Georgia Pellegrini is a different kind of hunter. She's a tasteful, stylish food artisan with a bit of gritty, shotgun-toting gal mixed in. It's a combo that's hard to ignore.
Her wildly successful book Food Heroes, which was released this past September, has led to a new exploration of her culinary soul. That exploration steered her into a gun store to buy a shotgun. Not long after that she started hunting and taking an active role in bridging the gap between the "foodies" who go to the farmer's markets and hunters who fill freezers full of game meat for their families.
Pellegrini has been praised by critics and fans alike for her writing, blogging and commentary on cooking's connection with Mother Nature. She'll cover that subject and more in her forthcoming book, Girl Hunter.
There's no doubt, this hunting chick is cut from a different cloth. I tracked her down to find out how a classy connoisseur became a passionate outdoorswoman. Oh, and I figured I might as well get a few good recipes for venison while I'm at it.
Here's Georgia's latest:
“Fried Venison Backstrap” also known as “Campfire Fried Deer”
(This is a set of guidelines. Amounts will vary depending on the amount of venison you have.)
Aged venison backstrap, cut into thin slices on a bias and pounded in plastic
Bread crumbs
Flour
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil
1. Sprinkle the cutlets with salt and pepper. In a bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients, adding more salt and pepper.
2. Pour vegetable oil into a skillet, about 1 inch high and heat over an open fire.
3. Brush the cutlets with a bit of oil on both sides and dip them into the dry mixture until covered. Set aside on a plate.
4. Test the temperature of the oil by adding a cutlet and seeing if the oil begins to bubble assertively. If it doesn’t, remove the cutlet and let the oil become hotter. If it does, continue adding more cutlets. Turn them over halfway through cooking. Cook until golden brown on both sides.
5. Remove to a plate covered in paper towel and sprinkle with a bit more salt to keep them crispy. Serve immediately with lingonberry sauce or a favorite chutney.
