Sweet Spice Rub

This is a fun change to the basic steak on the grill, especially if you like a little heat.  Apply the rub lightly for a slight kick or thickly for a more fiery steak.  I like a little spice, but I don't like it to overcome the flavor of my yummy steak.  So for beef steaks, I apply pretty lightly but enough to cover all the surface of the meat.  I apply more liberally for wild game.  Hope that helps and you enjoy it as much I do!

Sweet Spice Rub
Submitted by Mindy ~www.www.thesisterscafe.com~
Recipe Source: Better than Burgers
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup red chili powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons coarse salt

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mixing thoroughly.  Press spice rub onto each side of the steaks, then grill immediately.  Store left over rub in an air tight container in a cool, dry place for up to six months.

4 Packet Roast

I love this dinner.  Does it get easier than dumping a roast, seasoning packets and some carrots in a crockpot?  And it is SO good!  The last time I made this, my hungry husband snitched a bite of the meat after about 5 hours in the crockpot and said, "This roast is awesome.  Let's eat right now."  I backed him off the roast and forced him to wait while I made Wonderful Mashed Potatoes and a salad.  I couldn't make him wait for gravy, which was okay because that recipe for mashed potatoes can stand alone (and we both ended up augmenting a little with the drippings since they were so good!)  This roast was moose, but I have also made it with elk and beef.  All are great.  You can do a 3 packet roast and leave out the onion soup mix, but while it is still tasty.... it just isn't as good as with.  So I would suggest all 4 packets if you've got them!  Oh, and once we tried using a bottle of Italian dressing since we didn't have a dry packet of it... it also wasn't as good.  So I would stick with just the seasoning packets, and you shouldn't go awry!

4 Packet Roast

Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

Printer Friendly Version

Ingredients:
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 packet brown gravy mix

1 packet Italian salad dressing mix
1 packet onion soup mix
1 roast of choice
1/2-3/4 cup of water
assorted veggies if desired (I like carrots the best, but I often use cubed potatoes and onion wedges, as well)

Place roast in crockpot.  Arrange vegetables around the roast if being used.  Sprinkle the mix packets over the roast.  Pour water around the roast.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Cranberry Pork Roast

I saw this recipe on two blogs (A Year of Slow Cooking, then Recipe Corner) in December, and decided that if it got two sets of great reviews... it was definitely worth trying. I am always looking for easy dinners, and this one sounded like a fun change from the regular old roast we usually have. I have made it twice now and thought it was wonderful both times. The first time, I used a combination of white tail deer and mule deer meat I had in my freezer. It was really good. The second time I made it, I used pork... and I have to say it was way better. There is just something about a sweet sauce that calls for pork! This tender, juicy roast was a big hit at my house. My one year old, who usually isn't much of a meat eater, was scarfing it down and yelling for more. :) We ate the leftovers on salad and wrapped up in tortillas with burrito toppings. Super good!

Cranberry Roast
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1, 2-4 lb roast (I used pork in the picture above)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
salt and pepper

Place the rings of onion in the crock pot. Sprinkle the roast with salt and pepper to taste (I really didn't put much salt on). Place the roast on top of the onions. Next add the 2 Tbsp. of soy sauce, just pouring over the top of the roast. Dispense the cranberry sauce on top of the roast. Cook on low for 6 hours. About one hour before serving, shred the pork with two forks. That way it will soak up all the juices and be tender, delicious when you serve it.

Recipe Source: Recipe Corner and A Year of Slow Cooking

Sweet Bacon-Wrapped Venison Tenderloin

My husband and I, along with our fathers and brothers, really enjoy hunting.  As a result, I have a freezer full of deer, elk, and moose.  We like to eat it, especialy since it is so lean and healthy.  So I am always on the lookout for good recipes for all this wild game.  I found this one on RecipeZaar by TCSmoooth, and it is awesome!  In fact, I think even those who don't like wild game will be asking for seconds when they try this.  I used whitetail deer this time, but it would be great with elk, moose, pork or beef.

Sweet Bacon-Wrapped Venison Tenderloin

Subitted by Mindy

2 lbs venison (or other) tenderloin

1/2 lb bacon (Plain, thin-sliced is best)

3 cups dark brown sugar

2 cups soy sauce (regular, NOT low-sodium.  You'll want the saltiness)

1/4 cup white sugar (optional for added sweetness)

Mix brown sugar and soy sauce together in a bowl.  Marinate in mixture for at least 3 hrs or overnight in the fridge.  After marinating, place on a slotted baking sheet with a drip pan or aluminum foil below to catch the drippings.  Do not dispose of the remaining marinade.  Wrap a piece of bacon around the end of the tenderloin, securing the bacon strip with a toothpick.  Repeat this process until the entire loin is wrapped in ten or so bacon "loops".  (I had my tenderloin pre-cut into steaks, so I just wrapped each one individually in a slice of bacon).  Drizzle the remaining marinade over the loin.  You can retain a portion to continue to baste throughout the cooking process if desired (I did this).  Place on center rack in over and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.  (I actually cut the recipe in half this time, and I cut the cooking time to 20 minutes which cooked the meat to about Medium).  Remove loin from oven and place directly on a grill over medium-high heat to sear the bacon and outer loin. (Another option is to continue baking in oven for 5-10 minutes.  With 10 minutes left, lightly dust the top of the loin with white sugar creating a sweet crust on top of the bacon.  Personally I think this would be too sweet, but I haven't tried it).  Before serving, cut the loin between each strip of bacon so that each piece of meat has it's own slice of bacon. (Obviously mine look a little different since my tenderloin was pre-cut into steaks).

Sesame Flank Steak

This is my favorite way to serve steak. It is so flavorful. My husband and I both love it. I think when it comes to marinating, the longer the better. When I served this yesterday, I scored the steaks and put them in the marinade in the morning, and by dinnertime they were perfect.

Addendum by Mindy: this is excellent with wild game, as well.  We tried it with moose, and it was so good!

Sesame Flank Steak
submitted by Erin 

¼ c. chopped green onions
3 Tb soy sauce
2 Tb sesame oil
1 Tb vinegar
1 Tb brown sugar
1 Tb chopped fresh ginger
1 Tb chopped garlic
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ c. toasted, crushed sesame seeds

Combine above ingredients. Marinate steak 4 hours and barbecue.