Editor’s note:
Tarra’s recipe is scrumptious. I must add that ground meat from pretty much any game animal will work with this recipe and what better way to use some of the lesser cuts of an animal than by grinding it up, and putting it to good use in a fabulous recipe?
I use the shoulder meat off my larger game animals and all the scrap cuts from roasts, steaks or other portions that did not come out just like I wanted them to put in the “grind” pile. An electric grinder is a great investment for any hunter that takes large game. Grinders are available from the big sporting good stores as well as online.
Be sure to get a grinder that matches your needs. If you do one deer a year or maybe two, then a smaller grinder will work out. Anything more, then take the time to get a larger grinder. You will be glad you did when you have a pile of meat sitting there. I cut my grind time in half by upsizing and now we go through our meat pile in a flash.
By Tarra Stoddard
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound of ground deer meat
- 2 dried Ancho Chiles, stemmed & seeded
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 chopped yellow onion
- 5 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1/4 kosher salt
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- 2 tablespoons no-salt tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups (8 ounces) pre-shredded, 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
- 3 thinly sliced green onions, divided
- Cooking spray
- 12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
- 6 tablespoons light sour cream
Preparation:
Hands-on 55 minutes
Total 1 hour 10 minutes
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cook your ground deer in saucepan.
3. Combine chiles and water in saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes. Drain chiles in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
4. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add onion; sauté 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium; add garlic and salt. Cook 5 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Add broth and next 3 ingredients (through cumin); cook 8 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
5. Pour onion mixture into blender; add chiles and resume liquid. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in lid. Blend until smooth; stir in lime juice and red pepper.
6. Combine the beans, 1 cup cheese, and half the green onions in a bowl. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch glass dish coated with cooking spray. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon 3 tablespoons bean mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam-side down, in prepared dish. Pour remaining sauce over filled tortillas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with remaining green onions; serve with sour cream on the side.
(h/t Great American Wildlife)