Seared Asian Sesame Style Tuna
This is the easiest dish to make, and it drives me crazy to know that some people pay 20 bucks for this dish. This is an excellent way to impress your friends with fresh tuna from the ocean.
First thing you need is the Asian Sesame bread crumbs. You can get this in an Asian market, but you can also get it at Safeway.
Get your pan going on medium high heat. I take the tenderloin and cut them into 1/2 steaks, or medallions if you will. Then I dredge them (no water, no egg wash).
Add olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon of butter, and lay them in the pan but do not over crowd them.
Sear both sides for about two minutes. You may want to do a test run with one piece to assure you do not over cook. You should serve medium rare, so do not over cook them. We used 1/2 cup of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of Wasabi paste for dipping sauce.
It is the easiest dish you can prepare. You can serve it as a meal on a bed of salad, it’s light and it’s healthy.
Enjoy
Hunting Chef
How to Clean a Tuna
Catching Tuna off the Oregon Coast can be the most exhilarating 30 minutes once you find them that you can have in a boat. The last time we fished in Cabo, we had 29 in less than 30 minutes. When the bite is over, the boat is a mess, your arms ache and you think….”Wow, it is over.” However, this is where ALL the work begins.
This is what I know, there may be a better way, but after doing this throughout the years this is the fastest for me. I am always open to good suggestions, because I learn as I go.
First thing you need to know about cleaning tuna
1. If you roll in with a ton of them, pay the people working the docks 4 bucks a fish to clean them for you. Best 100 bucks you will ever spend.
2. If you are not that smart, get a lot of towels for the butchering process because you will need them.
3. Have sharp filet knives.
Lay the head of the tuna on a towel to keep it from slipping around when you’re butchering it. Take your filet knife and run it from the tail down the bottom of the fish past the front fin of the fish. Do not go too deep, I did it a little deep so you can see the cuts. Only cut into the skin a quarter of an inch. Then run it up behind the side fin to the top and forward of the fin to the top of the spine.
Make sure you do not cut too deep because later you will have to pull the skin back.
Then bring the incision back towards the tail. The outer layer of skin will then need to be pulled back. If the fish is not on ice and not very cold you may have to use your knife to aid in this process. Use a towel and go to the front of the fish up by the spine and gently make a cut to shave the skin back a few inches. Take a towel and grab that skin and use your other hand to push on the fish as you pull.
Then make a deep cut on the spin on the lower or upper end of the tenderloin, doesn’t matter which order. You can run your fingers down the spine to free the fish. NEVER RUN YOUR HAND UP towards the head because the spine bones will pierce your skin. Remove each tenderloin.
Remove both tenderloins and flip fish over and do the process over again. You should have four when you are completed with your butchering task.
Do not wash your fish, you want to gently cut any blood colors or dark colors to the fish. Next tip, take a paper towel and clean your work station before the next fish so you do not get scales on your cleaned tuna loins.
You can look to my past blogs on how to can tuna. That takes about 3 hours for every 24 cans you make. It is a long process. We also made some great meals with the tenderloin which is coming to the blog very soon. This is a long process of love and every year Grover and I look at each other like….why are we doing this? Truth be known, once you have your owned canned Tuna you will never touch store-bought again.
Hunting Chef
Elk Burgers with blue cheese and peperoncinis
I am always looking for the next burger recipe. In America, the reigning champion of all ordered main staples meals is the Ole Mighty Hamburger rivaling the second place Pizza. A friend of mine, Steve Nelson gave me his recipe that he swears by and on a golf course he took 3 holes to explain his exact technique. His called for about 2 pounds of cheese so I moderated it a little so I could live a few extra years. It is a simple blend and is very good and had great reviews. My only complaint was that I made the patty to big, but when I looked again the burger was gone.
- 2 pounds of elk burger
- 1/2 cup of peperoncinis
- 1/2 cup of crumbled blue cheese
- 1 tablespoon of good teriyaki sauce
- 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
Followed by the blue cheese into your mixer, you can also do this by hand.
Then add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix well.
Then the best part, make your patties. Remember elk is going to get thicker how you cook it, so a 3/4 inch burger will grow as you will see.
