The Huntavore

On this Episode of Huntavore, Nick attempts to give some credit to the Venison Mid-Shoulder

Roast. Between the blade and the shank, this primal cut is a BBQer and Stew maker's dream.

However, it can get overlooked, but longer is going to be the last cut out of the freezer. Get

your smokers lit, and your humerus roasts thawed for an in depth episode of Huntavore.

In this episode of Huntivore, Nick discusses the overlooked but versatile venison mid shoulder

roast. He highlights its value as a barbecue and stew cut and explores various cooking

methods. Nick shares his plans to smoke and shred the mid roasts, as well as ideas for using

them in dishes like sandwiches and hand pies. He emphasizes the tenderness and flavor that

can be achieved with this cut, making it a great option for barbecues and hearty stews.

Takeaways

The venison mid shoulder roast is an underrated cut that offers versatility and value.

It is ideal for barbecuing, smoking, and making hearty stews.

The mid roast has a unique bone structure that adds flavor and holds the meat together.

It can be easily shredded and used in dishes like sandwiches and hand pies.

The mid roast requires a shorter cooking time compared to other cuts, making it a convenient

option for quick meals.

Show Partners:

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On this episode of Huntavore, Nick is joined by newcomer to Sportsmen’s Empire, Brian

Halbleib of the Migration Waterfowl Podcast. Nick is a novice waterfowler but does love a

quality prepared duck or goose. Nick probes Brian about some details around getting on birds.

For waterfowlers, their pursuit can be as addicting as whitetails, Brain shares some of what he's

doing during the offseason. To finish up the conversation, Nick gets into Brian’s favorite dishes,

including an orange duck and smoked waterfowl pastrami. Warm up those calls, strap on the

waders for a waterfowl special on Huntavore.

Brian Halbleib of the Migration Waterfowl Podcast, joins the show and discusses waterfowl

hunting. They talk about the different types of waterfowl, the logistics of setting up a hunt, and

the process of cleaning and preparing the birds. Brian shares his passion for waterfowl hunting

and the year-round dedication it requires. They also touch on the importance of scouting and

understanding the different species of ducks. Overall, the conversation provides insights into the

world of waterfowl hunting and the enjoyment it brings. The guys discuss various aspects of

cooking and preparing duck. They talk about the different cuts of duck, the flavor and richness

of wood ducks, the importance of plucking the birds, and the potential of the legs and thighs.

They also discuss different cooking methods, such as roasting a whole duck and preparing duck

pastrami. Brian shares his go-to recipe for orange duck and his favorite wood for smoking duck.

They also discuss the upcoming launch of the Migration Waterfowl podcast.

Show Partners:

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On this episode of Huntavore, Nick tells the tale of 4 fellow podcasters meeting in SE Oklahoma

to shoot hogs off a friend’s cattle ranch. Armed to the teeth with firearms, and truck beds full of

coolers, the short 4 day adventure came with just as many stories, as it did pounds of meat. So

buckle up for some storytelling and maybe a few pointers on DIY pork processing on this

episode of Huntavore.

Three Northwoods boys; Nate Rozeveld, Andrew Muntz, and Nick Otto go on a hunting trip to

Oklahoma to hunt wild hogs. They join John Hudspeth of the Oklahoma Outdoorsman podcast

on his family ranch, where hogs have been causing issues. The hogs infiltrate the cattle

feeders, push calves off the feeders, root in open grass areas, and compete with deer for

feeders. The group goes on blind hunts and uses thermal scopes to track and shoot the hogs.

They successfully harvest several hogs, but also experience some missed shots and wounded

hogs. Overall, the trip is a mix of adventure, camaraderie, and the pursuit of turning unwanted

hogs into food.

The second half of the show focuses on the process of transporting and processing pigs after a

hunting trip. Discussing the equipment used, such as a Sawzall and boning knives, and the

steps taken to field dress and cool the pigs. Also talk about breaking down the pigs into quarters

and storing them in coolers with ice. Nick shares his plans for using the different cuts of meat,

including making bacon, ribs, roasts, ham, and pulled pork.

Show Partners:

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In this episode of Huntavore, Nick is on a wild ride of life, work, and family. Spring Break is around the corner, and plans to put more pork away is coming up fast. For many of us who have spring hunts and future bounty to store, consolidating and organizing our freezers is a must. Is it by species, or is it muscle specific? How to handle odd shaped cuts? Can I make accessing specific pieces easier? These are all questions that are covered on this episode of Huntavore.

