Passport to Texas

Not boar, but another wild game treat: Marinated, grilled venison loin from one of the Central Market Wild Game Cooking Classes; photo by Cecilia Nasti

Hunt | Food: Cheffing it up with Jack Gilmore Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Hunters call them feral pigs. Chefs call them wild boars. Names don’t matter as long as the end result is delicious.

03—We use wild boar for a lot of chilis and things like that.

Feral pigs cause millions of dollars in damage to cropland in Texas, and destroy wildlife habitat, too. Hunting and eating these animals can help control their populations.

Chef and restaurateur, Jack Allen Gilmore, serves game at his namesake restaurants in Austin and Round Rock, and says cooking wild boar offers challenges and rewards.

29—You really can’t write a recipe for it, because each time it’s different because it’s wild. It might be a little gamier, or a little fatty – or it may not have enough fat in it. You really have to be a chef again and say: ‘Well, if it doesn’t have enough fat in it, we could add bacon to it. If it has too much fat in it, we have to render it.’ You never know what a wild boar eats. You just don’t know. But, if they’re raised in the Hill Country, you know they’re eating persimmons; you know they’re eating acorns; you know they’re eating pretty good. But, sometimes you just have to realize what you’ve got and make it taste good.

When you are a hunter you can harvest your own organic, sustainable meat. Learn more about hunting in Texas on Texas Parks and Wildlife website; and check out our wild game recipes, too.

That’s our show for today… Funding provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Freshly caught Black Drum, photo by Cecilia Nasti

Fishing | Food: Reel in Your Own Fish for Ultimate Freshness Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

When you get tired of turkey leftovers, maybe you can find a fishing hole and reel in something tasty during your Thanksgiving break. Chef Cindy Haenel says there’s nothing like catching your own dinner.

09—It’s fabulous. I know exactly how old that fish is, when it came out of the water and how long it’s been dead. And that’s important with fish especially. Fresh is always best.

Cindy is a chef instructor at Central Market in Austin. She and her husband Ken are avid anglers.

08—I love the saltwater as well as freshwater. But the saltwater you have more variety. You never know what you’re going to pull up. It’s exciting – like Christmas morning.

Immediately put your catch on ice, and if there’s a cleaning station on shore, consider doing the dirty work there. Chef Cindy says be careful not to overcook your fresh fish.

22—Most people, if they don’t like the taste of fish, it’s probably because they’ve overcooked it. And, as it cooks, and the oil of the fish starts to come out of the flesh, it burns very, very quickly. So, if you will undercook your fish, or protect that fish with either a salt crust, or even if it just has a little butter, or some kind of fat on the outside it still protecting that fish while it’s cooking.

Find game and fish recipes on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website. And, we invite you to follow us on Twitter; we’re @passporttotexas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

America’s Test Kitchen’s Christopher Kimball

Food: America's Test Kitchen's Christopher Kimball on Wild Game Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Christopher Kimball, host of America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country on PBS TV, is a hunter in his home state of Vermont. But don’t expect to see much wild game cookery on his shows.

18—Years ago, I had a photograph of me holding up two or three rabbits that I had shot – because I do a lot of rabbit hunting in the winter. America Public Television distributes our show, and I think they sent out a warning indicating the stations may want to gray out that particular photograph. So, most people are not prepared for that, probably.

Some people are prepared, though – and ready to become hunters.

04—You see more women hunting now than you did. And, I think in certain parts of the country there’s more of it.

Kimball says if you plan to cook game, you must know the optimal cooking methods for each type of meat.

32—The tough, dark meat you braise slowly – like the back legs of the rabbit. But, the very lean tenderloin – or backstrap – that gets cooked in about five minutes. Some of that meat you can barely cook – like the tenderloin of a deer. You don’t want to cook it much over medium rare. But, if you have other cuts of meat that are tougher and really need a long, slow cooking – you really have to think about the cuts that way, because game meat isn’t fatty. And actually, that’s why they larded it. And I’ve done it – larded venison –because it needed the fat. It’s not like a 300 pound pig that’s got a lot of fat in it.

Learn to become a hunter in Texas, and find game recipes, on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Award Winning Texas Parks and Wildlife PBS TV Series

TPW TV: Competitive Angling Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Size, strength and speed…important attributes for most high school athletes; unless, of course, the sport is fishing.

06— You don’t have to be the biggest kid or tallest kid or the most athletic kid to be a bass fisherman. It’s all about your knowledge.

Colt Anderson is half of a competitive high school fishing duo; Jonathan Gray is his teammate.

09— It’s kind of like playing golf a little bit to where you have different tools and you have to adapt to the conditions. You can never become perfect at fishing, and that’s a cool thing because you can always improve.

Another factor that makes competitive high school fishing a great sport is young women can also participate – like Marinna Collins and Mia Sartor – the only female team at a recent tournament at Lake LBJ.

10—It’s hard being the only girl team out there. We’re going to represent. This is my first year, so I am a little scared, but, you
just have to relax. Chill. Just go with it.

View a segment about competitive high school fishing teams the week of November 30 on the TPW PBS TV series. Check your local listings.

14—Ooh. I think that’s the furthest I’ve cast yet. [giggles] That felt good. It’s really cool being in this club because you get to
meet a lot of different people. And, we’re all like one big family – and that’s really good to have friends you can be really close
with.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Old time Christmas at Texas Historic Sites

Holidays: Christmas at Parks & Historic Sites Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Spend time with family and friends at a Texas state park or historic site this holiday season.

06—Christmas in parks is huge. We’ve got a ton of events and they cross all sorts of activity levels.

Thomas Wilhelm, with state parks, says there are 60 different Christmas themed events this year.

19—We’ve got decorating your campsite and driving through the park and seeing the decorated campgrounds. We’ve got historical events happening in our historic homes and farms, where they’re decorated for the time period. We’ve got hiking with Santa Claus… reading of traditional Christmas stories. All sorts of activities.

Get a head start on the holidays with Cookie Decorating and German Traditions Nov. 29 at LBJ State Park. December 6, enjoy an exhilarating hike to the summit of Enchanted Rock, where hikers will hear an inspired reading of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Yet, one of the most beautiful events is at Goliad State Park.

19—Throughout the month of December, you’ll see the park bathed in light for Christmas. But, December 6 they have their Christmas concert in the chapel. [It’s a] mixture of sacred and secular music. It’s very beautiful. The Beeville Community Choir comes in and does a great presentation that really moves you into that spirit of the holidays.

Find holiday events and download a seasonal events brochure at texasstateparks.org/holidays.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.