You can barbecue them or you can fry them in a cast iron skillet. Just make sure that you do not over cook them. Cook them to Medium rare, or 145 degrees. They will continue to cook as you let them sit to build your burger. I usually use my finger and push on the meat. If it feels like the lower flesh of my hand below my thumb in the palm it is perfect.
As you all know my wife does not let me bake in the house. Because when she gets home it looks like a flour grenade went off in the kitchen. So here is a BIG tip, find your favorite hamburger joint that serves the best buns and go in and buy them. I bought a dozen from Fuddruckers for less than five bucks and they are delicious.
These have a lot of flavor. I let people make their decision on what to add to their burger as far as sauce. I use this one for elk burgers.
- 1/4 cup Ketchup
- 1 tablespoon of horseradish
- 1/4 cup stone mustard
- dash of Worcestershire sauce
Mix well and add a dollop to the burger.
The next pictures are of them dislocating their jaws like pythons to take a bite.
Dave has a different technique.
I always add a thick slice of tomato and some good cheese to my burgers.
Another way to make this burger is the old fashion way with toast. In this case I really try to get that burger as then as I can. I also use American cheese because it binds so well. Most of the best burgers use good American cheese on their burgers and it is the best. Check this one out. If this doesn’t make you hungry I do not know what will.
I really like this burger mix and thank my friend Steve for sharing it. Here is the last shot of my daughter who is leaving for BSU next month. I told her that she is going to have to go elk hunting with me next year to put meat in her own freezer to get thru college. She smiled and said “That is a great idea dad”.
Hunting Chef
Shrimp and Pork Pot Stickers
I am always looking for different way to cook wild game. My oldest daughter had been bugging me about making pot stickers, so I waited until she left for the weekend and tried them. They were great Megan, sorry you were not here to enjoy them. I did not use wild game on this first outing, but I plan on using duck, elk, and anything else I can creatively come up with that may taste well and work. Endless possibilities…
Shrimp and Pork Pot Stickers
Makes 24 dumplings
For Filling
- 1/2 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
- 1/4 lb ground pork
- 4 rinsed canned whole water chestnuts, cut into 1/4 inch diced
- 3/4 cups chopped green onions
- 2 tsp of minced peeled fresh ginger (FRESH)
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp of hot asian oil (also called Mongolian fire oil) not too hot, don’t worry.
- 1 tsp of sesame oil
For Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp of water
For forming and pan-frying
- 24 round dumpling or gyoza wrappers
- 1 tbsp of peanut oil
- 1/3 cup of warm water
In your work station, you will need your filling you just pulsed, dumpling wrapper, a plate, bowl of your water, and another tray for your finished product.
Take a dumpling and put it on your work plate and dip your finger into the bowl of water and lightly wet the outside of the wrapper.
Then take one tablespoon of your filling and put it in the middle of the wrapper.
Then fold the dumpling gently together pressing the seams together. Leave a small opening at each end of the dumpling so gases can release. Make sure to gently press the dumpling slightly onto one side so the dumpling will cook evenly.
I like to take a fork and press the ends just to assure myself that they will not reopen later. I have a problem of stuffing the dumpling with more filling that I probably should. Call it the American way!
Heat the peanut oil in the non-stick skillet over medium heat until hot, then remove from heat and arrange dumplings in a tight circular pattern seam sides up in oil. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until oil sizzles. Drizzle 1/3 cup of water over the pot stickers and cover for 8-10 minutes, I reduced my heat to low when I covered my pan. You never flip the pot stickers! Why they cook I cut up about two stocks of green onions and make the sauce.
This is how I cover my pan, but I get a decent seal.
You can check your pot stickers by gently lifting one end, if they look like they need more water you can always add a couple of tablespoons.
Remove the pan, invert the pan over a plate and the pot stickers will easily pop right onto the plate.
They were pretty darn good and opened Pandora’s box on the endless possibilities of what could be made in these.
I emailed a photo of this to one of my friends and he replied “I think I could eat fifty of those things.”
I hope you enjoy.
Hunting Chef
Jalapeno Poppers stuffed with Blue Cheese Salsa
I was recently accused by a good friend that the only thing I have been making lately is not healthy, except the halibut dish. So I dedicate this one to Erin Storlie, who I am lucky to have as not only a friend, but a key component to making this blog a better site for those of you that work out and like dried chicken baked with no salt, butter, etc. I cannot eat Jalapeño’s because I am allergic to them, but this recipe is for all of you guys and girls out there that are like me and have to take a cholesterol pill.
