Night of the kill, what’s on the spit?

[WapitiTalk1]

Ok, back at camp...some or all of your Wapiti has been packed out and hung, put into coolers, whatever. What’s for dinner and how do you cook it?  A mess of fried tatos, onions, ______ and _______?  How do you cook it?  It’s just around the corner. Let’s talk about that best, first meal 

Edit:  Let's say "once you get a change to cook up some elk".  That probably makes more sense as for sure, after packing all day/night, you certainly may not have time or energy to actually cook something/anything.

[buglebrush]

Usually this means it's past midnight for me, and I'm too tired to eat.  I'll make up for it the next morning. Pan fried backstrap steak with Eggs, Bacon, Mushrooms, onions, and Cinnamon rolls.  Finish it off with a mug of strong English breakfast tea.  This would be at home, because I've done only backpack hunting camps the last ten years

[Dan-o]

Johnsonville Brats.

Possibly ham steaks.

I don't butcher and dine at camp.
Nothing against it.
Just never do.

[WapitiTalk1]

Johnsonville Brats.

Possibly ham steaks.

I don't butcher and dine at camp.
Nothing against it.
Just never do.

 

[buglebrush]

A few years ago we got into Elk while hoofing it back to the truck after being out for a few days.  Ended up killing one in the pouring rain right at dark 6-7 miles from the truck.  Boned him out, and setup the tarp.  We didn't have much food left, and knew the three of us had a monster day coming up carrying the whole bull out in one trip.  We ate so much backstrap over that sputtering fire that night it was crazy.  When we got up the next morning my beard was totally crusted in dried blood.  Always wondered how raw that stuff really was.    We needed the fuel that day though!

[pd]

Seriously, how is this even a topic.  I know where you're from, and you know where I am from.

Two skillets.

One has thinly sliced potatoes.  Some called them scalloped, but that is not the correct name.

The other skillet welcomes breaded (flour only, no egg wash) elk liver, each thinly cut slice cooked once on each side only.  In the drippings also cook sliced onions. 

All of this is done by lantern light.  Some years the potatoes are overcooked, some years still a bit green.  The liver only gets salt and pepper, none of that Tabasco malarkey.

I am honestly surprised you asked this question.  You must be up to something.

[Stein]

Well, my MO is to shoot an animal about four seconds before late shooting light and then spend way too long getting it taken care of by headlamp then headlight.  Dinner is usually some whiskey and a few protein bars, maybe a burrito from the gas station if they are open.  I'm way too tired to actually cook anything.

I did have a victory meal by myself at the Cat's Paw in Bozeman once, that was probably the highlight.  I had some sort of sandwich and talked to the bartender who was making about 1000 jello shots for the weekend.

I always have high hopes of cooking stuff up fresh, but I can't remember that ever happening.  With ocean fare - absolutely.

[Oh Mah]

Salted cubes on a stick,Eat until you're full.To tired to cook anything else and cubes are instant satisfaction.

[Bushcraft]

I/we typically have some pre-cooked vacuum sealed meals ready for the Saturday night belly-filling once every ounce of meat has been hauled back to camp, regardless how late it takes me/us.  If I had my druthers, my favorite is a hearty homemade venison stroganoff paired with an ice-cold glass of milk followed up with a celebratory shot or two of my favorite bourbon before zonking out for some sweet dreams.

Quite frankly, the night of the kill pales in comparison to the relaxed carnivore-fest the next morning.

[mburrows]

Well, my MO is to shoot an animal about four seconds before late shooting light and then spend way too long getting it taken care of by headlamp then headlight.  Dinner is usually some whiskey and a few protein bars, maybe a burrito from the gas station if they are open.  I'm way too tired to actually cook anything.

I did have a victory meal by myself at the Cat's Paw in Bozeman once, that was probably the highlight.  I had some sort of sandwich and talked to the bartender who was making about 1000 jello shots for the weekend.

I always have high hopes of cooking stuff up fresh, but I can't remember that ever happening.  With ocean fare - absolutely.

Lol the cats paw is quite the spot

[trophyhunt]

An Ice cold beer, then switch to a celebratory whiskey in a very tall glass! I'm usually too tired to eat at that point, breakfast will be monumental!

[dilleytech]

Might take some hunks off the haunches and cook them for the ritual value of it. But there’s nothing worse to me then red meat that hasn’t sat for at least a few days to relax the muscle. I’m certainly not ruining some back strap or tenderloin when it’s not going to be as good as it will be in a week.

Most likely I’m looking for something really fatty and loaded in calories. Cheeseburger is top on my list.