After a winter’s worth of rummaging, Nick’s freezers are in disarray. Needing some organization and some consolidation as his bounty is between 3 freezers. To the average hunter this may not be the most fun topic, but to anyone who puts multiple animals up each year, having a system to organize your wildgame is pretty important. Nick is also going to be adding more wild pork so bringing inventory from 3 freezers into 2 is needed to make room. Full freezers are cold freezers, being more efficient at keeping temps low and in turn keeping meat frozen solid. Batch cooking is also a great way to put odd cuts like shanks and shoulders into uniform packaging. Nick made a large batch of barbacoa and carnitas just to freeze into vac bags. Nothing is better than a thaw cook and serve meal with wild game.

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‍

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On this episode of Huntavore, Nick takes his expertise to Wild Turkey. Coming from the domestic poultry world, Nick breaks down getting the most yield through some systematic steps. Nick stays in the processing lane, not getting too distracted by recipes quite yet, he lays out gutting, aging, plucking, and processing the bird. Not just into a whole finished bird, but into several broken down variations; spatchcocked, halved, parts and pieces, and even a 50/50 white meat dark meat ground turkey. Lots of Talkin Turkey on this episode of Huntavore. In this conversation, Nick Otto discusses various topics related to springtime foraging and hunting, including fiddleheads, nettle shoots, morels, wild hogs, and turkey hunting. He emphasizes the importance of utilizing the whole turkey and provides eight steps for maximizing the usage of the bird. These steps include shooting the bird, gutting or evisceration, aging the bird, plucking the feathers, removing the crop, hanging and drying, plucking the wings and legs, and removing the tail feathers. Nick discusses the importance of taking care around wound areas and provides tips for plucking the bird. He then covers spatchcocking the bird, parting out the turkey, and using the half bird. Finally, he emphasizes the versatility and deliciousness of ground turkey.

Hank Shaw’s Article on Aging Birds: https://honest-food.net/on-hanging-pheasants-2/

Marinated Turkey Tenderloin Recipe: https://sportsmensempire.com/blog/recipe-marinated-wild-

turkey-tenderloins

Show Partners:

Tappecue Meat Probes

Instagram: @tappecue

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On this episode of Huntavore, Nick climbs out of a winter funk. Living absent of sunlight for what seems like forever, running from practices to games, having little time to cook meals. Family living off fast food for a week did not sit well. Time to shake things up and get wildgame back into his everyday diet. Creating sliceable roasts for the purpose of making sandwiches brought back excitement. Let's take control of our deli choices, on this episode of Huntavore.

Nick discusses his busy schedule, the joy of being outdoors, the challenges of eating out, and the importance of homemade meals. He also announces the launch of his YouTube channel and shares his excitement for making sandwiches using homemade sourdough bread and various meats, including venison. He highlights the cost savings and quality control of making cold cuts at home. He covers various methods of preparing and cooking venison, turkey, and ham for use in sandwiches. The host discusses dry brining and seasoning the meat, cooking it in the oven or smoker, and the importance of controlling temperature. He also explains the process of curing ham and using cure for cold cuts. The conversation concludes with tips on slicing the meat thinly for sandwiches and making pinwheels and roll-ups as alternative sandwiches. Why does lunch have to be boring?

Show Partners:

Tappecue Meat Probes

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On this episode of Huntavore, Nick is joined by James Zandstra of The Fair Chase Podcast.

This past fall, James went on an epic adventure, hunting a Moose in BC, Canada. On top of

that, determined to bring the whole moose back to his own freezer here in Michigan, all by

driving. While finding and shooting the moose was one way up the mountain, getting the prize

back home is the way down. If you are thinking about a bountiful long distance meat hunt, then

this is the episode for you. Lots of heavy hauling on this episode of Huntavore.

James shares his experience of hunting moose in British Columbia. He discusses the

preparations he made for the hunting season and the planning involved in going on a moose

hunt. James also talks about the challenges of transporting the moose meat back home and the

process of processing the moose. He shares an exciting encounter with a grizzly bear and

reflects on the overall hunt. James concludes by recommending future hunts and the joy of

sharing the moose meat with others. James discusses his experience making sausage from

deer meat and shares his recipe. He also talks about his love for charcuterie and recalls a

memorable podcast episode with a charcuterie board. James then mentions his involvement in

creating hunting memes and his use of a recurve bow.

Takeaways: Proper planning and preparation are essential for a successful hunting season.

Transporting and processing the meat after a hunt can be challenging but rewarding.

Encounters with wildlife, such as grizzly bears, add excitement and adventure to the hunting

experience. Sharing the meat with others is a fulfilling way to enjoy the fruits of a successful

hunt. Making sausage from wild game meat can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience.

Charcuterie boards can be a creative and impressive way to showcase homemade cured

meats. Creating hunting memes can be a fun way to engage with the hunting community on

social media. Using a recurve bow adds an extra challenge and enjoyment to hunting.

