OLD FASHION LUNCH MEAT

When I was just a youngster back in the 1960s I used to spend a couple of weeks each summer with my grandparents that lived in Jollyville, Texas.  Jollyville was a hole in the wall between Leander and Austin, at that time it was the only thing between Leander and Austin.  It has long since been swallowed up by Austin and few remember what it was like back then.  It was a small community with only one store and gas pump called Hill’s Store.  I can remember going to the little store which had a small meat case and getting lunch meat sliced. Sometimes my grandparents bought Olive loaf which I hated or bologna which was ok.  Other times they would get Salami or Spiced Luncheon meat. They always had it sliced thin.  I liked the Salami the best, the Spiced Luncheon meat had a good flavor but was greasy which I assume was because it was made from fatty meat trimmings. I came up with a recipe that reminds me of the old time lunch meats we had sliced at Hill’s Store but I know what goes in this one.  I also can slice this as thick as I like for a sandwich.  I think you would enjoy this version and it is not that hard to make.

 

Spiced Salami Lunchmeat

10 pounds of ground meat about 20 to 30 percent fat

2 level teaspoons pink cure salt

4 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons black pepper

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons brown sugar

½ cup powdered milk

1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

2 cups cold water

Mix all dry ingredients together very well. Add the liquid smoke to the 2 cups of cold water and mix all of the dry ingredients into the water until dissolved and mixed well. Once well mixed pour water with spices over the meat and mix until the ingredients are equally distributed though the ground meat. Place meat mixture in the refrigerator, cover and let cool for 12 to 24 hours to let the cure work and the spices blend together. After at least of 12 hours in refrigerator stuff into casings. (I used the jumbo red casings for bologna and lunch meat available online and some sausage supply companies. I bought mine from Lem Supply Co. online. These casings are about 4.5 inches in diameter and perfect for sandwiches.) Soak the casing in warm water for about 30 minutes before stuffing. Add more cold water if needed to the meat blend to help with stuffing the casings. If you use the large fibrous casings you do not even need a sausage stuffer.  Just spoon in the meat and squeeze down the casing until tight and plump then ring or tie off the end. Once the casings are stuffed you can cook them in a smoker or oven, I like somewhere between 225 to 275 degrees. Slowly cook to 155 degrees internal temperature. When internal temperature is up to 155 degrees place in ice water bath for about 15 minutes to prevent shrinkage.  Slice and enjoy.

Wild Ed’s Meat Snack Sticks and Summer Sausage

 

Summer Sausage and Snack Sticks ready to go in the oven

I love meat snack sticks but don’t eat them very often because of the price.  If you figure out the price you pay per ounce for decent ones it comes in around $20.00 per pound. Many of those I have bought taste greasy and there is no way of knowing what is really in them.  Therefore I have been working to come up with one I can make at home for a reasonable price and with quality meat and ingredients. The following is my best so far and can be made with your choice of meats. You can leave out or add spices as you please.  I sometimes add cheese and Jalapenos to the recipe. Come up with your own favorite but until you do I think you will enjoy this one.  ET

10 pounds of ground meat about 20 to 25 percent fat

2 level teaspoons pink cure salt

4 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons black pepper

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons brown sugar

½ cup powdered milk

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

2 cups cold water

17 to 21 mm edible collagen snack stick casings, available at many butcher shops, online sausage supply companies, Amazon and many Academy Sports stores. I use the mahogany colored ones.

Mix all dry ingredients together very well.  Add the liquid smoke to the 2 cups of cold water and mix dry ingredients into the water until dissolved and mixed well.  You can leave out the liquid smoke if you are going to actually smoke the snack sticks.  Since I am doing these in the oven I added the liquid smoke. Once well mixed pour water with spices over the meat and mix until the ingredients are equally distributed though the ground meat. Place meat mixture in the refrigerator, cover and let cool for 12 to 24 hours to let the cure work and the spices blend together. After at least of 12 hours in refrigerator stuff into casings.  Add more cold water if needed to help with stuffing the casings.  Once the casings are stuffed you can dry them in a smoker, oven or dehydrator.  Slowly dry to around 155 degrees internal temperature or to the dryness and hardness you prefer. If using poultry in your meat mix bring to 165 degree internal temperature for safety. Cut to preferred length, package and enjoy.

Observe Fawns From a Distance

 

 

I was out checking livestock water troughs yesterday when I spotted a newborn fawn right by the ranch road.  It did not even raise its head as I watched it for a moment.  The camouflage spotted pattern was almost perfect except it lay on a patch of green making it visible to me.  The sighting reminded me that I needed to post a warning about touching these little fawns. This is the time of year that people come across these beautiful little creatures and want to pick them up or feel they are abandoned and think they are saving them.  Do not touch it, if you get your scent on it the doe may not take it back when she returns.  Deer bond based on smell and if that smell is strange she may not accept the young deer as her own.

Not only are fawns found out in the countryside but also in city neighborhoods, parks and back yards as we encroach into their habitat with housing developments. In Suburbia the deer are quite at home with living on the forage found in large yards and greenbelts. Several generations have been raised among the houses and traffic and thus it is normal for them. What is not normal are the numbers of fawns that are picked up by well-meaning souls that find them laying in the yard or on the edge of a walking trail.   A doe will place her fawn somewhere she feels it is secure and go off to feed. She will later return to check the fawn and nurse it as needed. So many city folks that run across these fawns think they are abandoned or the mother is dead and take them. Not being equipped nor trained in raising deer they either have to get help or try to raise it themselves. Many cannot get the little fawn to nurse or give it the wrong kind of milk and start it towards a cruel death even though they had good intentions. Rehabbers in our area have an overabundance of whitetail fawns they are raising because of the well-intentioned people that have picked them up.