[Jpmiller]

Why is nobody saying heart? Is heart not everyone's first meal from their animal? I can't remember a time my next meal wasn't heart.

[The scout]

Either backstrap or tenderloin salt and pepper quick roll in flour in a hot pan with butter and a splash of oil. Brown both sides so they are crispy and med. rare in the middle.

[grundy53]

Why is nobody saying heart? Is heart not everyone's first meal from their animal? I can't remember a time my next meal wasn't heart.

Definitely heart for me. Liver too if it's a deer.

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[Karl Blanchard]

Honestly tenderloin and back strap is a pretty chewy fresh off the carcass.  It needs to sit a bit or get a freeze/thaw on it. Liver is a hard pass. I dont have a first meal ritual but if I do eat something fresh it is gonna be heart. It really ticks off my kids if I dont bring the heart home though

Couple years ago in Idaho I took a tenderloin, sliced it paper thin and seasoned it with beef Ramen seasoning (all I had ). Threaded it onto a sad looking roasting stick and warmed it up a bit over a little warming fire. The whole setup was quite sad looking but it tasted pretty dang good.

[Buzz2401]

Liver and onions is only thing we eat before butchering. Like others have said usually it's the next day because we didnt get back till after midnight.  Also liver is better after it has soaked awhile to draw some blood out

[2MANY]

Beef rib steak grilled over fire, a can of baked beans, caesar bag salad, and a beer for desert.

[WapitiTalk1]

OK, I've changed the original post a bit to say "once you get a chance to cook up some elk"... Probably more fitting that way.

[7mmfan]

On the original post, I'm with @Stein, I almost never kill an animal with more than a couple minutes of light left. Not sure why, but that end of day always treats me well. I then dick around and take pictures, cut meat, stretch, walk around, cut more meat, dig a hole and break out my fancy back country bidet, cut some more meat, and hit the trail about midnight. By the time I'm back to camp I just want to slug a bunch of water and hit the hay. Even last year when I killed an elk at noon, we didn't get to camp until 1:00 am.

Now, on the updated post. If the meat can rest cold for a couple of days, I'll usually start processing in camp while waiting for other guys to fill tags. I'll usually take the back strap ends and pieces and season and fry on the woodstove in a cast iron skillet in a bunch of butter, salt and pepper. Pretty much the only thing I have eaten fresh. I plan on trying the heart that way this year though.

[bobear]

It's always the heart for us too.  Thinly sliced and cooked with some onions and potatoes.  Best meal ever!  Then wash it down with a nice cold IPA.

[7mmfan]

It's always the heart for us too.  Thinly sliced and cooked with some onions and potatoes.  Best meal ever!  Then wash it down with a nice cold IPA.

You ruined it with the IPA. To hoppy. Give me a good Hef.

[BULLBLASTER]

Usually whatever I had for dinner that day anyways. Sometimes frozen burritos or hamburgers or possibly a mtn house. Doesn’t really make any difference to me.

[pianoman9701]

Liver and heart, always.

[TommyGun496]

Heart cut up in cubes pan fried in butter...and some Snake River!

[Stein]

OK, if we're on first game meal and not night of the kill, I usually go with backstrap.  Most often it would be pan fried with whatever I have on hand and hopefully blue cheese on top.  I don't usually have an open fire or bbq so a simple pan fry is the answer.

What I should do is wait two days and then cook up the tenderloin, especially on deer and antelope.  They just don't freeze well (small size = freezer burn loss is too great), don't benefit from aging beyond a day or two and would make the best first meal IMO.

Heart would be a close second, but I like to save that unless with a hunter that has never had it.

I've also done the meals where you whack off a chunk of the front or rear leg and make some stew, tacos or whatever and that's great as well.

[wheels]

if i did heart in the pan

[WapitiTalk1]

I am not a heart, liver, etc. guy so once we get a chance to cook some elk up at camp, it’s loins cut about 3/4” thick and cooked quickly on a hot grill (little portable grill) I take to base camp (hickory smoke Alpine Touch is my camp meat seasoning of choice). A heap of fried, cubed tatos with red onions is the perfect compliment to the meat IMO (just salt n pepper here). Now, season (and area) permitting...a goodly amount of sliced up King Boleat or even Pine mushrooms, picked within the past few days, thrown on the grill in tin foil (a bit of butter and some Alpine Touch lemon pepper seasoning), truly shores up a feast fit for a king.  Now I'm getting hungry   

[Duckhunter14]

I always soak the heart in a salty brine overnight and then trim and cut into finger steaks the next evening an cook with bacon ends and an onion in the cast iron. There is never leftovers. Always do the bacon first, drain off most of the grease, then cook the onion and throw the heart in when the onion is almost done, along with some salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Once the heart is cooked to rare medium rare, throw the bacon back in and stir, then remove from heat. Serve with taters and salad and a cold brew. Well earned after packing out an elk.  @johnnyaustin44 always has seconds! 

