The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1903-12-18
COOKING IN THE FOREST.
Recipes of the Guides I'm Maine-Deel
the Best of All for
Mfnce Meat.

score Oh ways 10 COOK f6nlSOu, DuL tue
Maine guides have only two recipes.
says the New York Sun.
AS all the fuel available is green
hardwood cut from the stump, it is out
of the question to obtain live Goals for
broiling. Instead, the guide cuts the
venison in thick slices, and having
heated heavy castiron spider until il
Is almost red hot, puts in the meat and
let's it simmer and sizzle against tha
lowing iron, turning it from time to
ne SO it may be cooked alike on both
des.
After 20 minutes at burning temper
ature the venison is coated with a
black crust a half inch in depth. 1t is
then taken from the spider, and when
the coal has been scraped away with
sharp knife, the smoking meat is
scored deeply and plenty of butter or
Oleomargarine is added until the meat
Is nearly swimming in hot gravy. A
sprinkling of pepper and a pinch OF
sage are added for fiavoring, and the
meat is ready to eat
Men who have eaten at the most
famous restaurants in the world say
there is nothing so wholly toothsome
and satisfying as venison steak pre-
pared by Maine guide who knows his
business.
The other way of cooking venison
known to the guides is to make it up
into what the sporting camps advertise
g mutton stew, so called to disguise
fact that deer meat has been used
close time. This is no more than a
thick soup holding squares of lean
meat, with crusts of bread spoiled in
the baking. and with light dumplings
and possibly few slices of potato
added to vary the monotony of so
much meat.
The latter method of cooking re-
quires small art, and as the dish is
more filling than satisfying, the cooks
seldom stew their venison so long as
here are pieces thick enough to fry.
In. the preparation of fish and small
game very little formality is used. In
,ase brace of cartridges have bS n
shot for supper the birds are beheaded
and drawn, and when the blood has
been removed by repeated washings in
the lake, the interior cavity is filled
with scraps of salt pork, bread crumbs
and liberal sprinkling of salt, pepper
and sage
Then the body, with the feathers in
tact, is plastered over with thick
bank, and the ball of earth is buried
deep in glowing Goals and permitted &c
cook for an hour. When removed the
mud has turned to baked clay, which is
brok en- open with blow from the ak.
The coating of clay is taken off, remov-
ing skin, feathers, down and every
trace of impurity, and leaving the
steaming bird ready to be eaten.
Tender fish are drawn and wrapped
in thin coating of fallen leaves be-
fore the clay is applied.
Except in rare cases when the food
Is getting very low, rabbits are not
used by the travelling hunters. AS all
rabbits are very lean, they are skinned
and dressed after the manner in vogue
In the towns. after which the body is
cut in fragments and stewed with fat
pork or in butter. No matter how the
animal is prepared, the meat is dry,
tough and tasteless, and nobody
who has corn meal and bacon in stock
will try the preparation a second time.
A hunter from New York who has
been to the Maine woods for nearly 20
seasons noticed that whenever he
killed a deer in the woods and had
eaten all the tender parts the guide in
variably begged for the neck and bris-
ket pieces, which are too tough and
stringy for consumption in camp.
This habit continued for so long that
one day he asked his guide what use
he made of such unpromising flesh.
He was told that the very dark and
coarse grained meat filled with ten
dons and powerful muscles made the
very best mincemeat that could be pro-
cured, the rank and gamy flavor of the
deer giving very fine taste to the
nince pies made from such bits.
"Out of curiosity 1 tried it." said the
hunter, land since then I have had
nince pies made with venison filling
every year. No man knows what a
good mince pie is until he has eaten
one filled with deer meat. The taste
of such a pie is something to remem.
Der for lifetime"