Early Goose Jerky

Many parts of the country have an early season for Canada geese.  What a great way to kick start the waterfowl season, but way too many goose hunters just don’t like the taste of goose.  All too often, goose cookers go to extraordinary lengths to make their geese taste like something other than geese. 

Removing the blood from a big old honker will make a dramatic improvement in the flavor of the cooked birds.  The best way to remove blood is with a brine.  A brine is a mildly salty solution that will pass through the meat, replacing blood with brine and adding flavor and moisture to the meat.  Hi Mountain Seasonings Game Bird or Poultry Brine Mix is a great product for brining ducks and geese, whether you plan on smoking, smoke-cooking or just slapping the meat on a smoky grill.  In a pinch, dissolve 1/2 cup of kosher salt I 1/2 gallon of hot water.  Allow mixture to cool before adding the meat to the brine.

Cook your goose in parts.  That is, cook the breast fillets with medium heat until the middle of the breast is medium-rare or about 135 degrees.  A big, thick breast fillet will take extra time to cook.  If the heat source is too hot, you’ll find that the outside will be well-done by the time the middle is medium-rare.  Well-done goose is tough and livery.  Medium-rare goose is tender and not gamey.  Of course, properly cooked goose meat has a deep, pronounced flavor.  If your goose tastes like chicken, it’s not a goose.

One of the best ways to cook your goose is to turn it into jerky.  Transforming a pile of well-trimmed early season Canada goose breasts into delicious Hunter’s Goose Jerky is much simpler than you might think.  Not only will it free up a large amount of freezer space for the upcoming season, you’ll save a bundle of money over store-bought jerky.  New to Hi Mountain’s line of goose jerky kits is the Hunter’s Blend.  While I’ve always been partial to the Wild Goose Mesquite Jerky Cure and Seasoning, I do believe that the Hunter’s Blend is my new go-to blend.

Hunter’s Goose Jerky

Follow the instructions for preparing whole muscle meat jerky that is included in the package of Hi Mountain Hunter’s Blend Jerky Cure and Seasoning or click HERE for online instructions.  Take a few minutes to read all instructions and tips carefully and don’t try and cut corners or speed up the process.  You can’t rush jerky.

1.  Remove all skin, gristle and silverskin before slicing the goose breasts thinly across the grain into strips. 

2.  If you plan on making more jerky in the future, consider purchasing a kitchen scale so that you can weigh any meat before adding seasoning and cure.  If you don’t own a scale, 2 cups of trimmed, sliced meat weighs just over 1 pound.

3.  You don’t need any special equipment to prepare jerky at home.  Smokers are great, but an oven will work just fine.  Just make sure that you crack the door open by 1/2-inch to allow the moisture to escape.  The goal is to remove the moisture from the meat.  If your oven doesn’t have a mechanism to prop the door open a tad, roll up a small ball of foil and place it between the door and the frame of the oven.

4.  Don’t make the mistake of overcooking your jerky.  After the meat has spent an hour or so in a 200 degree oven or smoker, sample a piece and see if it needs some more time, but don’t get too far away.  Overcooked jerky is brittle, bitter and might give you the misguided impression that it’s the goose, and not the jerky-maker that is to blame for the unpleasant taste.

Vidalia Onion and Mesquite Venison Burger

Ground antlered game meat is very lean and can suffer miserably from overcooking. To keep it moist and tasty when cooked, add some ground fatty meat and additional ingredients. In this instance, blend in naturally sweet Vidalia onions, garlic and Western Style Mesquite Burger Seasoning for flavor. You can also make a big batch, form into patties and freeze for later.

Makes 4 big burgers

1 1/4 pounds ground venison

3/4 pound 80/20 ground beef
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large Vidalia onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
3/4 teaspoon Western Style Mesquite Burger Seasoning

4 slices cheese
4 burger buns
4 lettuce leaves
4 slices tomato

Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent, about 4 – 5 minutes. Allow to cool. In a large bowl, combine cooled onions and garlic with venison, beef, breadcrumbs and Western Style Mesquite Burger Seasoning and mix well with your hands to blend. Form into 4 large patties. Grill, pan-fry or broil patties until browned. Top with cheese and cook until melted. Add to bun with lettuce, tomato and your choice of other condiments.