Remember that if you find a fawn leave it where it is unless it is covered by fire ants or is actually in real danger. Do not get your scent on it. The doe will return and retrieve her fawn later. In my almost seven decades of being in the outdoors I have only removed two fawns from the wild.  One was completely covered in fire ants including in the nose and eyes.  The other I took away from a dog carrying it down the side of the highway. If you really think it is abandoned come back and check on it later or watch for the mother in the area. Ninety-nine percent of the time the doe will come back unless injured or killed. It is illegal for you to possess a white-tailed fawn in Texas so if it truly needs help you should go to the Texas Parks and Wildlife website and locate a licensed rehabber in your area or call the local game warden. They will take the fawn and give it a chance to survive. Feel free to observe the beautiful wildlife of Texas, but do it from a distance.

The Stranger at the Campfire

 It seems that most every hunting season someone asks me about this story and if it really happened. Below is what really happened and written down as best as I could remember.  I believe every word I wrote till this day.

This is a true story, as I believe it, that I have related to only a few people. It happened in 2009 on a remote ranch in the Caprock Canyon country of Texas, home of the Comanche and West Texas cowboy history.  It is of a strange and haunting event that comes drifting into my consciousness and memory every once in a while, so I guess I will never forget that night. Last night I had a dream and saw the visitor in my dreams again. By telling the story I am hoping the stranger will quit sneaking into my dreams. I will tell you that I did not believe in ghosts that walk the earth but know that strange things occur. I also am aware that the Bible speaks of spirits and demons. As I age and now have a had some things happen that I can not explain I am no longer sure what I believe. The following is my story as best I can relate it to you.

Several years back my brother by choice, Ken, called and told me his family company was purchasing a ranch to hold as an investment. The ranch was located in far North Texas in the remote Caprock Canyon Brush Country. The place was supposed to have deer and hogs on it and he wanted to know if I would like to go up and spend the weekend. He planned to explore the ranch and possibly do some hunting. I was told it had an old cabin we could stay in while we were there. I always do the cooking on these trips so I began to get the supplies together that we would need for a weekend. I picked up some nice steaks along with some baking potatoes for the first night. There is nothing quite like a good steak grilled over mesquite coals when you are out on a hunting trip.

I drove from Austin up to Abilene to meet Ken. We loaded his four wheel drive truck and started the long drive north. It was almost dark when we arrived at the gate of the ranch and we saw no game as we drove to the cabin. We quickly unloaded the truck and each of us threw our sleeping bags on a bunk in separate rooms of the cabin. I then gathered some dry mesquite and started a fire in a stone fire ring out back of the cabin. I placed the grill I had brought over the fire and wrapped the potatoes in foil to bake while the fire burned down to coals. We decide to make a short drive and check out what we could of the place before dark, besides it would take the potatoes at least and hour to cook.  We made a couple of miles on the ranch roads and saw no game except for a couple of jackrabbits which did not interest us.  As we pulled up to the house we decided to check out the old barn close by.  As I opened the barn door there was a shriek and two white forms flew right over my head giving my heart a jump.  It was two almost solid white barn owls and I should have taken it as an omen.  We headed to the camp house and supper.  After a great steak we enjoyed the warmth of the fire, a good drink and the company of a good friend until we decided to turn in for the night.

It had been a long day and the warmth of a sleeping bag to ward off the North Texas chill was welcomed. The moaning and creaking of a windmill just outside my window made it difficult to go to sleep but exhaustion got the better of me and I finally nodded off. I awoke to notice the flickering of the fire reflecting off the walls of my room. I set up on the edge of my bunk and looked out the window and noticed that someone had put more wood on the fire and the flames were swirling in the wind. Smoke was rising against the cold filling my view with eerie white clouds in the freezing night air. At the edge of the illumination but close enough to take in the warmth of the fire stood a figure dressed in a western duster with the collar pulled up to block the cold wind. A familiar silver belly hat was pulled down over his face so that I could not make out the eyes. His hands encased in golden buckskin gloves and held a steaming cup of coffee against his chest as if he was savoring the smell as much as the taste. My first thought was to get dressed and go have a cup of coffee with my bud, but thinking that my snoring might have driven him out into the cold I decided to let him enjoy the fire and his thoughts without my company. Besides the coffee would keep me up the rest of the night. As I climbed back into the warm sleeping bag it felt to be the right choice.


When I again woke there was a pinkish golden glow in the sky to the east. I walked to the front door and went out on the porch to relieve myself. The pre-dawn sky revealed an unbelievable scene with stars visible that I had not seen in a long time. Frost covered the ground and brush while my bare skin tingled with shock as I stood against the cold wind and looked at the sky. It never ceases to amaze me how visible the stars are when you get out in a remote area where the sky is dark with no lights from the city. I returned to the cabin to get dressed for the day. I lit the propane stove to make coffee and prepare breakfast.

The coffee made, eggs and sausage cooked, I hollered at Ken to get up for breakfast as I took the biscuits from the oven. After his brief morning ritual Ken came to the table and asked how I had slept. Feeling guilty about driving him from his bunk with my snoring I immediately started apologizing for waking him up in the middle of the night. He looked at me with a strange look on his face and replied that his head never left the pillow until he woke just a few minutes before. I retaliated with the fact that I had seen him standing out by the fire in the middle of the night. Visibly seeing that I was getting upset he again assured me that he had not moved from his sleeping bag all night.

