Venison

Deer Tongue Tacos

If you only know one deer tongue recipe, this should be it: Mexican tacos de lengua. Works with any decent-sized tongue.

Mexican

Green Enchiladas

Traditional New Mexico green chile enchiladas filled with dove meat. Easy, really good - and you can sub in any meat if you want.

Wild Game

Wild Turkey Leg Carnitas

Quite possibly the best thing to make with wild turkey drumsticks and wings, which can be really tough and stringy. Braise them slowly until the meat falls off the bone, then pull the meat, crisp it and serve it in tacos or burritos.

Mexican

Chocolomo: Fire in a Stew

Chocolomo. I just love saying the name. It's a Mexican stew made with beef or venison, and it is amazing. The flavor is so deep and rich you just want to keep eating it. The secret? Char. There's a whole lotta blackening going on here, and the result is a revelation.

Mexican

Chile Poblano Rellenos

Classic Oaxacan chiles rellenos, made with dove meat in the picadillo filling. This was so worth the effort! And you can do this recipe with pretty much any meat you have on hand.

Mexican

Mexican Salsa Verde

I am lucky enough to have feral little tomatillos grow in my garden, and so each year I make a big batch of Mexican tomatillo salsa verde. I eat some fresh, but the rest I can for the winter. This is a canning-safe recipe.

Mexican

Fish Tacos

If you live in California, this is a baseline fish recipe with most anglers. Everyone has a personal version of it, and pretty much anything you catch will work in a fish taco, although I used halibut here. My version uses a little salsa verde and avocado.

Venison

Dzik, Venison Yucatan

This is a bit like venison barbacoa, but this version, from the Yucatan in southern Mexico, is so zippy it's just as good eaten as a cold salad. Either way, this is an excellent recipe for a front shoulder, neck or roast.

Mexican

Pozole Verde

Pozole is a classic Mexican soup, and like many Mexican dishes, it comes in red and green. I like both, but this is the green version I make with pheasant or wild pig, hominy, tomatillos, green chiles and avocado. Damn good use for pheasant legs, if I say so myself.

Mexican

Mexican Albondigas en Chipotle

If you've read this space for very long, you know how much I love meatballs. One reason is because pretty much every nation makes them. This is a Mexican classic, albondigas al chipotle. Yep. chipotle venison meatballs, baby!

Venison

Venison Tacos

Grilled venison tacos. Yeah, baby. This is summer comfort food at its best. Venison backstrap or flank steak grilled medium-rare, sliced thin and piled onto tortillas and all kinds of accompaniments. Who doesn't love taco night?

Preservation Recipes

Smoked, Roasted and Preserved Jalapenos

This is one of the most awesome things I've ever made: Jalapenos, fire-roasted, then smoked, then preserved with a little vinegar and oil. Put that on a taco and you will absolutely not be sorry!