Passport to Texas

Feeding Texans by Sharing the Harvest Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Hunters in Texas harvested close to 600,000 deer, and donated more than 100,000 pounds of venison to Hunters for the Hungry last season.

This comes to us at a very low cost. We estimate it costs only about a dollar per pound to process and distribute this meat throughout our network.

Hunters for the Hungry is a program of Feeding Texas—a statewide association that represents Texas food banks. Celia Cole is the non-profit’s CEO.

We estimate, since its inception two decades ago, that hunters have donated over two-million pounds of meat to feed hungry Texans.

Hunters pay a modest fee to drop off legally harvested, tagged and field dressed animals at participating processors. Processors grind and package the meat and distribute it to local feeding programs.

We’d like to see more hunters and processors involved everywhere. Obviously hunting is more prevalent in certain areas of the state than in others. So, we’re focusing on those areas where there are lots of opportunities.

Help get healthy protein to deserving Texans.

If listeners want to learn more about the program…if they want to find out how to sign up as a processor, find out how to donate, they can come to our website feedingtexas.org. Increasing the number of processors around the state who are enrolled in the program is the key to us being able to grow it in the way that we want to.

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

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Hunters for the Hungry helps feed Texans

Hunters for the Hungry Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Imagine if you didn’t know whether you could feed your family. One in five Texas families don’t have to imagine.

We know that it [hunger] affects children, seniors, people who are chronically unemployed, temporarily unemployed… It’s a really extensive problem that’s affecting every corner of our state.

Celia Cole is the CEO of Feeding Texas—a statewide association that represents Texas’ food banks. Its program, Hunters for the Hungry, allows hunters to donate deer to feed hungry Texans.

It’s a great opportunity for hunters to give back to their communities. It also helps landowners manage their deer population. So, it’s a program that promotes environmental stewardship, at the same time it brings in a badly needed source of protein for the hungry families that we serve.

Hunters donate legally tagged and field-dressed white-tailed or mule deer at participating meat processors.

They contribute a small fee to cover the processing cost. That meal is then processed and distributed to the hunger relief agencies that we serve in that area.

Hunting licenses come with five deer tags. Perhaps earmark one for Hunters for the Hungry, and help provide healthy venison to Texans in need.

We are hopeful that potentially we’ll have hunters going out and doing more hunting, because they know that they now the opportunity to donate in this way.

Find donation details at passporttotexas.org.

The Wildlife Restoration program supports our series.

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

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Copy and paste the  following link into your browser for details about donating a deer to Hunters for the Hungry:

http://www.feedingtexas.org/get-involved/hunt/

Hungry Child by George Hodan

Hunger in Texas and How Hunters can Help Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Food insecurity in Texas is more common than you might think.

It, unfortunately, leaves no county untouched. We know that about one in five families struggle to afford food on a consistent basis.

Celia Cole is the CEO of Feeding Texas (http://www.feedingtexas.org/)—a statewide association that represents Texas’ 21 food banks. The food banks distribute food via its 3-thousand partner agencies

And we support that work and represent them in public policy decisions.

Donations from grocery store chains and the public allow Feeding Texas to provide food to hungry Texans.

And we’re grateful for that. But the foods that are most often requested by the people we serve are protein, dairy and fresh fruit and vegetables. So those are the ones we’re least likely to get donated.

Venison is a healthy wild protein. And, if you plan to hunt this season, consider donating an animal to Feeding Texas’ Hunters for the Hungry program.

This is a program that allows hunters to donate their deer to participating meat processors around the state.

Details tomorrow.

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.

South Texas Antelope, chipotle risotto, grilled okra, espresso red wine reduction; photo courtesy Alcalde Grill, Gonzales, Texas

Scroll down to find a seasonal game recipe from Chef Austin Brown.

Learning to "Play the Game" Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Hunters are beginning to fill their freezers with venison.

07—Most people will make stew out of it or they’ll grind up what’s left over and they’ll make sausage out of it.

Those traditional preparations are tasty, but Chef Austin Brown, owner of the Alcalde Grill in Gonzales challenges home cooks to get out of their comfort zones. And that means not using this common culinary crutch.

15— Get away from the Italian dressings and use brines. A heavily salted water with some sort of acid—maybe a little flavored vinegar in it—lemon juice, lime juices. Those things do the exact same thing as a marinade.

He says home cooks default to stews and sausages because those recipes mask the meat’s perceived gamy flavor. But Chef Brown says a properly cooked venison back strap or leg filet, for example, is sublime.

20— I would brine it in salt water and cut it into individual steaks; season it with just salt and pepper…a little bit of garlic and a little bit of butter, and grill it on the grill. Or sear it in a pan, cooking it to about medium rare and eating it that way. Some of the best deer that you can eat is just seasoned with salt and pepper and seared in a pan.

Find a recipe from Chef Austin Brown at passporttotexas.org.

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

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Sea Salt Quail, Chef Austin Brown

CRISPY SEA SALT QUAIL with Roasted Red pepper aioli

For the Aioli

• 2 egg yolks
• 4 cups of oil (use a neutral oil like canola or grapeseed)
• 1 cup of ice water
• 2 red peppers
• 1 smashed garlic clove

Over an open flame, roast the peppers until black on all sides. Place them in a Ziploc bag for about ten minutes to steam. Remove from back and peel off burn skin, and remove seeds.

In a blender combine egg yolks, peppers, 2 tablespoons of water and the garlic clove. Blend until smooth. slowly add the oil in a fine stream until a thin mayonnaise consistency is reached. More or less of the oil can be used. Once thickened, season with salt and pepper.

For the Quail

• 20 quail legs skin on
• 5 cups of flour
• Sea salt
• Cracked pepper
• Cilantro bunch( optional)
• 1 quart of canola oil
• Heavily season the flour with salt and pepper.

Wash quail to remove any leftover feathers. Pat dry with a paper towel and toss in flour to coat.

Over medium heat, heat about a 3/8 of an inch of canola oil in the bottom of a cast iron skillet.

Fry the legs turning only once to a golden brown. Be sure to not over crowd the pan, the name of the game is cooking these guys over really high heat so they are still juicy on the inside.

The hotter the oil, the crispier they turn out. Once finished place quail on a paper towel to soak up any remaining oil and season again with sea salt and cracked pepper

Serve with the red pepper aioli and garnish with cilantro.

Image courtesy of http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/

Hunting: An Expression of New World Independence Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

This week we commemorate the first Thanksgiving. While our turkeys come from the store, Pilgrims hunted for theirs. Did you know that prior to the Pilgrim’s arrival in 1620 few of them had ever hunted wild game?

10—The first people to come over wouldn’t have been able to hunt [in England] because the land was owned by the rich and that’s where you hunted. So, when they came to America and were able to hunt anywhere, it was actually a real expression of their new lives.

Simon Majumdar is a hunter, food writer and judge on Food Network TV competitions. He says along with being deeply rooted in the American identity, hunting puts good food on the table.

13—I’m a great believer if you hunt for food that you’re going to eat some really amazing dishes. I mean, I’ve hunted many times in the UK: deer, wild birds…rabbit. I do a lot of rabbit hunting in the United Kingdom. And I think the food often just tastes better.

Plus, he says, you know its origins. Simon Majumdar, author of Fed, White and Blue: Finding America with My Fork says despite our long history with hunting and eating wild game, some Americans remain reticent.

10—I always blame Walt Disney. Walt Disney has a lot to answer for because everyone thinks of like Bambi and Thumper. And they’re really just sources of food. So, I’m very unsentimental with it.

Be sentimental when giving thanks this season, and pass the turkey.

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