s Nation and avid angler.  Lee hails for the east side of Michigan enjoying the amazing opportunities that the Great Lakes provide.  Together these two unpack the challenges the Great Lakes face with environmental impacts and the impact of evasive, non-native species that have worked into the watershed.  After that downer, Lee goes on about the bountiful species that are available and how a hungry angler could seemingly never get bored, chasing so many fish.  Nick focuses on his favorite catch, panfish in inland lakes.  Wanting to improve his boom or bust trips, Lee gives Nick some pointers and tactics to chase those bluegills in the dead of summer.   Finally the guys wrap up their talk with a different preparation of walleye than frying.

Lee and his family live on the east side of Michigan, striking distance of the biggest freshwater fishery in the U.S.  The Great Lakes also are habitat to waterfowl, major shipping lanes, and hold thousands of recreational boaters.  Due to a whole host of reasons, major impacts have his the lakes.  One being evasive, non native species.  While asian carp are at the front door, zebra mussels have moved in and made a mess (or the opposite I guess).  These mussels have multiplied without predation and filtered out vital nutrients used to feed native fish fry, and allowing sunlight to travel deeper, changing lake temps and affecting water vegetation.  But on the other side of the coin, the lakes have an amazing opportunity for many species of fish, including Zee’s favorite, walleye.  Zee talks about the fish spawning in the Detroit River and hundreds if not thousands of anglers on hand for the event.  The phrase goes, “you can hop from boat to boat and touch water.”  Nick certainly is putting that on his list to do, but improving his summer panfish game is on his mind.  Lee talks about sticking to early morning or evening, catching the cool hours of the day.  Locating weedy deep holes to find fish saying cool and staying hidden.  An adapted trick of using a ice fishing style jigging action seemed very doable for Nick who along with his rod, will be baiting and unhooking a could kiddos as well.  To finish off the conversation, Zee breaks down a refined recipe for walleye.  Preferring a breaded and baked approach topped with parmesan cheese and crisped up.  Leaving you satisfied, but not feeling like you had a cup of grease along with the fish.  Paired with a crisp cocktail or wine, you have a great meal for the middle of summer.

Tappecue Meat Probes

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