In LA, a name deemed fit by residents of lower Alabama, summertime backyard cookouts are a southern tradition. From grilling your favorite ‘cue to slathering ribs in the most divine, sweet and smoky sauce, southerners know how to grill. One of my absolute favorite appetizer to serve my guests are deer poppers. If you've never had a deer popper, then I have to admit, you're truly missing out. A few nights ago, I grilled these delectables, not for a party but because I was craving them. In many cases, I’m most certainly a visual learner, so this recipe will contain minimal text and more pictures—you’re not fooling me. I hear that sigh of relief on the opposite end of the screen. Let’s get to it!
Ingredients:
Step 1: Soak deer meat in buttermilk to remove the blood. Once most of the blood is out, you can then drain the meat.
Step 2: Grab a plastic cutting board and begin to assemble your roll ups as shown below:
Step 3: Throw those little poppers in Tupperware and marinate in Dale's and Worcestershire sauce for about and hour or so. With Dale's, it doesn't take long to soak up the flavor. It's fairly salty, and a short amount of time in the marinade goes a long way.
Step 4: Time to throw them on the grill! They don't take long at all to cook. I prefer to use a charcoal grill because you can't beat the flavor. I always let the grill get to about 400 degrees. You should cook the poppers until the bacon is completely done. You can cook the venison to your own preference, but I like mine to be medium.
Step 5: Enjoy!
A few tricks:
• You can soak your toothpicks in water prior to assembling, and they won't scorch like mine did.
• Also, you will not use an entire block of cream cheese, so before you start handling raw bacon and meat, cut about half of the cream cheese for use and put the rest back in the fridge for later use.
I hope you enjoy the deer poppers at your next cookout, or if you’re like me, you can cook them for yourself and pair them with your favorite side for a hearty dinner.
Much Love,
Sydney Meeks