I hurried outside to the fire pit where the fire still burned in the early dawn. No one was around and I could find no evidence of someone coming or going other than the fire not yet burned down to coals. We were miles from anywhere and would surely have heard any vehicle driving into the ranch. Anyone coming in on the road also would have had to come through a locked gate. The cowboy I had seen at the fire was dressed in period cowboy clothing but that is the usual garb for Ken or me when we are not on a hunt where camouflage clothing is needed. Both of us were wearing Silver belly old style cowboy hats on this trip and either of our duster coats would pass for the one worn by the stranger at the fire. I never found anything that pointed to who or what was standing at the fire that night. I will always wonder if he was sent to fetch me and something kept me from going out to the fire that night. I can think of a lot worse things that could come in the night. Peaceful dreams, Wild Ed

Venison Burger Done Right

 

 

With deer season in full swing many are processing or having a deer processed.  Lots of hunters I talk with have much of their venison ground into burger but are never really happy with the results.  The fat on deer as a whole is not a good tasting fat and there is no marbling of the meat like on beef.  Therefore unless you add a good fat to venison burger it will be dry and will not have much taste as the fat in hamburger is what makes it taste so good.  Since there is no fat in the meat to bind it together it will crumble if you try and make it into a patty and cook it. The solution to this dry tasteless burger is too easy, you just add fat.  You can have the processor add pork or beef fat to your venison burger and then use it just like ground pork or ground beef.  If you do it at home you can mix it many ways.  I try to end up with a product that is about 25 percent pork or beef fat to 75 percent venison.  I sometimes buy the cheap overly fat beef hamburger at the grocery store and mix in ground venison until it has enough fat in the mixture, this makes great burgers.  If my area grocery stores run the packer beef briskets on sale that have not been trimmed of the excess fat, I will buy one of those to grind and mix with my ground venison.  A brisket ground up with and equal amount of venison makes very good burger. I buy pork jowls or fatback to mix with my ground venison for my breakfast or link sausage recipes.  If you like the flavor of Bacon Burgers you might try my favorite way to make them.  I buy the cheap bacon ends that come in a box or a big plastic bulk package. These are the end pieces of slabs of bacon that are odd sized and cannot be sliced to go in the packages as sliced bacon.  It is just small and end pieces of actual cured bacon.  I grind it up and mix it with the ground venison until the mix fries up like you want and then it can be made into packages of formed burger patties.  The taste when done on the grill is of a great bacon burger, with a slice of your favorite cheese most will not be able to even tell that the wonderful burger they are eating is 75 percent venison.  I sometimes take the bacon burger mixture and add seasonings to make breakfast patty sausage, be sure and cut back on the salt as the cured bacon is already salted. This will make a patty sausage with a cured bacon flavor. With a little experimentation you can come up with all sorts of ways to use your venison burger.  I use the burger in mexican food, Italian food, meat loaf or any other way iwould use ground meat. Just remember to add at least 25 percent fat when you grind the burger and you will have a product the whole family will enjoy.  Wild Ed

VENISON SAUSAGE

 

 

Successful deer hunters are often at a loss with what to do with all that meat.  I always grind one of my deer just for sausage.  Except for Chicken Fried Steak and Chili this is our favorite way to fix venison.  I seem to use the sausage throughout the year and it keeps a long time if you smoke it.  I really like it dried where it is kind of like jerky and keeps forever or until eaten which is not a very long time around here.  The following is a family recipe developed and changed through the years.  It is kind of a combination of both of my German Grandparents recipes and then we added the cheese and jalapenos to the family recipe. You can always leave out the jalapenos and cheese for a more traditional Hill Country style of sausage.

ED’s VENISON SUMMER SAUSAGE AND HOT LINK RECIPE

30 pounds deboned ground venison

15 pounds of hamburger

10 pounds of ground pork butt

The ratio of meat can be adjusted just be sure and use at least twenty pounds of fatty pork or beef to the venison and end up with 45-55 pounds for the amount of seasoning in the recipe.  You can cut the meat and seasoning by half to make a smaller amount.  This recipe is what I use for the amount of deboned meat I get off of an average deer in our area. You can adjust the spices to your taste.

2-4 pounds high temperature cheese (depending on taste)

1 ½ cups of Kosher Salt

1 ½ cups of course ground black pepper

6-8 teaspoons pink salt or meat cure

2 teaspoons Cayenne

1 teaspoon allspice

2 teaspoons of garlic powder

2 teaspoons dried red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons mustard seed

2 teaspoons fennel seed

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 cup of ground or finely chopped pickled jalapeno peppers

4 seeded ground or finely chopped fresh jalapeno peppers

I divide the meat mix and seasonings in half and mix a half batch at a time as it is easier for me to get it mixed well that way.  If you have a big meat mixer you are way ahead of the program.

Mix meats well add cheese and jalapenos, mix throughout the meat mixture.

Mix all spices together in a large bowl or glass and add enough water to stir them into.

Pour spices over the meat and mix in very well.  This stage is very important so that the spices and cure are evenly distributed throughout the sausage mixture. 

Let the mixture stand in a refrigerator or in a cold place (Forty degrees or less) for 24 hours.

Stuff into hog casings for hot links and fibrous casings for summer sausage

Smoke until proper brownish red color and internal temperature of 150 degrees.  Summer sausage can be smoked or just cooked in the oven until proper internal temperature or 150 degrees is reached.  Summer sausage should be given a cold water bath until cool then put in refrigerator or frozen.  Hot links can now be packaged and frozen or left wrapped in paper in a refrigerator to dry, smoke or until eaten.  Enjoy, Wild Ed

 

 

Don't Forget the .22 Rimfire

 

 

In the last year there has been an extreme shortage of ammunition on the shelves and when you could find it prices were unbelievable in many cases.  If one wants to practice you need to go to the bank and take out a loan to shoot most center fire rifles and handguns for an hour or two.  Many calibers can cost a dollar or more per round at this year’s prices.  If it was not for the lowly .22 rimfire I would have almost quit shooting for fun and to maintain my shooting abilities.  Even .22 rimfire ammunition was in short supply at times but I found enough of it available and at prices I could still afford in the last year.  As of right now I am finding more and more rimfire ammunition on the shelves and at reasonable prices.