~Scott Leysath, Chef

Co-Host, HuntFishCook TV

Fried Whole Panfish with Parmesan Peanut Crust and Spicy Tartar Sauce

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of floating around northern Virginia lakes in a rowboat with my dad during the steamy, hot days of mid-summer. Way back before catch-and-release was the exception, rather than the rule, if we caught it – we ate it. The fish, mostly bluegill and crappie, hung over the boat on a stringer in 90 degree water. Then, drop the stringer into the rusty metal bucket full of lake water for the ride home. Today’s anglers fully appreciate the importance of keeping their catch on ice until they can be properly processed.

Frying whole, small fish sure saves time. Scale ‘em, clean ‘em and fry ‘em. This is true finger food, meant to be eaten with your hands, not a knife and fork.

6 – 8 panfish, cleaned and dressed, heads removed

1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup dry roasted peanuts, finely chopped

1 tablespoon Western Style Gourmet Fish Seasoning

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup buttermilk

peanut oil for frying

Spicy Tartar Sauce

2/3 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard

1/4 teaspoon Western Style Cajun Campfire

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

To prepare tartar sauce, combine all ingredients and refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a shallow bowl, mix bread crumbs, cornmeal, Parmesan cheese, ground peanuts and Western Style Gourmet Fish Seasoning. Coat each fish with flour, then dip in buttermilk, then coat evenly with crumb mixture.

In a large skillet, heat 1 – 2 inches of oil over medium high heat. Add fish and fry on both sides until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and season with additional Western Style Gourmet Fish Seasoning.

-Scott Leysath, HuntFishCook TV

Pan Seared Fish with Avocado, Tomato and Butter Sauce

‘Warm weather makes me think of lighter dishes using fresh,

seasonal ingredients. Of course, we know that the

“vine-ripened” tomatoes we find in most grocery stores are

anything but ripe. They’re picked green to keep from squashing

during transport and they taste, well, green. Since the season

is young, you might consider planting a few tomato plants in the

sunniest location you can find. There’s nothing like a real,

homegrown tomato.

This recipe works with any semi-firm fish like halibut, mahi-mahi,

yellowtail, sturgeon, striper or even salmon.’

4 servings

4 6-ounce fish fillets, skin on or off

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons Western Style Gourmet Fish Seasoning

6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into 6 pieces

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons onion, finely diced

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 lemons, juice only

6 medium tomatoes, quartered

1 large, ripe avocado

warm, cooked pasta or rice

1. Rub fish with olive oil. Season with Western Style Gourmet Fish Seasoning. Heat a large skillet over

medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter, garlic and onion. Once butter is melted, add fish

and lightly brown on one side, about 3 – 4 minutes. Flip fish over and cook for 3- 4 minutes more or

until fish is just cooked and still moist. Transfer fish to a plate, cover with foil and keep warm.

2. Add wine and lemon juice and stir to loosen bits in the pan. Bring to a boil and reduce liquid to 1 – 2

tablespoons. NOTE: If the liquid is not reduced enough, the sauce will be thin and runny!

3. Remove pan from heat and whisk in remaining butter pieces until melted. Peel, seed and roughly chop

avocado and add to the pan with the quartered tomato.

4. To serve, place fish over cooked rice or pasta and top with tomato, avocado and butter sauce.

Recipe by Scott Leysath

Chef & CoHost of HuntFishCook TV

Microwave Salmon

Ingredients:
2 or 3 small fish filets
Lemon juice
Hi Mountain Alaska Salmon Seasonings
Other seasonings to taste
A sprinkling of breading or cracker crumbs (optional)

Place fish side by side in microwaveable dish (flat with shallow sides) sprinkle with lemon juice, followed by seasonings and topped by crumbs, if you want them. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, spoon juice over fish, and microwave on high for one more minute or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Do not overcook. (Fish is cooked when flesh is no longer translucent and flakes easily). Enjoy!

From Patricia in Salcha, Alaska

SHISH KABOBS

* 2 lbs. of one or more of the following (chicken breast, pork, beef, deer, elk, antelope) cut into 1/2 inch chunks.
* 1 tsp. Western style Steak
* 1 tsp. Western style Trail Dust
* 1 tsp. Western style Cajun Cowboy or Cajun Campfire
* 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
* 2 tbsp. soy sauce
* 1 large red onion, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
* 1 large red pepper, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
* 2 large green peppers, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
* 10-15 cherry tomatoes
* 10-15 mushrooms
* 1 can pineapple chunks

Mix all of the 3 Western style seasonings together in a small bowl. In a large bowl add cubed meat, veggies, pineapple. Pour Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce over the top and add ? c. of the reserved pineapple juice. Sprinkle with Hi Mountain Seasonings, mix well together. Alternate the meat, veggies, and pineapple on skewers. Place in grill basket and grill to your desire. Serve with a side salad using Hi Mountain Bleu Cheese Dressing and white rice sprinkled with Western style Gourmet Fish Seasoning.