Jalapeño poppers Makes 12
- 12 fresh jalapeños
- 3/4 cup of grated Cheddar
- 1/2 cup of Blue Cheese
- 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup of plain fine dry bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
- 4 cups of vegetable oil
Cut a lengthwise slit from stem to bottom of each chile, then make a crosswise incision at stem end, forming a T.
Pry open each chile enough to hold back long cuts (to expose the seeds inside), then take a small spoon. I used Mady’s and she wasn’t that excited about that.
Then devein and seed using tip of pairing knife or Mady’s baby spoon.
Stir cheeses together in a bowl, add salsa, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Fill the chiles with cheese mixture, pressing seams closed after filing so the cheese compacted and chile retains its shape.
Lightly beat the eggs in shallow bowl, stir together bread crumbs , oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper in another shallow bowl. I put a nice sheet of parchment paper next to the two bowls in my work station. Dip chiles in egg, letting excess drip off, then coat with bread crumbs, transferring to a work surface. Repeat the process again, coating with egg and crumbs to form a second layer.
Heat two inches of oil to 325 degrees in a medium pot. Fry chiles in 3 batches all over, five to six minutes per batch, stirring occasionally and adjusting temperature in between batches. Keep an eye on the oil temperature. Transfer cooked chiles to a paper towel to drain.
The chiles should be golden brown, and be careful with your tongs not to break off the bread crumbs. I switched to a slotted spoon for removal.
Let cool for 3-5 minutes before serving because they are hot!
This next picture is for my friend Erin.
I could not help myself and had to try a couple of bites. I paid for it later, but it was one of the best Jalapeño poppers I have ever tried. Give it a shot. Do not worry about Erin getting after you about health, she forgot her sign in password to comment on the blog!
See you soon.
Hunting Chef
Sear-Roasted Halibut with Tomato and Capers
This is one of my favorite halibut dishes. However, if you do not like capers, do not make this dish. The capers, along with the balsamic vinegar and cherry tomatoes is what brings this dish and all the complexities together. If you have a cast iron dish you will take the searing to the next level. For all you outdoorsmen out there, this is how you impress your wife.
Serves 4
- 1 pint of cherry grape tomatoes, cut in half.
- 2 tbs. capers, rinsed and chopped
- 1-1/2 Tbs of chopped oregano
- 1-1/2 Tbs of balsamic vinegar
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 1/2 lb. thick skinless halibut filet cut into 4 even pieces
- 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbs of extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced.
Get your engine started and rev it up to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix the tomatoes, capers, oregano, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.
Season the fish with salt and pepper.
Dredge the fish in flour, and shake off any excess. Heat your oil in your pan on medium high to high heat until its shimmering hot then add your fish evenly spaced. Cook them without touching until it browns and releases easily from the pan, you can gently pick up the corners to look, about 3 minutes.
Flip the fish, and sprinkle the garlic around it, and cook until the garlic just starts to brown, about a 45 seconds to a minute.
Pour the tomato mixture around the fish and transfer the skillet to the oven.
Roast until the fish is just firm to the touch and opaque. When you pry open a thicker piece with a paring knife, probably 4-6 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. It should flake gently.
Remove from the oven and plate it and spoon mixture over the fish. If you need a little more balsamic hit it with a dash, but be careful not to over do it.
You can serve this with salad of your choice on the side and you sir will be a rock star and your wife WILL MAKE YOU GO FISHING NEXT TIME. I am teaching you fellas on how to get your wives to kick you out of the house…one dish at a time.
I hope you enjoy it.
Hunting Chef
Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
I have had this on the brain for a while, and finally I saw a recipe in Fine Cooking Magazine that my mother in law bought for me at the airport when she was visiting. I actually had the copy, because…I am a subscriber and I am not ashamed to say that a grown burly outdoorsman like myself reads cooking magazines! I am ashamed to say that I get about 15 different ones a month….
So when Chris said she LOVES biscuits. We made them. Great addition to Fried Chicken y’all.
Ingredients yields 6 to 7 biscuits:
- 9 oz of chilled all-purpose flour, preferably White Lily, more as needed.
- 2 tablespoons of baking powder (preferably Aluminum-Free, such as Rumford.