If you want to shoot for fun any rimfire handgun or rifle will do.  You can shoot several hundred rounds for less than $20.00 at today’s prices for rimfire ammo.  If you need to practice for self-defense most common self-defense pistols have models that mirror the larger calibers marketed today.  Glock, Kimber, Smith & Wesson, Colt and many other brands have copies or even the same models of their larger caliber products in .22 rimfire.  Some even have conversion kits so you can change your firearm from the larger caliber to shoot .22 rimfire in mere moments.  Rimfire rifles are available in most configurations to match any hunting or sporting model.  There are even AR15 models in .22 rimfire and conversion kits to change your current AR15 to .22 rimfire.

Also let’s not forget the .22 rimfire is produced in different velocities for plinking, target shooting, hunting and even self-defense.  With such cartridges as the new Federal Personal Defense Punch Rimfire .22 rounds the .22 rimfire becomes a viable choice for personal protection. This could be important to those that just can’t handle the recoil and muzzle blasts of larger calibers. Many new firearm purchasers have bought new guns and a couple of boxes of cartridges and never fired a shot.  By obtaining a copy of their new gun chambered for .22 rimfire they could practice and become proficient with the weapon and pay for the rimfire model in just a few shooting sessions by shooting the cheaper .22 cartridge.

The next time you want to go out shooting and don’t want to blow all your available funds on ammunition or you want to shoot more than just a few rounds remember the .22 rimfire.  It just may save the day.

The Fall Migration of Hawks is Worth Watching

 

The fall migration of Broad Winged Hawks and other Raptors is underway and should continue through mid-October.  I have started noticing groups of hawks, called Kettles of hawks, headed south where they will go to South Texas, Mexico and on to Central and South America.  Many will actually fly straight across the Gulf of Mexico on their flight to the South.  If you start watching the skies in our area you may see kettles of hawks that number in the hundreds and sometimes in the thousands slowly circling on their way south.  We mostly see Broad Winged hawks and Red-tailed hawks in these groups.  You may also see other hawks and falcons in the migration.  You can also watch for the hawks and falcons on telephone poles along our roadways.  They are often seen resting or feeding in freshly plowed fields in large numbers during the migration.  I carry a pair of binoculars in my vehicle this time of year just so I can stop and watch or identify the raptors I observe.  There are many good bird and raptor identification books you can get to help you know which are which.  The most common seen in our area or the Broad Winged hawk, Red-tailed hawk, Coopers hawk and the Sharp-shinned hawk. We also see a lot of the small Kestrel falcons along with a few Peregrine falcons.

The Texas Cowboy Style Barbecue Smoking Box

 

My father was a Texas Oilman and Rancher that traveled all over the State for his business. Sometimes he would take me along on his road trips and my favorite thing would be when we stopped for lunch. Dad knew every good hole-in-the-wall Barbecue place in Central and West Texas. We would always get some brisket and sometimes sausage links or ribs with onion, jalapeno and bread. No beans, potato salad or other sides were bought, I was taught that the meat was the reason we were there. My father was quite the BBQ Pitmaster himself and was always looking at different styles of Barbecue smoker designs and had several different ones made. I can remember my family cooking briskets, sausage links and ribs for church and school fundraisers along with family barbecue get-togethers. As I grew older I was always asking the pitmasters at each place we stopped questions about how they cooked, seasoned the meat, what type of wood they preferred and any other things I could get them to tell me. In those days many of the pits were made of sheet steel, brick or stone. Most were simply a long rectangle with a lid to lift and a grill to put meat on. Fires sometimes burned at one end and the smoke passed through the pit around the meat to a smoke stack at the other end or smoke simply rose through the meat and found its way out of the pit around the lid. My favorite places to eat had long, steel pits that they shoveled coals into a door at one end or at the back of the pit. Most barbecue places today use modern-type offset smokers with many now using smokers that burn pellets or lump charcoal. A few of the best Texas style barbecue joints still use the old type pits and cook with real wood coals. I realize that barbecue is done different all over the country and I am sure many methods are excellent. My goal here is to simply give you the instructions to make a simple Texas style box pit and how to use it. I am going to show pictures of my latest pit construction along with recipes for rubs, sauces and how to cook a Texas style brisket, ribs, sausage and other cuts of meat. My pit is three feet wide, three feet tall and 6 feet long.

 

The grill of expanded metal sits on a rail about 10 inches deep in the pit. The frame is one inch steel tubing but I have used angle iron with equal success. The covering is simply sheet metal I had left over from constructing a metal building. I have seen these pits built out of stone, brick, sheet steel and other materials. Some buddies and I even built one to use at a deer camp by stacking concrete blocks and using a piece of scrap metal for the lid. I put a metal counterweight on the back of my pit lid to help with opening and closing the heavy lid or hold it open while I tend to the meat. You don’t need to worry about a smoke stack to draw the smoke out as you will be shoveling wood coals or lump charcoal coals into the end of the pit under the meat and the smoke will rise through the meat and find its way out of the pit. I build a fire of oak or mesquite in a fire ring close enough to the pit so I can put a shovel full of coals in the pit as needed. I cut a door in the sheet metal where I shovel in coals directly under the grill on one end of the pit. Sometimes if I am in a hurry or just cooking a small amount of meat I use lump oak or mesquite charcoal and shovel it in the pit when it is burning and covered with white ash. The great thing about this type pit is you can use it to cook for just a couple of people or it will handle enough meat for a hundred people depending on what you cook. You can cook a half a deer, hog, lamb or goat on this pit if you need to.