GRILLED POTATO SPEARS

* 2 skin on baking potatoes, about 2 pounds each
* 1 t. Western style Seasoning (Steak, Deer, or Elk)
* 1/2 c. olive oil
* 2 t. Dijon mustard
* 2 T. grated Parmesan cheese

Pierce potatoes all over with fork. Microwave for 6 minutes on high until almost tender. Cool slightly. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; cut each half lengthwise to yield 4 spears from each potato. Blend remaining ingredients in small bowl. Pour over potatoes in baking dish or zip-top plastic bag. Let stand for at least 1 hour, turning occasionally. Place on grill over the edge of hot coals; cover grill to prevent flare-ups. Grill until brown and crispy, turning occasionally and dipping in left over marinade, 15 to 20 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Open-faced Egg Sandwich

6 soft boiled eggs ( you’ll want your egg yolks really soft but not runny)

1 loaf French bread

Hi Mountain Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Dip Mix

Arugula

2 to 3 T sour cream

T chives

Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the French bread and grill until crisp , prepare the pesto according to directions and spread on hot bread. Place a good amount of arugula on top. Cut eggs in quarters and mix the sour cream and chives. Mix easy so you don’t break up the eggs. Place egg mixture on top and season with salt and pepper.

LEMON GARLIC PEPPER PORK CHOPS

1/4 cup lemon juice 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 3-4 tablespoons garlic pepper 1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 6 (4 ounce) boneless pork loin chops

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a large resealable bag, combine lemon juice, oil, garlic pepper, salt, and oregano. Place chops in bag, seal, and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Turn bag frequently to distribute marinade.
2.	Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Remove chops from bag, and transfer remaining marinade to a saucepan. Bring marinade to a boil, remove from heat, and set aside.
3.	Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill pork chops for 5 to 7 minutes per side, basting frequently with boiled marinade, until done.

Teriyaki Ribs

1 lg. pkg of pork ribs

1 bottle of Teriyaki Sauce (Soy Vay works best)

2-3 T. Hi Mountain Steak Rub.

Marinate ribs in Teriyaki sauce for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking. Sprinkle on Hi Mountain Steak Rub when putting them on the grill or in the oven. Cook until slightly crispy on the outside.

Hi Mountain Chicken Wraps

From DeeDee Springfield, Hi Mountain Account Executive~

Hi Mountain Chicken wraps

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded out until thin. Make spinach artichoke dip as per Hi Mountain directions. Place one thick slice ham on each chicken breast and with the Hi Mountain Jerky master squeeze equal amounts of the dip on each slice of ham. Top chicken breasts with mozzarella cheese and roll tight secure each breast with tooth picks or butcher twine. Pan sear in EVOO until all sides are just brown and finish in a 350 oven for 20 to 25 mins. Enjoy!

Hi Mountain Holiday Recipes

Hi Mountain Turkey

1 Fresh Turkey (preferably with pop up thermometer)

2 tbsp. Western Grill’n Rub

2 sticks butter

1 lemon

1 red onion

1 bunch fresh rosemary (divided)

1 bunch fresh thyme (divided)

1 bunch fresh sage (divided)

2 cans chicken stock

1 ½ cup white wine

In a turkey pan, add white wine and chicken stock in the bottom. Melt butter and chop up ¾ of the fresh herbs and bring to a slight boil.

Clean and wash turkey, pat dry. Salt the cavity, then stuff with halved lemon, halved onion and the rest of the fresh herbs whole, place on rack in turkey pan. Pour the melted butter with herbs on the turkey. Tie the legs and tuck the wings under to keep moist.

Cook according to the directions on the turkey.

