Miracle Venison Meatloaf

Taste of the Wild from Outdoor News

Miracle Venison Meatloaf

Contributor Eileen Clarke says, “I, like a lot of people, love meatloaf. But it is the topping – and you might call it the icing on the cake – that makes it so good.”

With this recipe, Eileen suggests that you go ahead and double or quadruple this simple recipe but only cook one pound of the meatloaf in each loaf pan to maintain the higher glaze-to-meatloaf ratio.

What goes with meat loaf? Eileen said to pair with her richly flavored Red on Red Coleslaw with hot meatloaf for dinner, or layer it with cold meatloaf on a lightly toasted hard roll with slices of leftover meatloaf as shown in the photo here.

COOKING

1. In a large bowl, beat the egg, then add the salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and marjoram, mix them together, then add the sour cream. Press out any lumps of sour cream so that it’s completely blended. Set that aside.

2. In a food processor, pulse the slices of bread, pour them into another bowl and set aside. Now pulse the onion, carrot and celery until minced, pour that into a 3rd bowl. Add the mushrooms to the processor, pulse until minced, and put in a 4th bowl with the minced garlic.

3. In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and add the minced onion, celery and carrots. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until the veggies turn very brightly colored then begin to darken at the edges. Open a space in the center of the pan, add the rest of the butter, and sauté the mushrooms and garlic for about 3 minutes, or until you can smell the earthiness of the mushrooms. Stir the mushrooms and garlic into the rest of the veggies, turn off the heat and let that cool.

4. Combine the meat, cooled sautéed veggies, egg and Worcestershire mixture. Mix well and put in a loaf pan. Level the top, then stir the glaze ingredients together and spoon that across the top of the meatloaf. Cover tightly with foil and let it sit in the fridge overnight. This gives salt time to work on the ground meats, and gives the meatloaf a bit more of a bonded sausage-type texture. 36-48 hours is even better.

5. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, covered, then remove the foil and bake another 20 to 25 minutes uncovered. It is done when a meat thermometer reads 175F.

FOR THE SLAW

1. Combine the mayo, honey mustard, apple cider vinegar and celery salt in a large bowl. Add red cabbage, red onion and carrots. Mix, then cover and chill until you’re ready to eat.

INGREDIENTS

MEATLOAF (makes 1 pound)

1 large egg

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon dry leaf marjoram

2 tablespoons sour cream

8 ounces ground venison (no added fat)

8 ounces ground pork shoulder

2 slices bread (or whatever gives you 1½ cups bread crumbs)

½ yellow onion

¼ cup carrot

Eileen Clarke

¼ cup celery

1 cup mushrooms (common button ones work)

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons butter, in all

GLAZE

⅓ cup ketchup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

RED ON RED CABBAGE SLAW (makes 1 quart)

½ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons honey mustard

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

½ teaspoon celery salt (optional)

4 cups sliced red cabbage

½ red onion, sliced thin

2 medium carrots, shredded

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

Eileen Clarke has written several cookbooks featuring techniques ranging from sausage making to wild game preparation, along with recipes like this one. Order at www.riflesandrecipes.com or call 406-521-0273. Outdoor News readers receive 25% off Eileen’s cookbooks by entering NEWS in the coupon box at checkout.

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Find more game and fish recipes at outdoornews.com/cooking

Photo and recipe by Eileen Clarke