Rifle Shooter – July 2019

I have cooked at weddings around the country, from a
Scottish shooting estate to venues in the middle of London
for up to 200 guests!!

TP: I have asked a few friends along today, and all they have
been told is that we are eating venison over an open fire. So
Cai, what is my challenge?
CAB: Actually, I am going to reverse the roles today – it will
be my challenge to convince you that venison can be as tasty
as beef or lamb. I have some meat left from this morning’s
session, so I am going to cook you and your friends a couple
of venison dishes. I want you to walk away from here
knowing that venison is a worthy alternative to your everyday
locally farmed beef or lamb!

9(1,6217$&26
The first dish involved making tacos by mixing gluten-free
Mexican maize flour, salt and water to make a dry dough.
After a quick demonstration, some of the team cracked on
moulding small balls to make 5-6" round wraps, using a taco
press. They then cooked them using a solid steel plate on an
open fire, before storing them away, ready for eating later.
Out came a haunch of venison -– bones and all. Cai
skilfully demonstrated how to debone the joint, dividing the
different muscles with his fingers, and then cutting across
the grain or fibres to make more manageable pieces. Any
tough pieces of gristle were carefully removed without
wasting meat. As this was also an educational workshop,
Cai and I discuss with my guests the different hunting
seasons for deer in the UK and the reasoning behind why the
numbers have to be managed.
We put the meat in a large mixing bowl and added Cai’s
secret recipe rub, made up of paprika, salt, garlic, cumin
coriander and other spices and olive oil to stop the meat
sticking to the cooking surface, plenty of lime juice to add
some ‘zing’ and spicy sriracha sauce. Once mixed, we set it
aside, allowing it to marinate.
Then it was on to the vegetables and garnishes. Firstly,
red and yellow peppers were thrown into a large frying pan
with a splash of olive oil. The pan was left on the fire, stirring
the contents every three minutes and, once cooked, they
were removed and cut into small pieces.
We then thinly sliced a lettuce, adding grapefruit and salt
to offer more flavour and a salsa of chopped heritage
tomatoes, thinly chopped white onions, garlic, coriander,
lime juice and a little chilli. Lastly, guacamole made from
avocado and diced peppers with a pinch of salt, garlic and
lime juice.
All there was left to do was to cook the chunks of meat by
gently adding them to the hot fire plate, cooking medium to
medium rare. Once done, we cut them into thin strips, ready
for eating with the tacos.
After an hour’s preparation, and several bottles of beer
and glasses of wine consumed, we were famished, not
helped by the aromas wafting from the fire and across the
table that was now fully prepared for our feast. Someone
mentioned that we eat with our eyes. How right they were

• the array of colours, from the bright red and green sauces
  among the yellows of the peppers to the green lettuce mix,
  simply presented next to the sliced meat, was splendid.
  We tucked in. The taco was laid on the palm of my hand:
  first, on went the lettuce, then a few peppers, followed by
  pieces of meat and, to finish off, a spoonful of the salsa and
  guacamole. As I took my first bite, I was hit with many
  different tastes, all fighting to take honours, but it was the

meat, mixed with Cai’s creations that really stood out, aided

by his famous rub. It was delicious, and before I’d finished

the first one, I had another taco in my hand, ready for filling.

A great start, but I was now waiting excitedly for the next

venison challenge!

9(1,621/2,1:,7+$35,&276

We cleared the table, and Cai extracted another piece of

venison from a bag, but this time it was long and thin – it

could only be the loin.

Cai sprinkled a little salt and smeared mint sauce on the

meat and set it to one side. The large frying pans appeared

again, but this time, apricots, chopped in half were bundled

in and fried for 15 minutes, followed by courgettes, salt and

»

http://www.rifleshootermagazine.co.uk 95

INTERVIEW WITH CAI AP BRYN

ABOVE: Frying the

peppers in a splash

of olive oil

BELOW: Adding a rub

of spices garlic, lime

juice, coriander and

sriracha sauce