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GAME SHOW
Local hunters star on national TV and in the kitchen.
WRITTEN BY SUE EDMONDSON
PHOTOS BY JEFF ROSS
Nevada is home to wild game of every size and shape, from 700-pound elk to 20-ounce chukar. For more than 9,000 years, hunters have made the most of that abundance, and you’re still likely to find them cooking the day’s bounty over a campfire.
Game hunting in Nevada is all about the food — it’s illegal to waste an edible portion of any game bird, mammal, fish, or amphibian. Although eating wild game now is more a matter of preference than necessity, its popularity continues to grow, especially among those looking for lean, natural sources of protein.
Last year, 161,654 licensed hunters, and hunting-related activities, added more than a billion dollars to Nevada’s economy. It’s not only the economy that benefits. The Nevada Department of Wildlife uses license fees, grants, and donations to manage and safeguard wildlife and their habitats.
Given hunting’s appeal here, it’s not surprising that Northern Nevada has spawned a number of nationally televised wild-game hunting shows, as well as a unique website devoted to wild-game cooking.
Family tradition
Mike and Julie Dianda, and their 10-year-old son Joe, sit in the spacious conference room at Q&D Construction Inc. in Sparks, where Mike is a managing director. Sitting in the conference room is nothing new for Mike.
“My dad started the company,” he says. “It’s been my life since childhood.”
The other constant in his life is hunting, a family tradition he and Julie have passed on to Joe.
“We’re teaching the next generation to love and respect wildlife and the outdoors the way we do,” Mike says.
While Joe is too young to hunt big game, he’s old enough to duck hunt, which he does whenever possible. Honey Lake in Northeastern California, near the Nevada border, is a preferred hunting spot.
“It’s not as muddy as Stillwater (National Wildlife Refuge in Fallon),” he says.
Joe also is old enough for television fame. He’s often Mike’s sidekick on Syndicate Hunting, which airs on the Sportsman Channel. The show is definitely a family affair — Julie works behind the scenes.
Given that the show is filmed all over the West, dinners at home feature a variety of wild game. Julie’s secret to flavorful meals? Spice it up!
“I use herbs that complement an animal’s diet,” she says. “Sage and thyme are great for mule deer, for example.”
A family favorite is bagna càuda, a garlicky Italian version of fondue.
“It’s a great way to eat caribou,” she says.
In the end, hunting is about family. And food.
“There’s no better way to enjoy the fruits of your labor than by sitting down for a meal with the people you love,” Mike says.
Solo Hunter
“I love to eat, I love to cook, and I love the taste of wild game,” says Reno native and dedicated hunter, Remi Warren, who’s just finished a bowl of venison stew.
In fact, he hasn’t bought meat from a market in years.
“I like the feeling that I’m relying on myself, and hunting for food satisfies that goal,” he says. “When I’ve worked so hard for something, it tastes better than anything I could buy. It’s healthier, too, all natural and lean.”
Dinner starts with the hunt, often a one-man operation.
“I grew up hunting with my dad and brothers,” he says. “But I loved it so much, I wanted to hunt more often than anyone else did. I ended up hunting on my own a lot.”
At 15, Warren started filming his solo expeditions.
“As a kid, I watched sporting channels and thought it would be cool to make a living doing what you loved,” he says. “It inspired me to document my hunts, even though it was just for my own use.”
While at the University of Nevada, Reno, he guided hunts between semesters. At 22, armed with a marketing degree, he started a guide business, Montana OutWest Outfitters. When he wasn’t hunting, he was writing about it for magazines.
It wasn’t until a chance meeting with a producer that his years of filming paid off.
“As you can imagine, I had a lot of footage. The producer was impressed,” he says.
His role on the Outdoor Channel’s show, Solo Hunter, was born. Episodes often are filmed in New Zealand; the locale was chosen for one simple reason: food.
“When our season is over, theirs starts,” he says. “I need to keep my freezer stocked!”
There’s no doubt he’ll fill his freezer. He’s taking his skills to the next level while filming his new show, Apex Predator, where he tracks nature’s fiercest predators as they hunt for prey, and attempts to emulate their techniques. (He also appears as a guest on a show called Meat Eaters on occasion.)
