Whole Roast Pronghorn with Rosemary Mustard

The Pronghorn has a bad reputation for having a “grassy” taste from the sagebrush it eats on the prairie. We wanted to show off the rich taste of the meat but had to watch for that “green” flavour so add a couple of interesting elements: Dijon mustard for impact, bacon to keep it moist and a sweet-bitter marmalade glaze.

To cook a whole hind, you need a crowd so we hosted a fall supper and presented a full range of vegetable accompaniments that reflect our local produce. You can do the same in your hometown using these recipes or similar ones that use the vegetables that are grown as close to your kitchen as possible.

Pre-heat oven to 350 F
Wash the hind in cold water and dry with paper towels. Place in a large roasting pan

Season with salt on both sides
Mix together the mustard, rosemary and pepper and cover the meat with a coating of this mixture (use a large spoon or kitchen brush)

Lay strips of bacon over the whole roast
Place in oven and roast 3 hours, basting often. Use a meat thermometer to reach an internal temperature of 145 F

Melt the marmalade with the beer in a small saucepot and glaze the entire roast over the last 20 minutes of cooking, reserving 1/3 of the mixture. Pour this over the roast just before carving for your guests.

Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

Pre-heat oven to 350 F

Sauté onions in butter 8-10 minutes over medium heat to golden brown. Season with salt and pepper and add garlic

Lay in 1/3 of the onions into a large casserole then top with 1/3 of the sliced sweet potatoes. Season lightly with salt and pepper

Repeat layers, seasoning each

Lay the last layer of sweet potatoes neatly in a shingle fashion, overlapping each

Cover with the grated cheese

Add the chicken stock just to reach the top of the potatoes

Cover the casserole with cling film and then foil wrap. The cling film will not burn if it is covered with the foil

Bake for 50 minutes then remove the cover and cook another 20 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and the top is golden brown.

Braised Red Cabbage with Apples and Gin

Juniper is a wonderful spice to enjoy with the flavour of game meats but most of us don’t have it at home in the berry form – use a shot of gin instead. The vinegar will help to keep the colour and sugar prevents the cabbage from getting too soft so these ingredients should not be omitted.

Place all ingredients in a non-reactive saucepot

Cover and simmer 30-40 minutes over low heat until the cabbage is tender

Roasted Vegetables

Autumn and winter is the time to enjoy root vegetables and squash with roasted meats. The best time to do this is when the oven is hot, cooking other dishes. Cut the vegetables in chunks about the size of your thumb and cook slowly to a soft, delicious sweet natural flavour.

Pre-heat oven to 350 F

Peel and chop parsnips, carrots and turnips into large chunks

Split the squash, seed it and chop into large chunks

Toss all of the vegetables with oil and season with salt and pepper

Place into a large casserole and roast, stirring every 20 minutes for 1 hour or until fork tender

Drain from the oil and serve piping hot with salt and lemon

Note: save the leftover vegetable flavoured oil for cooking or salad dressing

Roasted Roma Tomatoes

Pre-heat oven to 350 F

Split the tomatoes lengthwise and lay on a baking tray, cut side up

Blend together the breadcrumbs, garlic and cheese

Top each tomato half with the mixture and season with salt and pepper

Roast 20 minutes in oven until mixture is melted and bubbling

Whole Roast Pronghorn with Rosemary Mustard