 

I am going to give you some family recipes and then tell you how to I use them and some tips on how I cook meat. I will also give you a temperature guide for cooking and wrapping your meats. I don’t use a thermometer much anymore as I kind of know what I am looking for in the meat bark and pretty much can tell when I want to wrap it and when I want to take it off the pit. If you don’t have a lot of experience with barbecue, by all means use a thermometer as good meat is too expensive to mess up. The methods and recipes here are from my family, friends and other Texas pit masters that have shared with me through the years. There are lots of other recipes, methods and opinions out there. With that said here are some of mine. The meat rub: I use a simple four part rub made of kosher salt, course ground black pepper, garlic powder and allspice. In a quart jar use equal parts salt and pepper with about a teaspoon of garlic powder and a teaspoon of allspice and mix well. I wet the meat with Worcestershire sauce, olive oil or vinegar whatever I have the most of usually. I then liberally rub the rub all over the meat to give it a good coating and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour and sometimes even overnight. This is what will give you a good bark or crust on your meats and enhance the flavor. The mop: I take one cup of barbecue sauce (I will give you my recipe), three cups of water and one cup of vinegar to which I add some sliced onion and a quartered lemon. Place a half stick of butter in this mixture and place in a pot or pan on the grill in the pit to heat. This is simply used to mop or dip the meat pieces as needed in order to give the meat moisture as it is cooking. You can find a meat mop in many grocery stores or online, it looks just like a miniature floor mop and works great. An old cup towel or rag works just as good. The sauce: Good barbecue does not really need sauce but lots of people like to have some on the side so here is an easy one that most seem to like. I never baste meat on the pit with sauce as it will caramelize and burn, which is not the flavor you or looking for.

This is a basic Texas style sauce and you can add different spices if you want more heat or substitute molasses, sorghum or other syrup for the brown sugar.

1 32 ounce bottle of ketchup

½ cup of brown sugar

½ cup of molasses

1 cup of vinegar

½ cup of water

½ teaspoon liquid smoke

1 tablespoon meat rub 

1 tablespoon of course ground pepper

This is the basic sauce feel free to add more pepper, sugar, cumin, chili powder, paprika, your favorite hot sauce or other spices. Experiment and come up with your own. I sometimes add leftover strong coffee for an espresso sauce or substitute pickled jalapeno juice instead of vinegar for a more spicy sauce. Cooking the meats: In Texas, barbecue almost always includes brisket so I will cover how to cook a Texas style brisket and then cover some other basics. Remember this is how I do it and there are many more ways to cook a brisket and many more opinions. This method has always turned out a good product for my family. I usually pick smaller briskets with lots of meat. I buy packer trim as I want to trim the fat myself so any of the fat that will render as it cooks is left on the brisket to keep it moist and flavorful. Pick a brisket that is flexible. The brisket that does not flex well when you bend it usually has more hard fat that lean meat. Take the brisket out of the plastic and trim off only the hard fat. Wet it down and cover with rub and set aside to rest until you are ready to place on the pit. You will also be able to cook prime ribs, large roasts and other large cuts of meat the same way. When you have your wood coals or lump charcoal burning and ready shovel into the pit, add the coals and let the pit get up to cooking heat. I try to cook somewhere between 250-350 degrees Fahrenheit. Again the temperature is not critical it just makes the cook longer or slower. One good thing about this kind of pit is you can place the meat directly over the coals and if it is cooking to fast or trying to burn just move it to the part of the pit where the meat is away from the coals it will keep cooking and smoking. I try not to check the meat too often as it lets heat out of the pit, but I do check the meat now and then. If it is getting dry, I mop the meat to add moisture. I wrap my briskets and other meats when they have the desired bark and color. If you are unsure stick a meat thermometer in the meat and take a reading, somewhere between 150-165 degrees is about right for a brisket. I wrap my meat in paper not aluminum foil. I believe meat steams in foil and then tastes and has the texture of roast beef not barbecue. I like to use the pink butcher paper as it works well for me. If you use white waxed butcher paper place the waxed side out away from the meat. I have used plain brown wrapping paper and even paper sacks from the grocery store and the meat comes out fine. The paper will allow the meat to breathe, not steam, and continue cooking without over smoking and getting dry. At around 185-195 degrees I take the paper wrapped brisket and place in an ice chest (without the ice of course) lined with old towels. Cover with an old towel and shut in the ice chest for at least an hour or until you plan to slice it and serve. This allows the meat to continue to tenderize and take a set so it will slice clean. Slice across the grain and serve. Any large cut of meat I do very similar, ribs I simply cook until they have the color and bark I desire. They will bend and start to break when you try to pick them up with a meat fork from one end. When they reach this point simply wrap in paper and place in ice chest until ready to serve. On chicken and steaks I can tell by color and crust if they are ready or not. Use a thermometer until you are a good judge on these. On this type of pit you can hold most any meat for quite a while by simply wrapping in paper and placing on the far side of the pit away from the coals. Give this style pit and these methods a try and I believe you will find them a favorite method of yours also. Several generations of Texans swear by it. Wild Ed 

Wild Ed's Chicken, Turkey, Ham, Tuna, Shrimp and Crab Salads Recipe

After the Holiday dinner we often had turkey, ham or other meats left over. I tend to let the dark meat of turkey or chicken sit in the refrigerator for too long as it is not my favorite. So here is a way to use those meats that I enjoy. Sometimes I just want to put together something in a hurry and use a canned meat from the pantry. This recipe allows one to be creative and add or leave out ingredients to create just the taste you like. Hope you will enjoy it and make it your own however you like.

About 12 ounces of meat well drained

2-3 celery stalks chopped

½ to 1 cup of Craisins as desired

½ to 1 cup of seedless red grapes quartered as desired

½ to 1 cup of favorite grated cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of garlic powder and a pinch of allspice

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ cup of mayonnaise or as needed to achieve consistency desired

• Optional add chopped walnuts or pecans

• If using shrimp or crab sprinkle with old bay seasoning to taste

• You can serve this on a salad, crackers or make sandwiches. The crab or shrimp is great on toasted rolls or as subs.

• A great way to use leftover turkey and holiday meats

Leave Fawns Where You Find Them

 

 

 

I was out checking fences and livestock after this last storm when I noticed a doe standing in tall grass not far from the ranch road.  She just stood and watched as I drove by just a few yards away.  After checking the pasture I headed back to the gate to the house tract and noticed the doe laying only a few yards from where I saw her before.  Thinking she might be injured I stopped and walked towards her.  Walking only a few yards I noticed something on the ground and saw it was a newborn fawn laying perfectly still on the ground.  I turned and went back to my two seat buggy and drove on my way.

