Leon County Cooks: Time for venison in Leon County

Fred Scott and Carl Johnson proudly display their cooker where two whole pigs were cooked to perfection. Sherry’s Shots Leon County has the distinct honor to have the slogan “The deerest place in Texas” and it is true in many ways. Just change the spelling to “dearest” and there are many, like myself, who would certainly agree. And then there are those die hard Leon County folks, like my daddy, who swore the county had the slogan because it had, indeed, the most deer of any county in Texas. Many tried to convince him otherwise, but to no avail.

But whether you take the county’s slogan as a literal fact or just think it is a cute motto, the first day of deer season is a very big deal around these parts. Almost every community had some sort of fund raiser this weekend and most of them raised money by feeding hunters.

If you happened to be in Centerville on Saturday afternoon you would have seen a very large wood pit cooker and a whole host of fine folk hanging around it. Some were working, some were eating and some were just having a good time.

At the heart of this affair were two young men who simply love to cook, especially barbecue meat. Fred Scott and Carl Johnson had a cooker full of meat, primarily pork, and were selling it as fast as they could cook it.

I asked if they were doing a fundraiser and Johnson said “No, but with it being the first day of deer season we thought we might sell some for ourselves. A lot of the hunters really like this kind of meat”

Both men were born and raised in Centerville. Fred is a self employed rancher working cows and hay and Carl is a home builder, working for Jimmy Doak. Both men cook barbecue for family reunions, tail rides and just about any other occasion you can name. They also do special orders.

Since we are now officially in “Deer Hunting Season” I felt compelled to print some deer/venison recipes. Last year I printed a deer chili recipe, which is probably the most popular, so that one is not included this time. Happy hunting and let me know how you like the recipes. They are very good.
Smothered deer steaks
4 (4 ounce) venison steaks
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt and pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 onion, chopped

6 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef gravy

1/4 cup milk
(OR you can omit the last 4
ingredients and use cream of
mushroom soup.)
Directions
1. Cut all fat and gristle off the meat, and pound each steak out with a meat tenderizer until they are thin but not tearing. In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper. Dredge steaks in the flour mixture until evenly coated. 2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions until soft and translucent. Stir in mushrooms and garlic, and cook until tender. Remove from skillet and set aside. Heat remaining oil, and fry each steak for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Return onion mixture to skillet. Stir in gravy and milk. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Venison Stew
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds venison stew meat
3 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 tablespoon salt

3 cups water
7 small potatoes, peeled and
quartered
1 pound carrots, cut into 1
inch pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water

Directions 1. In a skillet, deeply brown the meat in oil. Add onions, garlic. Worcestershire sauce, salt, and water. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until meat is tender. 2. Add potatoes and carrots; cook until tender. 3. Combine flour and water. Stir into the stew.
Barbecued deer steaks
1 (16 ounce) bottle Italianstyle
salad dressing 4 (1/2 pound) venison steaks

Directions 1. Marinate the venison meat over night in the Italian dressing. Flip over at least one time during the marinade. 2. Cook meat on the grill over medium-high heat. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes.