John Vile - Harvesting Nature

John Vile walks you through how to easily wet-age a venison round roast right out of the freezer, which bonus instructions on how to cook it on the pellet grill!

Wild Recipes

August 26, 2022 John Vile

Sous Vide Mango Jerk Squirrel

I’m not sure if this is considered fusion, but if so is there such a thing as French redneck Caribbean fusion? Sous vide turns those old, tough squirrels into juicy, tender, flavorful game. Tacticalories Rude Boy rub is the perfect rub for this recipe and seasoning the meat prior to vacuum sealing and cooking helps concentrate the flavors.

Wild Recipes

September 20, 2021 John Vile

Smoked Wood Duck with Peach Jalapeño Chutney

Wood ducks are not only admired for their colors and beauty, but they are also one of the best tasting waterfowl. I love eating ducks as much as I love hunting them. My typical go to recipes includes either gumbo or seared blackened duck, but I wanted to add some smoke flavor to these delicious little birds and any fruity/tangy chutney always compliments the flavor of duck.

Wild Recipes

August 30, 2021 John Vile

BBQ Smoked Venison

Barbeque season is in full swing, this is a perfect recipe to turn that big game roast you just found in the bottom of your freezer into some delicious BBQ sandwiches. This recipe is very simple but does require brining the roast for 2-3 days before placing it in the smoker. After smoking, I like to cut the roast into thin slices and pile the meat on a brioche bun with some fresh homemade pickles and a light drizzle of good BBQ sauce.

Wild Recipes

July 8, 2021 John Vile

Venison Pastrami

In my opinion, there are few recipes are versatile as pastrami. From the pastrami Rueben, to my favorite panini made

Wild Recipes

June 1, 2021 John Vile

Blackened Smoked Salmon Burgers with Duck Fat Fries

Paul Prudhomme’s blackened redfish set the culinary world on fire in the mid-80’s and I’ve been a huge fan of the flavor and cooking technique ever since. I’ve blackened everything from the typical proteins like catfish and chicken to venison and duck.

Wild Recipes

April 12, 2021 John Vile

Beaver Bomber Sandwiches

This is my take on the classic South Philadelphia Hot Beef Sandwich, except I’m using beaver. Yes, that’s correct, beaver. Beaver is often an overlooked wild game meat, but trust me, as long as you avoid the castor glands when skinning and butchering, it is excellent. Among the game meats I’ve used for this recipe, it ranks up there with bear and is far superior to venison.
I smoked the meat for about 1-1/2 hours and then put everything in a cast iron Dutch oven and slowly braised it on the pellet grill until the meat fell apart, which took an additional 3 hours or so. This is a delicious, but sloppy, sandwich so be sure to have plenty of napkins on hand.

Wild Recipes

March 8, 2021 John Vile

Venison Red Beans and Rice

It’s been almost 7 years since my wife and I wandered the streets of New Orleans, but I can still taste the duck from Emeril’s, the muffalettas from Cochon Butcher, and the funky po boys from Killer Po Boys in the back of the Erin Rose Café. As we traveled from the usual tourist spots to the off-the-wall locations and feasted on everything from beignets to oysters to gumbo, there was one thing my wife requested at almost every spot: red beans and rice.

Wild Recipes

February 16, 2021 John Vile

BBQ Squirrel

As the archery and waterfowl seasons come to a close, we turn our attention to smaller quarry, such as squirrels. Squirrels are not only a blast to hunt, especially for kids, but they are also delicious. This recipe is pretty simple but it does require submerging the meat in a wet brine for 2-3 days. The brining process keeps the meat juicy and can also help to tenderize tough pieces. These make a perfect appetizer for those weekend movie nights or football games.