Episode 259: The Okayest Cook Returns: Real Food, Real Learning, Real Wild Game
In Episode 259 of the Wild Fish and Game Podcast, the conversation drifts far beyond recipes and techniques and lands squarely on something more important: confidence. Hosts Justin Townsend and Adam Berkelmans are joined by returning guest Chris Whonsetler, the voice behind The Okayest Cook, for a wide-ranging discussion about learning wild food skills in public, embracing imperfection, and why “being okay” is often the fastest path to getting better. From sausage failures and casing nightmares to butchery fatigue, disappearing processors, and the dangers of shortcut culture, this episode is a candid look at what it really takes to cook, cut, and care for wild food without pretending to be an expert.
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The Art of Venison Sausage Making
Meet Chris Whonsetler
Chris Whonsetler is a commercial photographer based in Indiana who works with everyone from CEOs and chefs to duck hunters and outdoor brands. He’s also the host of The Okayest Cook Podcast, part of the broader Okayest Hunter universe, where the mission is simple: remove intimidation from wild food and replace it with curiosity. Chris came to hunting and wild food later in life, a path he openly discusses. “I got hooked the first time I heard geese landing,” he says. “That sound, those wings, seeing them right in front of me, it flipped a switch.” From there, wild food became a gateway to photography, cooking, gardening, and a deeper connection to where food comes from. His platform documents that evolution honestly, without pretending mastery.
Being “Okay” Is a Strategy, Not a Crutch
One of the central themes of the episode is the power of the “okayest” mindset. Chris explains that the name isn’t about lowering standards; it’s about removing fear. “I’m never going to be a chef,” he says plainly. “I’m never going to culinary school. I barely have time to read the cookbooks I own. I’m okay with being okay at cooking.” That framing creates space for experimentation and growth, something Justin connects directly to leadership theory. “The goal of a good leader is to create an environment where people can fail safely,” Justin notes. “That’s exactly what you’re doing, giving people permission to learn without pretending.”
Adam adds that in a world dominated by perfect Instagram plates and expert hot takes, seeing mistakes matters. “If all people see are highlights, it feels like everyone else is better than you,” he says. “Showing the failures makes people feel like they belong.”
Sausage Will Humble You
Few topics unite hunters and cooks like sausage, and few expose shortcuts faster. Chris calls sausage making “one of the most challenging things you can do with wild game.” His first attempt at hot dogs was a disaster. “I thought, it’s a hot dog, how hard can it be? Turns out, very.” Warm meat, bad emulsion, synthetic casings, grainy texture. He ate them anyway, but the lesson stuck.
Justin and Adam echo the sentiment. “I don’t think I’ve ever made sausage without swearing at least once,” Adam admits. From inconsistent casings to fat ratios to temperature control, sausage is shaped by variables you can’t fully control. That’s why Justin and Adam titled their book The Art of Venison Sausage Making. “It’s not a craft,” Justin says. “It’s an art. The meat’s different, the fat’s different, the environment’s different every time.”
Butchery Is Where Confidence Is Built
The episode spends significant time on butchery, not as a technical flex, but as a mindset. Chris learned early from his uncle, but his first solo whitetail was intimidating. “It was 100 percent on me, field dressing, skinning, hanging, breaking it down,” he recalls. “It was sloppy, but we got it done.”
Over time, Chris learned to butcher in a way that matched how his family eats. “Some people grind everything,” he explains. “I love big roasts and whole muscles, so I keep things intact as long as possible.” That flexibility, rather than strict adherence to cut charts, becomes a recurring point. “Cut names change by region anyway,” Justin notes. “What matters is knowing how it cooks.”
One surprising revelation? Ribs. “I never bothered with ribs until I shot a bigger buck,” Chris says. “Then I realized, this is legit food.” Leaving ribs intact, cooking them properly, and respecting collagen changed his perspective on what’s worth keeping.
The Fifth Quarter and the Vanishing Processor
Another major theme is responsibility. Chris talks about the “fifth quarter”, organs, tongue, neck, shanks, and how butchering yourself deepens respect for the animal. “You see everything it has to offer,” he says. “And you start to understand yields, not just cuts.”
Justin raises a concern about the decline of wild game processors. “In a lot of places, they’re disappearing,” he says. “That means people either learn to do this themselves or they don’t hunt.” Chris agrees, noting that time constraints alone can be a barrier. “If you work a nine-to-five and shoot a deer on Sunday night, what do you do?”
The consensus: skills matter more than ever, and communities need to normalize learning them imperfectly.
Tools, Materials, and Letting Go of Shortcuts
The conversation also touches on cookware and materials, especially the move away from nonstick pans and plastics. “Stainless steel changed everything for me,” Chris says. “Mentally, I know I’m not eating Teflon anymore.” It hasn’t been smooth; burnt pans and long cleanup sessions are part of the learning curve, but the shift reflects a broader rejection of convenience culture.
That skepticism shows up early in the episode, too, when the group jokes about AI recipes and questionable food advice. “You Google how to make cornbread and wonder if it’s even real anymore,” Justin says. The antidote, they argue, is hands-on experience.
Why This Episode Matters
At its core, Episode 259 isn’t about cooking perfectly. It’s about refusing to outsource your relationship with food. It’s about touching the meat, making mistakes, learning slowly, and understanding that confidence comes from repetition, not credentials. As Chris puts it simply: “Just try it. Put your hands in there. Don’t be scared.”Listen Now
If you’ve ever felt intimidated by butchery, overwhelmed by wild game cooking, or exhausted by fake expertise and shortcut culture, this episode is for you. Episode 259, “The Okayest Cook Returns: Real Food, Real Learning, Real Wild Game,” is an honest, generous conversation about learning in public and getting better by doing. Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, leave a review, and join the growing community choosing real food over perfection.