Cooking in the West

I remember well the winter of 1978-79. I was a sophomore in college, and it had been a beautiful fall like this one right up until winter hit on November 9. It was brutal, and it stayed until mid-March. I personally hope this year's predictions of an extreme winter are wrong, but we will know for sure next spring. I wrote this diary one year when the fall had been balmy in the back country, and then Mother Nature unleashed winter on us.

Diary of a Hunting Camp Cook

Day #1: It was a beautiful ride into Meadow Creek in the Scapegoat Wilderness today. I think it was about 60 degrees and cloudless. To top it off, my favorite horse was saddled for me at the trailhead. The weather forecast says there is some nasty weather coming, but you can't believe those idiotic meteorologists! It's hard to believe I actually get paid to take a nature ride into the wilderness and throw on a pre-assembled pan of lasagna tonight!

Day #2: Apparently, I owe the meteorologists a huge apology. Our indoor/outdoor thermometer hanging on the tent pole reads 30 degrees below in blue and 10 below in red. We don't know if it is actually 20 below or what, but I do know that I am going to send a strongly worded letter to the Coleman sleeping bag company when I get near a post office. My sleeping bag, which is rated to 20 below, must not have been tested at this altitude, because the only way I can keep warm inside it is by getting out of it to put wood on the fire every 15 minutes.

Day #3: Everything is frozen -especially me. I had to chop ice every time I hauled a bucket of water today. When I checked the water filter system, there was an icicle hanging from it, so I am boiling all the drinking water. The cook tent has been redecorated in a clothesline motif, tastefully adorned with bags of frostbitten onions, potatoes, apples, and other produce, hanging beside all of the guide's hats, gloves, boots, and clothes. I am worried that my faithful companion, Alvin the Chipmunk, did not survive this nasty betrayal by Mother Nature, because I haven't seen him yet this trip. Hopefully Alvin had sense enough to either hibernate or head south.

Day #4: This cold snap is getting old. I decided I had to take a bath today, but I could only work up enough courage to wash my hair, face, and hands. I tried to slip a new pair of Under Armour on under the old pair, but they were too tight to allow that. I could not risk losing the body heat that would escape by changing into a new pair, so I decided to rot instead of freeze. At least sweat hasn't been a problem. One good thing about this trip is that it is so cold that no one has asked to take a shower, so I have not had to pack shower water out of the frozen creek. They spotted a huge grizzly today, so the hunters are packing their guns with them to the outhouse. I'm not worried, because I think my scent is too frozen to attract a grizzly.

Day #5: It's a darn good thing the wood restriction has been lifted, because you have no idea how big of a woodpile (painstakingly cut with a crosscut and an ax by the same guys who keep a watchful eye on the wood consumption rate) it takes to thaw a 24-pound turkey and make dinner rolls rise inside a cook tent when the snow is falling horizontally outside. I must remember to suggest that next year when they set up this camp, they need to put the outhouse, the creek, and the woodpile directly adjacent to the cook tent. I have a bunch of other suggestions, like bringing along those propane Mr. Heaters, buying an outfitting business in Hawaii, etc., but for some reason the boss (whose initials are Brett Todd) doesn't seem too receptive to suggestions this week.

Day #6: They left my saddle horse in camp today, and I briefly wondered how angry the boss would be if I left a very apologetic note and rode out a day early. Then I remembered that I LOVE this job, so I would never want to do anything to jeopardize it. Several of the guides have been blatantly coveting my job this week, so my sense of job security is quite low. Besides that, I have been having disconcerting Donner Party-type dreams, so in case they are omens I will stay put and watch my back, because the cook would probably be the first to be sacrificed in the event of a food shortage.

Day #7: It is still windy, but the precipitation is in the form of rain this morning. Fortunately, it warmed up and rained all night, so the trail is more soupy than icy. Usually when I ride away from Meadow Creek, I am not ready to go, but today I am thinking about getting home to central heat, flannel sheets, a hot shower, and restaurant food. One of the hunters told me he comes here one week a year and thinks about it the other 51 weeks. I know what he means, because despite this week's extreme temperatures, I can't wait to get back here-in June!

This column demands wild game recipes. My featured cook this week is Jerry Cooper of Warren, Wisconsin. Jerry sent me a wonderful old (1975) cookbook entitled "You and Your Wild Game." Jerry says he has been coming out to Montana every year for over 40 years, because he loves Montana and comes to Garfield County north of Jordan to help out on a friend's ranch. I would say his friend is mighty lucky. Thanks for the cookbook, Jerry!

The cookbook suggested the following marinades to tenderize, enhance, or disguise game flavors. Cover meat with one of the following marinades and allow to stand in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours: vinegar, French dressing, tomato sauce, undiluted tomato soup, tomato juice, fruit juice (lemon or pineapple), commercial marinades, or milk.

Venison Hawaiian

1 lb. cubed deer or elk steak

1/4 C. flour

1/2 C. butter

1/2 C. boiling water

1 t. salt

2 green peppers, chopped

1/2 C. pineapple chunks, drained

2 1/2 T. soy sauce

2 T. corn starch

1/2 C. pineapple juice

1/4 C. mild vinegar

1/4 C. sugar

Roll meat in flour and brown in butter. Add water and salt. Simmer gently in skillet until tender. Add green peppers and pineapple. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and cook until thick. Pour over meat and simmer together a few minutes.

Antelope Kabobs

1 lb. ground antelope

1 T. onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 t. sour cream

1 t. curry powder

1/4 t. salt

1 t. lemon juice

Mix ingredients thoroughly. Pat around wooden skewers in long cigar shape. Cook in shallow very hot fat until brown.

Game Birds in Sour Cream

2 lb. game bird cut into serving pieces (pheasant, duck, grouse, wild turkey)

flour seasoned to taste

1/4 C. butter

1/2 C. sliced mushrooms (opt.)

1 C. sour cream

1/2 C. water

1/4 t. thyme

Roll meat in seasoned flour and brown in butter. Transfer to casserole dish and add sour cream and mushrooms. Pour water into skillet and then into casserole to utilize meat drippings. Sprinkle with thyme and cover tightly. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour or until meat is tender.