The Good Life – November-December 2023

A
WILD GAME
HOLIDAY
fill your table from the wild!
WRITTEN BY: JEFFREY MILLER
The holiday season is a time for family, friends and food.
While many tables are filled with domestic turkey, ham
and prime rib, ours is a little bit different. The majority
of our feasts feature meat from the wild and sides from
the garden.
Each season, I hunt in multiple states for whitetail deer
with my bow and have had luck drawing a western state’s
tag for antelope. One year I even drew a buffalo tag for
an Indian Reservation. As big game feature the most in
each year’s hunting, it makes sense they also feature as
the star of the table.
Some cuts of meat, such as the loin and certain steaks,
are tender and best simply grilled. Tougher cuts, roasts
and the neck meat, are best cooked on low heat and slow.
One of my family’s favorite ways for venison to grace the
holiday table is the Mississippi Pot Roast. Our kitchen
has both a pressure cooker and an Instant Pot, and since
Melanie purchased the Instant Pot the pressure cooker
gets used sparingly. The Instant Pot simply makes
everything easier.
The roast is simple and delicious. I like to use the
sirloin, also known as the football roast. It has plenty of
connective tissue and is difficult to grill or fry.
MISSISSIPPI POT ROAST
After spraying the Instant Pot with
non-stick spray, I place the roast into
it, followed by a one-ounce packet of
au just mix and a one-ounce packet
of ranch seasoning.
Next, a 12-ounce jar of pepperoncini
peppers and half of the brine are
added.
Lastly, a stick of unsalted butter is
cut into four pieces and added to the
mix.
The Instant Pot is set to Pressure
Cook for 60 minutes.
After it’s done, allow it to naturally
cool for 10 minutes before turning
the vent to release any residual
steam.
The result is a slightly spicy, tender
and juicy roast that can be shredded
and put over Yukon Gold garden
potatoes.
The roux, left in the pot after the
roast is removed, can be thickened
with flour for a gravy that is out of
this world.
24 | THE GOOD LIFE