This sighting reminded me that I needed to post a warning about touching these little fawns. This is the time of year that people come across these darling little creatures and want to pick them up or feel they are abandoned and think they are saving them.  Do not touch it, if you get your scent on it the doe may not take it back when she returns.  Deer bond based on smell and if that smell is strange she will not accept the young deer as her fawn.

Not only are fawns found out in the countryside but also in city neighborhoods as we encroach into their habitat with housing developments. In Suburbia the deer are quite at home with living on the forage found in large yards and greenbelts. Several generations have been raised among the houses and traffic and thus it is normal for them. What is not normal are the numbers of fawns that are picked up by well-meaning souls that find them laying in the yard or on the edge of a hike and bike trail. A doe will place her fawn somewhere she feels is secure and go off to feed. She will later return to check the fawn and nurse it as needed. So many city folks that run across these fawns think they are abandoned or the mother is dead and take them. Not being equipped nor trained in raising deer they either have to get help or try to raise it themselves. Many cannot get the little fawn to nurse or give it the wrong kind of milk and start it towards a cruel death even though they had good intentions.

  I have raised three fawns through the years only because they were actually in danger.  One followed a horse back to the barn on a large ranch in West Texas and we had no idea when or where the fawn had decided the horse was its mother.  Another I found covered in fire ants and felt it would be dead or permanently injured in just a short time.  The third was being carried down the road by a large lab in a subdivision.  When I stopped the dog dropped the little fawn that in perfect condition.  Since I did not know the where the lab had retrieved the fawn or how long it had been carried, and it now had dog scent all over it,  I took it.  All of the fawns were raised and later released when they could make it on their own.  Rehabbers in Texas have an overabundance of whitetail fawns brought in each year that they have to raise because of the well-intentioned people that have picked them up.

Remember that if you find a fawn leave it where it is unless it is covered by fire ants or is actually in real danger. Do not get your scent on it. The doe will return and retrieve her fawn later. If you really think it is abandoned come back and check on it later just before dark. Ninety-nine percent of the time the doe will have moved it. It is illegal for you to possess a Whitetail fawn in Texas without proper permits.  If it truly needs help you should go to the Texas Parks and Wildlife website and locate a licensed rehabber in your area. They will take the fawn and give it a chance to survive. Feel free to observe the beautiful wildlife of Texas, but do it from a distance.

Turkey Jerky

Turkey Jerky

 

 

If you are lucky enough to tag a turkey this year you then need to decide how best to use the meat.  I have found a wild turkey to be much less moist and juicy than a domestic bird and it usually comes out to dry if I smoke or roast it.  I have found my favorite way to use up my wild turkey around my house and it does not last long prepared this way.

Cut lean strips of turkey meat, the pieces should be no more than ½ inch thick at the most but as large as you want them. Trim off all fat as it will turn rancid as the meat dries. Fill a large mixing bowl with water and stir in equal amounts of Brown Sugar and Salt until it starts to fall out, kind of like a glass of tea with too much sugar in it.  I find about ½ cup of both works well in my largest mixing bowl.  Stir in 1 Teaspoon of Garlic powder, 1/4 Teaspoon of Allspice ¼ Teaspoon of ground Cloves. Add meat and soak in the brine for 4-8 hours in a refrigerator.  I find that if I leave it over eight hours it will absorb too much salt for my taste.  Remove meat from brine and rinse well in cold water.  Roll or shake on coarse ground black pepper to taste. Do not use table grind black pepper or it will have to strong a pepper taste. Remember course ground pepper  adds flavor,  fine ground adds heat.  Arrange meat on racks in a dehydrator and dry to desired texture.  It takes about 12 hours on my dehydrator set on meat level or around 160 degrees.  Just to make sure it is safe to eat, since it is poultry, I place the dry turkey strips on a rack in a roasting pan and place in an oven preheated to 220 degrees for about twenty minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before bagging in plastic bags.  Place any extra in a bag in the freezer and take out about 2 hours before you intend to eat it.

 This is such a favorite that I now watch for boneless chicken breast on sale at the grocery store just so I can make poultry jerky all year long.  Whether you use turkey or chicken I have a feeling this will become one of your favorite kinds of jerky.

The New Taurus TX-22 Pistol is a Winner

 

 I have been shooting .22 Long Rifle revolvers and pistols now for over fifty years.  I have my favorites and have not been impressed with a lot of the new .22 caliber pistols on the market, most are too compact, and have a safety that works backwards or the trigger is terrible.  Several of my old favorites are made of steel and have some weight to them but are not really comfortable to carry all day.  Being a sheep and cattle rancher, I carry a pistol most every day for snakes, predators bent on a free lamb chop dinner and what other varmints I might have to contend with in this day and time. I like to carry something that I forget is on my belt and that I am not constantly having to re-adjust.  I recently got to shoot a new model from Taurus called the TX 22. I was so impressed with the lightness; accuracy and the round capacity of this new pistol that I decided to get one of my own. 