- 3/4 tsp of kosher salt
- 1/2 cup of cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 pieces, plus two tablespoons of melted butter
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, more for brushing.
First thing you do is chill your food processor blade and a bowl for about 20 minutes in the freezer. Position your center oven rack fans pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Then line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Once the blade is done chilling, pulse the flour, baking powder and salt until combined. Add the cold butter and process with ten-1 second pulses.
The butter should be the size of small peas. Then transfer the mixture to the chilled mixing bowl still in the freezer.
Add the buttermilk, moving your hand, with fingers apart , in circles to incorporate it into the dry ingredients. This is where I flip the %^$@ out. I realize that the Hunting Chef is not a baker and I start getting all frustrated with the consistency of the dough. My Mother in Law, Chris jumps into relieve me and says “Just take the pictures!” Feeling a little inadequate and sort of like a biscuit flunky I stood aside and started snapping photos with my I phone.
Pat and roll the dough into a 1-inch thick square. Using a floured 2.5 inch round biscuit cutter, cut out as many biscuits that you can, dipping the cutter in flour between cuts.
I think my cutter had a dent on one side. No worries they will eat the same.
Brush the tops of the biscuits with butter milk and back until golden-brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and brush with melted butter. Serve Warm
We had a great time making them, and they were DE-LIISH with fresh honey.
Thank you Chris for your strength and leadership in the kitchen.
Hunting Chef
Smoked Chicken and Baby Back Ribs for Fathers Day
I asked my father what he wanted for father’s day he said the same thing he said last year. I want your smoked chicken and your baby back ribs! I put the video on, a year ago on how to do the ribs. This time I am going to talk about smoked chicken. I have done them on the Traeger bbq smoker grill and they turn out great. This year, I am going to use the Big Green Egg for the chickens, and the ribs go on the Traeger.
First the Brine, which my dad calls every month for the directions on how to do it.
Simple Brine
- Boil 3 cups of water, when it is boiling add
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup of salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoons of peppercorns (not necessary, I just like to add things to change it up for dad so he gets confused)
Once the sugar and salt is dissolved, remove and add 3 cups of cold water and some ice to cool it down. Once cooled add your chicken to the pot and make sure the liquid covers your chicken. I do two chickens for this shin dig. I brine for 12-14 hours, make sure to keep cool. If you have no fridge space put a block of ice on it and go to bed. Before you barbecue, wash off chickens and let air dry.
I have to season my ribs and my youngest daughter loves to season meat with her father.
We are almost done, but she knows we have to season both sides.
While My ribs are smoking away, I bring my green egg to 325 degrees. Here is the little trick to keep the chicken meat moist.
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1 teaspoon of garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon of pepper
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of New Mexico or Adobo seasoning
I melt the butter and mix all the ingredients and put into the freezer. I take my fingers and loosen the chicken skin from the top of the bird’s breast if I have them standing up in their chicken stands. I try to get my fingers working the skin from the breast all the way down to the legs. I take the firm butter from the freezer and insert it into the skin all over the bird. Mostly leaving most of it at the top of the bird because it will melt down. I use only 2/3 rds of the butter mixture because I will baste with the rest later. I need to check my ribs.
I sprinkle garlic salt and pepper on the outside of the birds and take them to the BGE BBQ. I put a little foil down to keep any flame up from burning my birds. I control my smoke vents and get the birds smoking at 325 degrees for about an hour. Your temperature gauge that I inserted into the leg of the birds should read around 130-140 degrees. I increase the heat to 350 degrees and once the birds start to hit 150 degrees internally I baste the birds with the left over butter mixture. Pull the birds when they get to 170 degrees and bring them to the butcher block.
I pull my ribs and cut them on the butcher block as I wait for my chicken to cool down.
I cut the chicken up and plate it yelling for dad to come to the table, Mady is still yelling for a Rib.
My daughter is finally happy.
Here is a photo of my father ready to eat his annual Fathers day meal.
My father is 77 years of age, raised 6 kids, was an educator and a psychologist, has written two books, and has eaten 450 ribs, and 321 pieces of chicken. He keeps coming back every year. I fear that when he is old and bed ridden he will make me puree the chicken and rib meat in a food processor and put it into his IV.
Love you dad.