The work doesn’t end with the hunt. There’s skinning and cutting the meat into sections (“keep it clean, cool, and dry”), packing it out of the wilderness in game bags (“you might be carrying your weight in meat for miles”), and processing it once home (“hopefully with the help of friends and family”). Then comes the cooking.
“I like to challenge myself when I cook,” he says.
He hosts end-of-season “food fests” to share new dishes.
“Patience and preparation are key to wild game cooking,” he adds.
His go-to meal, grilled venison steak, first marinates in the fridge for a couple of days in a mix of olive oil, herbs, and seasonings.
Warren is grateful for his lifestyle.
“There aren’t a lot of people who get to do what they love for a living,” he says. “I’m lucky.”
A dynamic duo
With one glance, it’s clear that Clay and Chad Belding are brothers. Yet, they couldn’t be more different. Clay is calm and quiet. Chad is electric with enthusiasm. When teamed, the differences work — they’ve taken the hunting scene by storm with television shows that have aired on the Outdoor, Sportsman, and Wild TV channels and through sales of their Banded hunting gear, clothing, and condiments. Their show, The Fowl Life, draws major corporate sponsors. Retailers such as Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, Mack’s Prairie Wings, and Scheels sell their products.
The Beldings, native Nevadans, grew up in a family of avid hunters. In 2008, they formed Banded Productions LLC to capitalize on the national attention Chad had received from goose- and duck-hunting competitions.
“We started in a garage,” Chad says.
Now their hub is a casita adjacent to his home, the walls lined with wildlife photos.
“This is where the genius happens,” he says, laughing.
That genius expands to the kitchen, which is Chad’s domain, or, rather, experimental lab.
“My recipes are 100 percent off the cuff,” he admits.
Still, there are basic principles. He lets the birds rest for one to three days to reduce gaminess. Duck requires careful attention.
“If it’s cooked right, it should be raspberry colored inside,” he says.
He crafts sweet-savory sauces to bring out the duck’s flavor.
“I’ll mix garlic and brown sugar then add fruit juices — the acids tenderize the meat,” he says.
Goose is another story.
“It’s more muscular and needs tenderizing before barbecuing or grilling. Then cook it medium rare, just like duck,” he says.
More projects are brewing, perhaps a cookbook and show for the Food Network, Chad reports.
“Cooking wild game is one of the best ways to stay close to our roots,” he says.
The dish on game
Kristy Crabtree started hunting 15 years ago, after she met boyfriend Andy Perwein, a serious hunter. At first, she was Perwein’s spotter. When that grew old, she learned to hunt, starting small, with duck hunting at Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge and chukar hunting in the Pah Rah Range. This year, she pulled her first bull elk tag, as well as an antelope tag.
While spending time with Perwein sparked her interest in hunting, it’s the Nevada wilderness that has her hooked.
“When you’re watching the sunrise while wild horses graze nearby, it’s so beautiful,” she says. “Friends ask how I can camp out for two weeks at a time. I don’t think about the conveniences of home when I’m out there.”
Then there’s the meat.
“It’s so good, I couldn’t understand why people didn’t like it,” she says. “I couldn’t stand the idea of it going to waste.”
A lifelong foodie, Crabtree did what comes naturally — she cooked, developing everyday recipes that substitute wild game for beef, pork, or chicken.
“I’ve cooked since I was a kid,” she says. “I don’t have formal training, but I have a lot of experience.”
As owner of a web design and marketing business, Westward Strategy & Design Group, the Reno resident did the only thing that comes naturally — she built a wild-game cooking website, Nevadafoodies.com.
She promises that cooking game is easy.
“The only trick is not overcooking,” she says. “Game is more tender and leaner than beef. It won’t need as much time.”
Add salt sparingly.
“It covers the flavor,” she says. “Try dry rubs and herbs instead. The taste is amazing.”
While Perwein doesn’t cook, Crabtree gives him credit in the kitchen.
“He does the dishes!” she says.
Freelance writer Sue Edmondson doesn’t hunt, but is lucky that her neighbors, who do, like to share.
Extras
Hunting Tips
Safety is the No. 1 priority, our hunters agree. Here are their top tips:
1. Never walk with a loaded weapon, whether a firearm or bow.
2. Never point a firearm at anyone.
3. Ensure firearms are unloaded and the safety is on, even if someone else says they’ve checked. Know where the ammunition is.
