Father's Day Gift Guide - Cooking
Is This Photo Hanging In Dad's Kitchen? (Photo Courtesy of gentlemint.com)
Since you wouldn’t be reading this if you or your Dad weren’t a hunter then I presume that you both enjoy the culinary aspects of wild game as well (or at least the end result). I have found that I’ve really grown to embrace the act of preparing, cooking, and/or preservation of my hard-earned meat caches. Below I give you some options to consider for Dad to help him streamline his butchering process as well as prepare some absolutely fabulous meals for the whole family to gather around. As a Dad there is little more gratifying than spending a year preparing for a hunt, successfully bagging an animal, carefully butchering it, then putting together a hunter’s feast that all my loved ones come together and enjoy!
Weston - $479.99 (currently qualifies for free shipping)
Obviously you’re not going to sit down and eat an entire deer in one sitting unless you’re feeding an army. After taking the time to trim his animal down to nothing but skin and bones Dad will want to ensure that the freshness of the meat is captured so it can be enjoyed all year long. Weston has just the product to preserve that same-day quality taste and texture with its Pro Series vacuum sealers. This vacuum sealer can be used for anything from deer to fish, to veggies and I even use my vacuum packer to seal some emergency items that go into my hunting pack so they stay dry and ready when I need them.
Custom Butchering/Cooking Apron
Butcher and Baker - $39.00
If your Dad is anything like me then he cannot keep himself (or the kitchen) the least bit clean when cooking or butchering. The guys over at Butcher and Baker can hook him up with a manly custom apron so he doesn’t ruin clothes while taking care of post-hunt duties. The kitchen on the other hand will be solely his responsibility. They have tons of options for customizing the perfect apron for your Dad and the best part is they make them by hand right here in the USA! The material appears to be as rugged as the mountain he climbed with 80 lbs of elk meat on his back so he’ll wear it with pride!
Hunting Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game by Steve Rinella
Amazon - $17.53
If you haven’t heard of Steve Rinella and his adventures on Meat Eater then you must have been hiding under a rock for the last several years. He has come on as a great ambassador for our sport and is apparently a darn good cook too! He came out with a book for all skill levels that details many aspects of the hunt along with the butchering and lastly the cooking of wild game. I have read several reviews that speak highly of the book (I haven’t personally had a chance to read it yet but look forward to doing so) and it sounds like it has a place in every hunter’s library or stash of recipe books. I believe he is also coming out with or already has a volume II in the works so maybe just get Dad both and you should be covered.
Lodge – $37.00
No hunter should be without a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet. Period. There is very little that can’t be cooked in one, they are nearly indestructible, and cooking with cast iron just makes everything taste a little bit better. The cast iron skillets from Lodge come pre-seasoned, are safe on all cooking surfaces (including the oven), and are made in the USA. What more could you ask for!?!? Mine gets used at least once a week and when my number is called I fully intend for my children to be able to continue using it to feed my family for generations. That is a Father’s Day gift that keeps on giving. If Dad likes cooking then all of these items have a place in his kitchen. Mom is the sole proprietor of the kitchen at home.
No problem, Dad can keep these at the cabin or in the truck to make field chores and campfire cooking go just a little bit smoother. The best part about these is you will also benefit from the outcome of Dad putting them to good use. So it’s like a Father’s Day gift for yourself, you just don’t have to do all the work!