Hunting Chef
Elk backstrap “Chicken Fried” steak with an farm egg
One of my favorite breakfasts in the world is a fried Elk backstrap with a fresh farm egg on top of it. It makes my Sunday morning and reminds me of why I hunt elk as hard as I do. This is easy, and a great way to impress your friends in the morning. If you really want to impress them serve this dish with a Bloody Mary.
Elk Backstrap Chicken Fry Steak with Farm Egg for two
- 4 back strap pieces about 4 oz. each
- 1/2 cup of bread crumbs
- 1 egg (mixed for dipping steaks into)
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 4 eggs to serve
- salt and pepper
Take the elk out and set them on your cutting board. Let sit for about 15 minutes. I take a kitchen mallet and a zip lock bag to pound the meat out. Gently, give the meat a couple of mild whacks to make it thinner. Do not use a sledgehammer or start beating this delicate piece of meat like Thor.
I then season the steaks with sea salt and pepper. Get your skillet going on medium high.
Take two dishes and pour Bread crumbs in one, about 1/2 cup. In the other dish take one egg and beat. Take the elk, dip in egg mixture, then into the bread crumbs and make sure to do both sides of the elk steak.
Add two tablespoons of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and fry until golden brown, roughly 4 minutes on each side.
I like my elk medium rare and see it as a major foul if it is over cooked. So do not let these turn black in the skillet. If it cooks to fast, you can always pull them and finish in the oven at 350 degrees for five minutes. The trick is not to have your skillet to hot. On a gas grill, I always use Medium High. Another tip, is to take your spatula and press down, if too much blood comes out keep cooking. Once done, set aside on a dish and fry up some eggs. I like mine over easy, so I prepare an egg for each backstrap.
You can serve this with hash browns, but I never do. I just want to keep going back to this meat and egg of this dish.
Enjoy your Sunday with your family folks.
Hunting Chef
Halibut Tacos with Green Sauce
One of our favorite things to do is make fresh fish tacos, and as some of you already know…we caught some earlier this week. We had JW coming up to visit from Texas this week and he was screaming on the plane when he was calling me “I LOVE HALIBUT SON, I LOVE IT.” So I said to come on by when he hit town and he could be my Texan Sous chef and I would teach him a little bit about what us Northerner’s cook from the ocean.
As I looked at that piece of fish I kept thinking to myself “Can that be true? I was cleaning the boat while the Brown boys were cleaning and bagging fish.”
Photographs are very interesting, and seem to solve a lot of mysteries. No wonder in the CSI shows there is always a guy running around snapping a million pictures of blood and spent casings.
Looks like I am going to have to put a video security camera up next time. Case closed, lets move on to the recipe. I cut the fish into 1/2 cubes and hit with a little sea salt and pepper.
Then I make my batter and I follow the directions but instead of water I add the beer.
I get the oil going and I use peanut oil, but feel free to use what your preference is. Bring to 350 degrees, as that is coming up to temperature I add the fish to the batter.
Then add them into the pot and make sure they don’t stick to the bottom. It takes about 4-5 minutes and just make sure to move them around and remove them once they are brown.
I would recommend making your green sauce a few hours earlier. My wife’s famous green sauce is what seals the deal on this one. This is great for any fish taco!
Steph’s Green Sauce
- 12 ounce of mayonnaise
- 12 ounce of Sour Cream
- 1 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
- 4 jalapeños seeded then chopped (Feel free to blacken the skin off by broiling, bbq, or your grass grill)_
- 3 avocados seed removed and chopped
- 3 tablespoons of lime juice
Use a food processor and mix it well. Add salt, pepper, or more lime juice to your taste. Every time she makes it she has to adjust it because the jalapeños are always different based on where you get them or the time of year.
JW finally arrives and I put him on the front line.
The Halibut pieces should be removed when brown and put on a paper towel
I get the skillet going, and we prep some sliced red and green cabbage, a little mexican cheese, and some chopped tomatoes. Toss your tortillas on the skillet and heat up.
I like to lay the sauce down first, followed by the fish, slaw, a pinch of cheese, then some chopped tomatoes.
We did a little of JW’s Texas smoked corn on the bbq and this time I made a New Mexico Chili Butter sauce for them that was killer.
I cannot wait to return to the high seas with my Scallywag fish thieving buddies for some more of this bounty.
huntingchef.com 
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