Eating Bambi: The Aftermath

Several weeks ago, I posted about receiving a bounty of venison from my uncle. We made pretty quick work of all that meat; there's only a tiny bit left. For the most part I handed it off to my Texan roommate, figuring that he would have a better idea of what to do with it than I. Here are the highlights:


Texas-Style Deer Chili

This was AMAZING. I'm actually not sure how he did it -- if I recall correctly, he just sauteed everything up in a pan and then dumped it all in the crockpot for the rest of the day. Not sure what exactly went into it, but it had the perfect amount of spice, a good even consistency, and great flavor. I was really impressed. Sprinkled with a little cheese on top, it was heaven.


Chicken Fried Deer Steaks

I'm not sure I get the whole "chicken fried thing-that-is-not-chicken" idea, but it sure turned out well. I believe he just breaded the steaks and fried them in a pan of oil. I liked them more than I expected -- and I even ate the fake mashed potatoes that he made with them because, well, I was really really hungry. And the white country gravy. I ate that too. I don't know how all this Southern food made its way into my diet, but I think I can safely blame C. But hey, he cooks -- who am I to complain?


A tangential note on this experience: I've never been a fan of hunting; the idea used to offend my squeamish hippie sensibilities. But I got to thinking that doesn't it make more sense to kill and eat something yourself rather than supporting the unarguably cruel meat industry? I'm all about being an omnivore. But I do believe that if you are going to eat meat, you need to be aware of where it's coming from and the process it goes through to get to you. Everything is so damn sanitized these days, you pick up your prepackaged cuts of meat in the safe, sterile white context of the grocery aisle. There's something not right about it. I don't know if I could kill a critter with my own hands, but I'm willing to acknowledge that death is a very real and necessary step in getting that deliciousness on the table. If C wants to shoot a turkey for Thanksgiving this year, I'm totally up for it. I might even tag along. I think it would be a good process to go through. I'm just not gonna pluck the thing.