Taurus designed the TX 22 as a budget minded competition rimfire pistol.  I have not shot competition since the mid-nineties so that is of little importance to me.  I do find that competition firearms are often the best for most shooting purposes as they usually have all the bells and whistles right out of the box. The Taurus is a polymer frame constructed gun with an aluminum slide that makes this gun very light to carry.  The barrel and most internal parts are stainless steel.  My gun weighed in at about 17.5 ounces unloaded and just under 20 ounces with a loaded magazine. The pistol came with two magazines that hold sixteen rounds of .22 long rifle ammo plus one in the barrel for a total of seventeen rounds giving this pistol an advantage in firepower over the competitors.  The pistol has ambidextrous safety levers and the magazine catch release can be reversed for those that shoot from the left hand.  The trigger has a hidden safety that I really like without an exposed lever to press down.  It breaks very clean with next to no creep and the trigger reset is very short allowing accurate rapid fire.  The gun is striker fired instead of using a hammer as most other rimfire pistol designs. My pistol trigger feels to be around 4.5 to 5 pounds but I haven’t put a pull scale on it as of yet.  The sights are clean, white three dot sights with the rear adjustable for windage and elevation. It also has a frame rail for adding laser or light aiming devices for those that care to.  The feature of this new pistol that I am most impressed with is the grip.  This is a full size pistol and the grip is very ergonomic and fits my hand very well.  It has a texture that makes it easy to hold on to and also seats in your hand so that when you point the gun the sights are pretty much lined up.  Accuracy of this pistol is very good with one inch groups from a rest at about fifteen steps are pretty much standard if I do my part.  Offhand groups at the same distance ran me from 2.5-3 inches, but then I am not as steady as I used to be. For those that use a suppressor this pistol comes ready to attach one with a simple adapter included in the box.  Also Taurus includes a complete manual and safety lock with the firearm.

I have carried this gun for the last few weeks almost every day here on the ranch while in the truck, while shredding, on horseback and riding around in my two seat Kawasaki.  It is very comfortable and does not pull my belt down while working.  I am now very confident in this pistol as I have put over 500 rounds of bulk .22 ammo through it with no malfunctions. This is simply amazing to me as .22 semi-automatic pistols are known to be finicky.  The disassembly on this pistol is very simple and the least complicated of any semi auto handgun I have owned. I have found two things that bug me a bit but both may be just me.  I have short fat thumbs so it is hard for me to reach the magazine release without changing my grip unless I use two hands.  Those with longer thumbs will probably not have a problem.  The other is that I prefer leather holsters but have not found one built specifically for this gun as of yet. I have been carrying it in a nylon BB gun holster I found in Wal-Mart that cost $6.99 and even had a pouch on it to hold the extra magazine.  It will do fine until I find a leather one I like.

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price on this pistol is $349.99 but I have seen them online for as little as $259.99.  You could buy one online and have it shipped to your favorite dealer if they receive firearms and do the paper work for their customers.  Depending on what they charge you to receive and do the background check would determine your final price.  I bought mine from Hilltop Gun Shop here in Lampasas and have been very pleased with the service I get there. Hoffpauir’s Ranch and Supply had them on display at the Outdoor Expo so they most likely have them in stock.  If your favorite dealer does not have one in stock I would bet they can get one for you in just a few days. The really nice thing is until September 30, 2019 Taurus is offering a $50.00 rebate on this pistol making it one of the best bargains out there for this quality of firearm.  I am sure I will be carrying mine for quite some time.

The Lady Takes a Lampasas County Drop Tine Buck

On Saturday morning Rachael Flaningan was hunting with Lynch Creek Whitetails in Lampasas County when she got the chance to take a buck that most of us would consider a lifetime buck.  She had seen the buck before but never had the opportunity for a shot.  On her stand before daylight she got her chance around 7:45 and dropped him with her 220 Swift.  The buck had 15 points with an 8 inch drop tine.  The 17 inch spread scored green at 156 B&C.  The field dressed buck weighed in at 155 Pounds.  Way to go girl, I am so envious.  Wild Ed

A Beautiful Buck and A Beautiful Girl

My niece Kayli is one of those special people that is not only beautiful on the outside but on the inside as well.  I have hunted for years with her grandfather and later her father.  I like to think that I influenced her will to hunt.  She has become quite the huntress and is starting to rack up an impressive list of trophies.  She sent me this about her latest hunt along with the pictures and the following is as she wrote it.

Uncle Ed,
I shot this 16 point on December 18 at L and L Adventures.  It was super foggy all morning, we drove around and corned all the roads and saw lots of animals. I had my mind set on what I wanted my buck to look like so we kept driving and hunting.  Finally when the fog started to clear we saw this buck come down from a hillside.  We let him come in and settle down. Then I set up my shooting sticks and took a shot at 150 yards, hit him perfect in the shoulder and he ran about 60 yards.  When I found him he ended up being a lot bigger than I thought he was!  My biggest buck so far! 

 I think she was pretty excited.

Congrats on your magnificent buck Kayli.  I am happy he was bigger than you thought as lots of mine through the years have suffered from ground shrinkage.  Uncle Ed

The Stoeger M3K 3-Gun Semi-Automatic Shotgun Round Two

 

A couple of months ago I wrote a review on the Stoeger M3K semi-automatic shotgun built for the the sport of 3 gun shooting.  I was so impressed with the gun I handled and reviewed that I ordered one for myself.  I made one major modification and installed the MOA magazine extension so that my firearm now holds 10 rounds or 11 with a ghost round.  After shooting this gun for more than a month with all types of ammo I am convinced this is one of the best tactical shotguns made.  I set mine up for predator hunting even though it would be just fine for birds but I would have to remove the magazine extension or make up a really long plug to bring it to the three shot capability required for dove or duck hunting.

I have fired over 150 rounds through this new shotgun without a single malfunction.  It handled everything from light one ounce loads (even though it is recommended to break it in with heavy loads) to buckshot and maximum high speed trap and sporting clays loads.  It fires so fast that I had to slow down my fire rate just to recover and stay on target.  Ammo to Go sent me some of the new Winchester AA Super Sport Sporting Clays rounds to run through the gun.  This one ounce 3 ½ dram load shoots with amazing speed with the velocity somewhere around 1350 fps.  It absolutely crushed clays when I did my part.  It patterned very well on the target board and the reloadable AA rounds fed through the M3k flawlessly. For those looking for a fast one ounce load for the three gun competition this round should be considered.

