CALLING ALL SPOONIES!!!

In my pursuit of wild game cookery, I find enjoyment in taking less desirable specimens and turning them into something truly delicious that can turn even a non-game eater into a true believer. These Spoondogs are quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Northern Shovelers get a bad rap, and for good reason. We all know their reputation for eating mud dwelling mollusks and the ‘fishy’ smell pouring out of the oven that has infuriated countless wives (including my own mother). Putting them in the same culinary category as a pintail that’s been hanging around the rice fields in CA for a few weeks is unthinkable. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy shooting and eating them. We just have to approach it a little differently

As all self-respecting wild game chefs have learned, making any critter taste good begins with an understanding of basic anatomy and what pieces of that critter perform what tasks. To cook Spoonies well you first need to understand where the bad flavor lives. It’s in the fat. Think of fat as a Spoony’s savings account. They need to build up reserves for the return migration. Everything they eat gets digested and pumped into their skin fat piggy bank. This is where all that nasty flavor lives. The muscles, however, do not retain nearly as much, if any, of that flavor. The fix? Discard the skin and work with just the meat. This is one of the few instances where I will condone that sort of behavior.

This recipe is suited for anyone who has or is interested in sausage making and requires very few ‘special’ ingredients. You’ll need 29-32mm hog casings and high temp cheese. The rest of it is fairly standard although you may have to order some of the ground chiles or just use a substitute (like I did).

Ingredients:

5lbs skinless Spoony breast
5lbs pork belly
8 Jalapeños (do not remove the seeds)
2 cups high temp pepper jack cheese (more or less, depending on how cheesy you like ‘em)

Seasoning blend (I start with the MeatEater Chorizo recipe and make some adjustments)
- 1/3 cup paprika
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons ancho chile powder (I used Chile Cali)
- 3 tablespoons ancho chile powder (I used Chile Nueva Mexico)
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano (Mexican oregano if possible)
- 1 ½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
- 12 cloves minced garlic (try not to use the stuff in jars)
- ½ cup of white wine or cider vinegar
- ½ cup of ice water

Tools:

Meat grinder with finest die plate (I used 4.5MM)
Sausage stuffer (I use a manual Weston brand but a lot of grinders have an attachment)
Plastic tubs and/or large bowls
Latex gloves (I change them throughout the process)
Wire rack

Instruction:

Spoony breast prep:
You want to dice up your spoony breast the night before and let it soak in salted water in the fridge to draw out a little of the blood which can have a heavy flavor. When you pull it out the day of, rinse/drain it well, then dry it thoroughly with paper or cloth towel. It's now ready to combine with pork belly.

Start by putting all your grinder components in the freezer. They should be in there until they are ice cold. Probably an hour or more.
Combine your seasoning blend in a small bowl and set aside.
Finely dice your jalapenos. Set aside in a small bowl along with measured out high temp cheese and put it in the fridge.
Cut the Spoony breasts and pork belly into ½”-1” cubes. Combine with seasoning blend and stick this in the freezer. You’re going to leave it in there for an hour or so until it feels like it’s getting a little crusty and beginning to freeze.

5. Start soaking your hog casings in cold water.

6. Clean your workspace and get your grinder set up.

7. Feed the soaked casings onto the sausage feeding tube.

8. Pull the meat out of the freezer and send it through the grinder into a tub or large bowl.

9. Take your liquids and add them to the ground meat, mix lightly.

10. Add the high temp cheese and jalapeno.

11. Mix everything together, almost kneading the meat, until it begins to bind like dough. If you’re out of shape it might even feel like a workout. And your hands should be freezing if you got everything cold enough. This step is really important for achieving a good quality sausage. If you skip this yours will probably be a little crumbly, but will still taste great.

12. Drop the mixed meat into your sausage stuffer or back into the meat grinder. If you are putting it back in the meat grinder remove the grind plate. Start pushing the meat through until it pokes out of the tube, then tie off the casing with an overhand knot. Trim the excess casing. Continue feeding the meat through to fill the casing. This part can be a little tricky. I’ve blown out plenty of casings (and still do). You want enough meat to fill the casing but not so much that you can’t twist the links. Just go slow and get a feel for it. If you’re a little light on the meat and they don’t look plump, just twist the link a few extra times until it looks right.

13. To twist the links, lay the sausage out and start pressing down every 6” or so, however big you want your sausages. Smaller links can be great for appetizers. Push down with two fingers 6” apart then twist that link before moving on to the next one.

14. Once the links are twisted I put my sausages in the fridge on a wire rack overnight. This helps dry the casing out and gives a little more snap.

15. Pull them out of the fridge, cut the twisted casing between individual links, and prep them for the freezer or throw them on the grill.

16. Cook ‘em and eat ‘em! Grilled, fried, smoked- however you like, and don’t forget to share with friends and family. Everyone should be a spoondog convert!