By Hannah Lindoff | I love the fall in Juneau. I know this is not a popular opinion but there are so many nice things about fall. I like the nip in the air and the way the undergrowth suddenly dies down and the landscape of the trails around town changes. The eternal summer debate – do I bring a coat, do I not bring a coat?- is laid to rest and I can move forward confidently sporting outerwear. I like the tourists better in the fall. The few tourists still loitering through town, usually huddled together under awnings, are more sympathetic figures than the hoards that swarm the streets in the summer.
My favorite thing about the fall though, is probably the food. It’s time to bring back hot cocoa and spiced cider. It’s time for pumpkin dishes and soup. And most importantly in our household, it’s time to eat fresh deer steaks!
To say my husband is an avid hunter is a gross understatement. My husband is obsessed with hunting. All year long he points out ridges and valleys in the mountains to me and tells me about what he thinks the deer are doing. We had his 30th birthday party at Cabella’s and we were there so late they locked the doors after us when we left. I’d like to believe that hunting is more cost effective than buying meat at the store, but when I take stock of all the expensive hunting gear in our house, I can tell you that this certainly is not the case. However, game meat is without a doubt healthier than store-bought meat so we try to eat it as often as possible.
Lately we’ve been enjoying deer jerky made from the hindquarters, where you’ll find the most tender steaks of the buck. The meat is cut into thin strips and seasoned with teriyaki sauce and red pepper flakes. Then it’s set in the dehydrator for 7-8 hours. The jerky should be kept in the refrigerator in a Ziploc to retain its moisture. Last year we tried to freeze jerky but the quality went way down so we have resigned ourselves to eating the jerky within a few weeks of processing (if it lasts that long!)
My husband also recently spent the better part of a day grinding tougher, more sinewy meat into burger (cuts such as the neck, shoulders, and rib meat). This is a labor-intensive project, especially when you are dealing with a hand-crank grinder, but the final product is wonderfully versatile and holds up well in the freezer. We like deer burger not just for burgers but in lasagna, tacos, enchiladas and chili. It’s important, however, that the meat is thoroughly cleaned before it goes through the grinder, otherwise you will spend a lot of time stopping to clean the grinder. It is also worth your time to send the meat through the grinder twice. Nothing ruins a lasagna faster than biting into a hard chunk of…well, you’re not really sure what it may be.
The super star product of the hunt is of course the deer steaks. The tender loins, the smallest but most tender muscles of the deer make the best steak and eggs for morning-after breakfast. The all around favorite is the backstrap, or loins, which run along the spine. The backstrap is best prepared medium-rare and with minimal ingredients (salt and pepper and olive oil). Be sure to remove the “silver skin” as it’s extremely tough; this simple but critical step.
My husband and daughter will eat the heart and liver as well, but I’m just not there yet. My husband usually cooks up the heart and liver on the day he returns from his hunt. The frying deer heart heats up our small house and an aromatic steam rises from the heaps of wet hunting gear strategically placed around the living room. Is there anything better than Juneau in the fall?!
Hannah Lindoff grew up in Juneau and returned to the community after graduating college. She now lives with her husband Anthony, daughter Marigold and dog Haagu on Mountainside. Hannah can be reached at htslotnick@gmail.com