Smokey bacon-biscuit dressing

Twelve biscuits cut into cubes

1 lb. apple wood smoked bacon

1 small yellow onion chopped

1 small red onion chopped

4-5 celery stick chopped

8-10 small white button mushrooms chopped1 tsb. Buckboard Bean Seasoning

½ cup chopped parsley

2 Tbs. fresh sage

2 Tsb. Fresh thyme

1 tsp Steak seasoning

Fresh ground pepper

5-6 cups chicken stock

Pre heat oven to 350 spread biscuits on cookie sheet on medium, toast until lightly browned, 20 minutes. Set aside and increase oven temp to 375.

Cook bacon crispy, remove and add onions, celery, mushrooms, parsley, sage and thyme. Transfer to a large bowel, crumble bacon, steak seasoning and pepper and biscuits. Transfer to a baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, uncover and bake another 20 minutes.

WIND RIVER CHICKEN

Cook 4 pieces of bacon crisp enough to crumble

Sauté 1 medium onion and one can of mushrooms

(or substitute fresh) in butter and the leftover

bacon grease, Sprinkle with Garlic Pepper Grillin'

rub and Steak Seasoning while sautéing.

In a sauce pan combine equal amounts of your

favorite Honey (We use the local Wind River

Honey in Riverton, they have a great product!)

and spicy brown mustard, along with 1

tablespoon of butter. Make enough to cover the

sautéed vegetables thoroughly and mix with

the vegetables.

Season 3 chicken breasts with the garlic pepper

rub and steak seasoning and cook thoroughly on

the grill.

On a cookie sheet, place the three breasts;

cover them with the honey mustard, and

sautéed vegetables. Place a slice or two of

pepper jack cheese over the top of each breast

and broil until the cheese melts to your desire.

Crumble bacon on top and enjoy!

ANTELOPE BURGERS--ITALIANO

ANTELOPE BURGERS-- ITALIANO

2 pounds ground antelope

1 pound ground Italian sausage-- (mild or hot)

1-2 Tablespoon Hi-Mountain Steak Seasoning

Hi-Mountain Buckboard Bean Seasoning (to be sprinkled on after cooking)

2 Tablespoons Worchester Sauce

1/2-3/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1+ Tablespoon minced or crushed garlic (to taste)

4 Tablespoons finely diced onion (fresh or dried)

1 Large bowl for mixing meats and spices

1 Large frying pan with lid

2-3 Tablespoons Bacon grease or oil (for frying)

Antelope is a very delicate wild game meat that has virtually no natural fat. Since antelope is of the goat family, many say that prepared properly that it has a flavorful lamb/sheep flavor. Overcooked, and antelope burgers can be dry and tasteless as a ground up carboard patty. This recipe adds fat through the Italian sausage, great zest with the Hi-Mountain Steak Seasoning, and locks in all the mositure by using a hot, covered frying pan or skillet.

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly in a large bowl... except the Hi-Mountain Buckboard Bean seasoning and the bacon grease or cooking oil! Make sure all ingredients are blended well together. Cover, and put in refrigerator for a least 1-hour or all day to let everything rest and the flavors to come together.

Heat bacon grease or oil to medium high/hot in a large frying pan that has a lid. Mix your meat and seasonings together again thoroughly, one more time. Form meat into small palm sized balls and flatten no more than 1/2 inch thick. Make sure the pan and grease are hot before placing the patties in the pan. Secret is to cook/sear them at relatively high heat to sear and brown each side for approximately 2-3 minutes.... with the lid of the pan on tight! Cooking to Medium Rare is ideal, and cook to no more than Medium.

This keeps the burgers juicy and from drying out, and locks in all the moisture. Cooking at relatively high heat does /can cause some splatter, but puts a nice brown sear on the burgers quickly, and keeps them juicy and dripping. Once browned, remove from pan onto a paper towel and let rest before serving. Sprinkle very lightly with Hi-Mountain Buckboard Bean for a touch of smoke flavor.

Can be eaten as a hamburger on a bun, but equally delicious, just by themselves!

COOK UP SOME GARLIC PEPPER STEAK FRIES FOR A GREAT COMBO!

Andy Lightbody/Kathy Mattoon

COOKIN' ON THE WILD SIDE, Rocky Mountain Television/Productions

Happy Customers make us happy!

We love to hear from customers that use our products and get great positive results from other people. Here are just a couple of stories from actual customers who have used our products. If you have any of your own, please feel free to post them here!