4. Prepare for the elements with proper gear, layered clothing, food, and water. Drink lots of water, even in winter.
5. Don’t take unnecessary risks, however small. If new to an area, hire a guide.
6. Prepare physically. Cardiovascular workouts, weight lifting, and even yoga help.
For details, visit http://www.Ndow.com
Hunting Debate
There’s no question that hunting is controversial. While wild-game hunting differs from other types of hunting due to its focus on food, the debate continues.
Unfamiliarity with hunting practices likely fuels the controversy, suggest the hunters we interviewed. Chad Belding notes that, like anything else, there are those who follow the law and those who don’t.
“The last thing we want is for an animal to suffer,” Belding says. “When you hunt ethically, there’s almost a zero chance of an inhumane killing.”
Recipes
Blackened Venison Tacos
(courtesy of Remi Warren. Makes 4 tacos)
1 pound venison steak
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon crushed coriander seeds (measure before crushing)
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ tablespoon fajita seasoning of your choice
½ teaspoon your favorite hot sauce (Warren recommends Tapatío or Cholula)
Juice from ½ lime
Tortillas
½ to 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning or additional fajita seasoning (optional)
Toppings
Fresh cilantro
Roasted red peppers
Feta or blue cheese, crumbled
Limes
Slice venison steaks into strips. In plastic zipper bag, combine meat with oil, garlic, seasonings, hot sauce, and lime juice. Mix thoroughly in bag and marinate for 15 minutes.
Empty contents of bag into skillet. Cook over medium-low heat. While cooking, sprinkle with Cajun or fajita seasoning, if desired. Cook to medium rare, no more than five minutes. (Watch meat closely; game meat is best medium rare).
Divide meat among four tortillas. Top with fresh cilantro, roasted red peppers, and cheese. Serve limes on side.
Red Wine Carnivore Chili
(courtesy of Kristy Crabtree. Serves 6 to 8)
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds ground elk or venison
4 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1¾ cups dry red wine
1 large onion
1 yellow bell pepper
5 stalks celery
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup water
Chili seasoning
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (omit for less heat)
1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Toppings
Sour cream
Diced onions
Fresh tomatoes, chopped
Cilantro
Cheese of your choice
Heat heavy stockpot with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add ground elk or venison and cook until meat has browned. Remove meat from pot and set aside.
Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent and soft, 5 to 6 minutes.
Add red wine to vegetables. Deglaze, scraping all bits from bottom of pot. Add cooked meat, tomatoes, tomato paste, chili seasonings, and water.
Simmer chili for 2 to 3 hours. Stir occasionally.
Top with sour cream, diced onions, chopped cilantro, fresh tomatoes, and cheese.
Elk and Venison Wellington
(courtesy of Kristy Crabtree. Serves 4 to 6)
Mushroom mixture
2 cups mushrooms, finely diced
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Meat mixture
1 pound elk backstrap
1 pound venison backstrap
2 tablespoons butter
10 slices prosciutto
2 tablespoons stone-ground mustard
1 sheet Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets
1 egg
Flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
Cook mushroom mixture as follows: Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Place butter and olive oil into skillet (preferably cast iron). Heat on medium-high until butter melts. Add mushroom mixture and cook until mushrooms are tender and all liquid is evaporated, stirring often. Remove mushroom mixture and set aside.
Season backstraps with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add remaining butter to hot skillet and brown all sides. Remove from heat. Smear stone-ground mustard on meat.
Place two sheets of plastic wrap on counter. Lay out five prosciutto slices on each wrap. Divide and spoon mushroom mixture on top of prosciutto slices. Place one backstrap on top of each mushroom mixture. Beginning at one end, roll prosciutto, making sure backstrap is covered with prosciutto. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Beat egg and water in small bowl with fork and set aside.
Sprinkle work surface with flour. Unfold pastry sheet on work surface. Roll pastry sheet into rectangle wider than meat. Cut in half. Remove plastic from meat rolls. Place one meat roll in center of each pastry piece. Fold pastry over meat and press to seal. Place seam side down onto baking sheet. Tuck ends under to seal. Brush pastry with egg mixture. Cut small slits in top of pastry.
Bake for 25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest five minutes before serving.
Resources
Nevada Department of Wildlife: http://www.Ndow.org
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension has offered workshops for field dressing wild game, meat handling, and conservation. For future workshop dates, visit http://www.unce.unr.edu
