Venison Recipe – Apple Firebomb Venison Brats on Cabbage
Montana is prime hunting country. The forests are full of elk, deer and other game animals. The hubby used to hunt and he has his rifles but he hasn’t had to because we have been fortunate the last few years to have friends gift us an animal. This year it was a mule deer buck. It was the largest animal we have been given. I love having venison in the freezer for a number of reasons; it’s a healthy meat, it’ lean and I know it hasn’t been eating GMO filled feed.
This time when I had the animal processed I tried something new – I ordered brats. I enjoy them now and then and it puts some variety in the freezer. I love adding a new venison recipe to my list.
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Remember my trip to Atlanta? My furry friend Waffles debuted his can of Mike’s Harder Apple Firebomb Mad Kitty Cocktail and I brought two cans home intending to play in the kitchen. I made Firebomb Apple Chicken and I was saving the second can for a dessert but when I pulled out the brats they seemed a perfect match for the spicy/sweet flavor.
Apple Firebomb Venison Brats on Cabbage
Serves 3 – 4
4 venison (or beef) brats
2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8ths
1 can Mike’s Harder Apple Firebomb Cocktail
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 TBS canola oil
For the Cabbage:
1 small head of cabbage
2 TBS butter
salt
Heat a saute pan over medium high heat. When it’s hot add the canola oil. Add the brats and let them sit on each side for a minute or two, just until they get some color on them.
Add the brats to a sauce pan. Pour the Mike’s Harder into the pan and let the brats cook over low heat for about an hour.
After an hour, turn the heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Add the apples, maple syrup and red pepper flakes. Let simmer for about 10 minutes and then reduce the heat to low and let cook for half an hour.
While the brats are braising cook the cabbage: peel the outer layers away and core the cabbage. Cut it into thin strips and add it to a large saute pan.
Add about 1/2 cup water, salt to taste and the butter.
Heat over medium high heat and cover. Let simmer until just about all of the water has steamed away. Turn off the heat and set aside.
I had some Jasmine rice in the ‘fridge so I warmed that up. I think I would have preferred potatoes but I had what I had. I think it would also be delicious with the spuds. And delicious it was. The braising liquid had some heat from the red pepper flakes and the cinnamon in the Mike’s. The apples and the maple syrup countered with some sweet. Both flavors played well with the brats. We’ll be eating them again tonight so I’ll be interested to see if they improve with sitting. We both really enjoyed this meal!
You can find Waffles’ cocktail in your local liquor store or you can search on the Mike’s Harder website. You can – and should ’cause you’ll laugh yourself silly – follow Waffles’ antics on his website with his sister Katie at Glogirly.com