From Fred:

I recently ordered bulk seasonings for Original, Mandarin , Cajun and Sweet and Spicy. I attended a birthday celebration last evening and I took seven small bags of jerky in the above flavors. The remarks were:

Fred this jerky is to die for, Incredible flavor, I've never tasted jerky this good. I will buy as much as you can make,etc. Being as my 79th birthday was on Sept 30,it appears I may have a new job.,. Congratulations on a very fine product.

From Marie:

P.S. Love your sausage kits. Have recommended them to lots of people, and a couple of years ago, I made some of the summer sausage and gave some to my boss at the time, for Christmas. He wanted to know where I got it because it made the sausage he had made at his processor taste like cardboard. I told him to buy a kit (or 2 or 3) and do it himself. He really loved the results of what I made.

Fiesta Dip

Fiesta Dip

1 can of refried beans

1 cup of sour cream

1 package of Hi Mountain Creamy Chipotle Dip

½ cup of shredded cheese

In a pot mix all of the ingredients together. Place the pot over medium heat for about 5 – 10 minutes, stir the dip so the beans don’t burn. Pour the dip into a bowl, serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Smoked Salmon

Brine the Salmon with the Alaskan Salmon Brine from Hi Mountain overnight in the fridge. Remove and rinse salmon, spray rack with oil and place on rack skin side down. Blow air over salmon using fan to form the pellicle before smoking.... I put the pellets on the electric element about 15 minutes early so they start to smoke when I'm ready to add the salmon which is also seasoned with the Hi Mountain Salmon seasoning. My wife finds it funny when she catches me sitting in my lounge chair drinking beer just hanging out smoking salmon...

-Tony in Ohio

Bourbon Jerky & Inferno Jerky

Top is Inferno, bottom Bourbon

Mark in Washington wrote:

I have tried many different jerky seasonings including my own recipes. When I came across your product I just had to give it a try. I purchased the inferno and the bourbon bbq. The night before I seasoned both as told in the directions, using slices of 1/4 inch, usually I go thinner, but wanted to try thicker. I then vacuum sealed, I find this really helps penetrate the meat. The next afternoon I fired up the smoker for the bourbon bbq and placed the inferno in the dehydrator. With the inferno I sprinkled some extra crushed peppers on it. Taste results, I like the heat factor in the inferno. It was not too salty like other brands. The texture was awesome and so was the color. I might add a bit of brown sugar next time just for personal taste, but it is very good as is. The bourbon bbq, came out great, especially smoked. The only thing I might do different next time is add a bit more of the seasoning... Very good aromatic flavor.

Dusty Trail Omlete

Thanks to Bonnie, in Kentucky for this recipe!

- 5 corn tortillas

- 1 lb. sausage (hot works best)

- 5 eggs

- 1 small onion

- Hi Mountain Trail Dust

Cut tortillas into 1 in. squares and fry until stiff but not too crispy. Crumble sausage and cook. Scramble the eggs and onion together in a bowl, mix in with the sausage and add 1T. of Hi Mountain Trail Dust. Let it cook together to your liking. Put it all on a plate and sprinkle on sharp cheddar cheese.

Great Products, Great Recipes, Great Prices

It's tough today.

Now, more than ever is a great time to be more self-sufficient. With the economic climate uncertain, more people are looking to get the most out of their dollar, and we are here to help.

If you look at jerky, snack sticks, sausage in the store, you're painfully aware of how out of control prices have gotten. That's where we come in. Why not make these things yourself? You can with Hi Mountain.

Our products are made with 3 things in mind: 1- Great flavor with high quality, 2- Ease of use, 3- Affordability.

No, you don't have to be a hunter and use wild meat for our products. They are just as good using the regular meat that you can find at the store right now. I myself have made jerky several times using meat from the grocery store, and I'll promise you that it's better than anything you'll buy in a bag that costs a whole lot more.

So, do yourself a favor, be self sufficient and make some of these things yourself. You'll thank yourself, and maybe even us!

Please check out the video of Hans Hummel, the President of Hi Mountain, to see what we're all about!

Videos!

We realize that from time to time it helps to have more instruction when dealing with some of the recipes and procedures when using our products. Even though they are extremely easy to use, sometimes it just helps to SEE it done, and in this internet age we figured, why not add some instructional videos to help out customers?

So, we are very pleased to announce the first video (with MANY MORE to come!) available online! This first video shows step-by-step instructions on how to use our Jerky Master, and is available on the front page of our site (http://himtnjerky.com), and on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/himtnjerky).

Ah, what the heck, let's put it right here in the blog too! Enjoy!