 

I bought this gun with two purposes in mind.  Number one was to be a self-defense firearm for the ranch and home if ever needed.  Number two was to be used on hunts for predators where I might need a lot of shots and have to deliver them with speed.  I believe loaded with buckshot this shotgun will make the finest hog or coyote weapon available inside of 75 yards.  If you get a chance to try the Stoeger M3K give it a run, you might find in makes an impression on you just like it did me.  Wild Ed

 

The Yildiz 12 Gauge Folding Shotgun

Right off the bat I thought what a nice looking single shot shotgun.  Even though this Turkish made folding shotgun sells for only $159.99 at Academy Sports it has a nice looking wood stock and silver receiver with some scroll engraving.  The day I was in Academy they had them on the daily hot deal for $129.99.  I am a sucker for bargain guns so one came home with me. This single shot has a 28 inch solid ribbed barrel with a brass bead and modified choke.  The safety is an unmarked manual thumb safety with the forward position being the ready to fire position.  The shotgun breaks open by pulling a lever in front of the trigger guard  which also cocks the firearm. Let me say this gun is light, really light weight. It weighs about half of what my over under weighs. The gun weighs only 4 3/4 pounds and has a three inch chamber.  I don't think I would fire a three inch shell in this gun unless I absolutely had to.  Light dove loads were punishing in this firearm.  I shot about half a box of the new Winchester AA Super Sport Sporting Clays loads provided by Ammo to Go for testing.  They patterned very well and at 1350 fps they reached out and powdered clays with the one ounce load but the recoil of the 3 1/2 dram load in the 4 3/4 pound firearm with no recoil pad was punishing.  I will be shooting these shells next week in a Stoeger M3k race gun and will report more on the load.  As far as this folding lightweight shotgun I would recommend one of the new recoil absorbing recoil pads if you will be shooting it much. 

If you think by now that I don't like this lightweight gun you are very wrong.  I am not going to stand and shoot a round of trap with it but I would like to carry it under the back seat for whenever I need a shotgun.  It will fit into small areas and would make a great survival gun with a few of the different caliber inserts.  It could be carried in a backpack or bug out bag without adding a lot of weight.  All in all it seems a quality made lightweight shotgun for not a lot of money. Mine is folded and under the backseat of the truck. I will be ordering a new recoil pad for it. Wild Ed

PS:  Some of you are going to look at this gun folded and think wouldn't it be neat if the barrel was cut off even with the stock when folded.  Two things stop me from doing this, one is you would lose the modified choke and the other is I would not want to be the one to test fire it because of the weight lost with that extra barrel length.  If any of you cut one down let me know how it works out.

Beauty Kills the Beast

 

In my blog this week I am going to brag a little, not about me my head is big enough already.  I want to tell you about my beautiful niece, Kayli and her recent hunt.  Kayli has grown up around her father, her granddad and me going on hunts, fishing trips and other adventures.  She has listened to us telling the stories over and over.  Kayli has become quite the huntress and has several bow and rifle kills under her belt.  This last week she got to go on a night-time hog hunt with Greg Hein at Hill Top Ranch Exotics out of Copeland, Texas.  She was shooting an AR 10 in .308 with a Pulsar Thermal Scope.  Kayli had made several hunts trying to score on a big hog with good teeth but just could not find the one she wanted to take.  Finally this hog was located and she made the shot.  Congrats on a great hog Kayli.  Besides monster hogs Hill Top Ranch offers hunts for most of the major Texas Exotics.  They are not far from Austin and offer a good hunt opportunity.  You can give Greg a call at 512-844-0252 for more information on the hunts they offer.  Wild Ed

Ammo To Go, Coming Reviews and Other Meanderings

When I started this Blog around ten years ago it was mostly for my grand kids and friends.  It became a way to keep records of some of our life experiences along with being a journal of special hunts and activities.  I never expected it to become an award winning Blog and when it did it became difficult to keep up with the demand for writing articles.  Later I received requests to publish some of my articles in newspapers and magazines and the blog became more and more like work.  The only revenue from the Blog was Google AdSense which sent me a small check once in a blue moon which covered mostly cold drinks or some ammo for a hunt or two.  Google changed the way they calculate earnings and I have had no revenue from the Blog for over a year, they do serve to keep this Blog going and all the articles stored for my readers so I have no gripes.  This blog does not have sponsors or financial support and it gets difficult to get a hold of enough firearms and ammo to do the number of reviews I do on this Blog.  I no longer crank out an article a week but this old rancher will try and keep enough going for those of you that have been loyal readers. 

Most of my friends and relatives know that if they get a new gun they will have to let me review it.  When I have visitors that come on a hunt or shoot I always ask to shoot their guns and interview them about it so I can write a review.  I hit Wally World and Academy for all the ammo sales so I can shoot these guns with ammo at least bought on sale to keep the expenses down.  Imagine my surprise when I got an email from Maggie at Ammo To Go saying that she had read my latest review of the Stoeger M3K shotgun and would I like to review the new Winchester AA Super Sport Sporting Clays 12 gauge one ounce load.  I told her I would be more than happy to do so as I had reviews on two 12 gauge shotguns and one .357 revolver I was working on as time permits.  Two days later I had a package delivered at the front gate of the ranch by UPS.  Manna from heaven as they say, there were 8 boxes of 12 gauge Winchester AA shells along with three boxes of PMC .357 cartridges.  One day after delivery I got an email from Scott at the customer service department asking if my shipment had arrived and if everything was in order. If this is normal, customer service is alive and well at this Texas based company.  I will be reviewing this ammo along with a follow up on my very own Stoeger M3k, the MOA shotgun magazine extension tube, the Yildiz 12 gauge folding single shot shotgun and the Uberti El Patron Cowboy Mounted Shooting model revolver in .357 magnum. I wanted you to know in advance so you can watch for the reviews and so you could check out Ammo To Go as they have weekly specials.  They also have a good Blog page with lots of shooting information at The Lodge. Tell them Wild Ed sent you.