Show Partners:

Tappecue Meat Probes

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On this episode of Huntavore, Jeff Benda joins us from North Dakota for a great conversation on Butchering animals for the freezer. We dive into two schools of thought, whole muscle vs pre-cut freezing. Nick and Jeff also go off on a few tangents about freezing cuts in a marinade for quicker meat to meal transition. The guys finish up on some soup ideas for warming you up in the dead of winter. Trying to shorten the time between deep freeze and delicious on this  episode of Huntavore.

Jeff is a returning guest on the podcast. Hailing from North Dakota, wildgame is a passion of his. Versed in a whole number of species, Jeff has compiled a whole range of recipes, taking full advantage of the wild harvest. Nick asks how his past year has gone, and Jeff doesn’t disappoint. He was given a 24 hour window in Montana, and ends up putting down two deer, and is able to get them gutted and back home. A real testament to meat-hunters. The guys turn to two schools of thought; whole muscle vs pre-cut. Cutting whole cuts into steaks, or pre portioned packages is a great way to get to the meal quickly. However, you are locked into whatever pre-determined dish you were thinking of. Whole muscle is quicker at the butcher block and offers a variety of directions to prepare the cut, the flip side is that more work needs to happen coming out of the freezer. A balance of the two can offer the best of both worlds.

Jeff and Nick also discuss the idea, or packaging a pre-cut muscle or even a whole muscle in a marinade and then freezing it. Jeff says it should work, but maybe avoid citrus or anything very acidic. To finish out the episode, Nick asks Jeff about some soup ideas and again, Jeff doesn’t leave us wanting. A Venison Ravioli soup sounds tops a cold winter night.

Link for Venison Ravioli Soup: https://wildgameandfish.com/venison-ravioli-soup/

Link to Recipes: www.wildgameandfish.com

Show Partners:

Tappecue Meat Probes

Instagram: @tappecue

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On this episode of Huntavore, Nick is joined by Joseph Jones, the creator of the youtube channel Outdoors in Color. Joseph has gone about capturing his passions for both the outdoors, being a sportsman, and also being a father. Our talk has Joseph getting into why he captures his hunts on video, he replays a recent epic hunt for black bear, and how he enjoys bringing new members into the hunting fraternity. Per usual we end in the kitchen, where he breaks down his shareable meat treat and date night dish. A whole lot of fun on this episode of Huntavore.

Joseph Jones resides in North Carolina. He is in a great spot to be an outdoorsman. Literally a couple hours from the mountains, or a couple hours in the other direction to the ocean. Joe talks about his achievements in 2023. One he’s really proud of, is his oldest son getting his first unassisted deer. Being taught by his father, and now passing his knowledge to his boys is pretty cool. His channel reflects that feeling as well. Outdoors in Color is partially about he and his kids, sharing memories and at the same time, showing how accessible hunting can be. Going on the cheap, with big box store gear is still a great way to get out there. Joe is a real champion of being able to get started on their first adventures. He makes it a goal to meet new people and take them hunting, and at the sametime, go out on a limb himself and seek people who will take him on new adventures. His recent fall adventure was going on a black bear hunt, where he ends up 5 yards from the Bear, in thick reeds! We finish out talking about how jerky is his go-to meat treat to share, and braised shanks for date night.

If you have enjoyed this, you can find Joe at: www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorsincolor

Show Partners:

Tappecue Meat Probes

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On this episode of Huntavore, Nick is joined by Justin Spruiell of the Armed Forces Initiative of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. Justin is a volunteer who dedicates his time toward his passion for the outdoors and being able to explore the amazing landscapes of our public lands. Not only are the lands important but Justin shares my passion for wild harvests becoming amazing table fare, He gives details on an incredible dish for ducks. One heck of a great conversation on this episode of Huntavore.

So often in the Armed Forces, we hear about the strain on mental health. The obvious being combat and active fighting, yet the isolation and distance from loved ones can be daunting. I will be the first to acknowledge that I have no understanding of this. My guest Justin Spruiell does. He served as military police in several places, one in particular was Germany, where through a traumatic event, he found a way to get off base and fish some of the amazing rivers in Europe. Fast forward to now he works for BHA/AFI. Connecting veterans and active members with the outdoors in a recreational, mission oriented atmosphere. BHA has seen how this initiative has grown so quickly that the Armed Forces will soon have their own Chapter here in 2024. Being familiar in fatigues, and with an apron, Justin flexes his small game/waterfowl muscles on a Korean style duck dish sure to get any waterfowler excited. 

You can find out more about BHA/AFI at:

https://www.backcountryhunters.org/armed_forces

https://www.instagram.com/bha_afi/

Show Partners:

Tappecue Meat Probes

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