[opdinkslayer]

 

That meal is 10 times better at hunting camp then at home though Clint. gonna have to cross paths at a huntin camp someday & break bread over a couple cold beers!

[chad24n]

Honestly tenderloin and back strap is a pretty chewy fresh off the carcass.  It needs to sit a bit or get a freeze/thaw on it. Liver is a hard pass. I dont have a first meal ritual but if I do eat something fresh it is gonna be heart. It really ticks off my kids if I dont bring the heart home though

Couple years ago in Idaho I took a tenderloin, sliced it paper thin and seasoned it with beef Ramen seasoning (all I had ). Threaded it onto a sad looking roasting stick and warmed it up a bit over a little warming fire. The whole setup was quite sad looking but it tasted pretty dang good.

 
I dry age my harvest in the largest possible primals for as long as I dare... the meat is going to be so much better with time. Keep it coated with some vinegar water and a deer should hang 10 days minimum, an elk 14 days minimum. Wrap it up and freeze it for a few months and then we are getting close to my first meal. Haven't tried fresh cooked heart yet, I'll do that this year. Liver goes to the dog. An appreciation gift for her being a good member of the family. Seared and bbq'd tenderloin the following spring is typically the first meal (mine age just fine).

Edit: First taste of harvest though is always some homemade, marinated & smoked jerky... gets a guy through the winter while the rest of the meat is doing its thing.

[Duckhunter14]

That meal is 10 times better at hunting camp then at home though Clint. gonna have to cross paths at a huntin camp someday & break bread over a couple cold beers!

That is a true statement! Hope you and the boys have a busy fall planned! Can’t wait to hear how you do. 👍🏻

[opdinkslayer]

That meal is 10 times better at hunting camp then at home though Clint. gonna have to cross paths at a huntin camp someday & break bread over a couple cold beers!

That is a true statement! Hope you and the boys have a busy fall planned! Can’t wait to hear how you do. 👍🏻

Oh ya. All the normal at home stuff, gonna try to slip over east of the mountains to meet up with some old friends at mule deer camp for a few days & then it’s all about Colorado 3rd season deer in November!😎

I’m sure you got a full slate scheduled as usual?

[PolarBear]

It's usually the pb&j sammich that has been in my pack for a few days.  Usually meat doesn't get consumed until after I'm back home, it is cleaned up and ready to butcher.

[Duckhunter14]

That meal is 10 times better at hunting camp then at home though Clint. gonna have to cross paths at a huntin camp someday & break bread over a couple cold beers!

That is a true statement! Hope you and the boys have a busy fall planned! Can’t wait to hear how you do. 👍🏻

Oh ya. All the normal at home stuff, gonna try to slip over east of the mountains to meet up with some old friends at mule deer camp for a few days & then it’s all about Colorado 3rd season deer in November!😎

I’m sure you got a full slate scheduled as usual?

Awesome man! Can’t wait to see pics! Should be a lot of heart sizzling on the grill come fall! I’ve got a crazy year ahead of me. Shoot me a text, I lost all my contacts when I broke my last phone. 

[opdinkslayer]

Will do👍🏻

[hunterofelk]

Last elk I got Jim Beam to do the cooking and he made beans and weenies.

[dvolmer]

A big fat bacon-cheeseburger from Zips with a large shake and fries for me!!!

[Fletch]

No tongue tacos? I don't eat them in camp either... just wait until I get home.

[DOUBLELUNG]

Best night of the kill dinner I've had was the 8 juvenile ruffed grouse from the large group that had the misfortune to wander through our lunch spot before we killed two deer that afternoon (3 hunters, 1 shy of 3 limits on both grouse and deer).  Sauteed in butter in a cast iron pan over the campfire, seasoned with salt and pepper, and washed down with Jim Beam on the rocks under the stars, it was darned near heaven for three poor college students.  They were so tender my buddy Bill kept checking with his flashlight because he couldn't believe they were cooked through.  A great memory.

[northwesthunter84]

Fletch, I’m gonna make some this year, if I can make it happen. I usually bring it home but I have a better set up this year so I can give it a go.

[NOCK NOCK]

If its got em…..

[tonymiller7]

If it's an evening kill and I get back to camp late, then have to hang, skin, and clean the animal, dinner usually consists of beer, whiskey, and top ramen!