Deer Burger Cookbook

It’s a rare treat to find a cookbook that entertains as much as it sets the stomach rumbling, but ‘Cousin Rick’ Black has crafted one that does just that. With well over 100 pages of soup, chilli, jerky, sausage and casserole recipes, there is guaranteed to be something that tickles the taste buds. Black is a likeable author, as many who have read his previous cookbooks will attest to, and his down-to-earth style and liberal doses of hunting humour turn a collection of recipes into a narrative-driven culinary journey. Of course, the proof is in the eating not the sentence structure, and he delivers on this front time and time again. The introduction section goes through what to look for in a doe when meat hunting and how to dress your shot deer. Black’s favoured way of preparing the deer burger - the constant of all his recipes - is covered in a step-by-step way. From this starting point, the meals are all simple to rustle up. There are few, if any, ingredients that you won’t already have in a well stocked kitchen or pantry. The included recipes do not assume a high level of cookery skill, and the emphasis is on big flavours, not dainty and time-consuming preparation. It is prudent to mention at this point that, as this is an American book, there are some ingredients that you may struggle to find in the UK - but there were only a few cases when I couldn’t locate a similar substitute. Measurements are also listed in the US-specific ‘cup’, but conversions are easy to locate… This compact and handy guide deserves a pace in any venison lover’s bookshelf. I know my copy is well thumbed.

Rick Black is a veteran hunter, fisherman, and outdoor cook. He lives in southeastern Iowa.