California Compliant: Sportsmen's Advocate Winter 2023 California Compliant | Page 43

Before he was a chef , Larry represented the fourth generation in his family to serve in the military .
arts and restaurant management . I was a personal chef in the beginning , worked in fine dining , catering , owned a food truck , owned a restaurant . When I started a family , I sort of got out of that , which led me to where I am today . I traded in the long , crazy hours to be a stay-at-home dad . We bought our own little back-forty in a small fishing town in South Carolina , and I started Wildgame Gourmet .
Growing up around my grandmother , it seemed like she made squash casserole every weekend . She taught me that food could be simple but delicious if made well . She was a phenomenal cook and the person who ultimately inspired me to become a chef . My own recipes range from rustic , hearty dishes to fancy fare that will impress any of your friends or family .
Wild game is obviously misunderstood by the people who don ’ t consume it , but it ’ s also often misunderstood by the ones who do . Among those who eat venison and other wild game , a great number of them usually have some quirky thing they think should be done to make the meat more palatable , like soaking larger cuts in some random solution or adding weird starchy binders to their burgers . It ’ s just not necessary . I hope I can inspire hunters to branch out from their triedand-true , but tired , recipes .
If you like having fun with food , then you will love the art of charcuterie . You get to preserve , transform and display wild game in ways you ’ ve never thought about . When most people hear the word charcuterie , they associate it with something fancy . While it can be just that , it usually leans toward rustic . If you are the type of hunter that wants to use every part of the animal but are running out of ideas , then charcuterie is probably what you ’ re looking for . You can incorporate odd cuts from multiple animals to make amazing sausages and more . The possibilities are virtually endless . The roots of many of these dishes date back hundreds of years as ways to preserve meat . On my website you ’ ll find a section on pâtés and terrines ; I nicknamed this the “ Millionaires ’ Meatloaf ” section . This stuff is sold in fancy restaurants and butcher shops , but you can make it at home .
Being a dad , chef and hunter means I ’ m always trying to get my kids involved . My daughter is 7 and my son is 5 , and they ’ re obsessed with helping me find animals . They want to know when I ’ m going hunting and want to see when I bring something back . As far as eating wild game , when they were younger , I could give them anything . Now I kind of have to sneak things by sometimes . They eat it , but sometimes I just can ’ t go into too much detail on what I ’ m offering !
My goal with Wildgame Gourmet is to inspire and teach fellow hunters different ways to enjoy their hard-earned meat with what I ’ ve learned over the last 20 years . I hope I may even inspire non-hunters to spend less time in the grocery store and more time outdoors … which is always a plus in the times that we live in today !
Check out Larry ’ s recipe for Smoked Venison Loin on page 48 .
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