1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Country Life. I'm your host, Brent Reeves 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: from coon hunting to trot lining and just general country living. 3 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: I want you to stay a while as I share 4 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 1: my stories and the country skills that will help you 5 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: beat the system. This Country Life is proudly presented as 6 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: part of Meat Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you the best 7 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: outdoor podcast the airways have to offer. All right, friends, 8 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: pull you up a chair or drop that tailgate. I 9 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: think I got a thing or two. The teach you 10 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:42,880 Speaker 1: how to cook a coon. You heard me right, We're 11 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: cooking a coon this week. You know, some folks eat 12 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:48,879 Speaker 1: them because they like them. Some folks eat them to 13 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:52,200 Speaker 1: support a cause one we'll talk about a little later. 14 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: Back in the day, at least down here where I live, 15 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: some folks ate them out of necessity. They were making 16 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: do with what they had, which is a subject I 17 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 1: covered a few episodes ago that inspired This Country Life. 18 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:12,199 Speaker 1: Listener Jason Campbell sending the following story about a time 19 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: in his life when he was making do. It might 20 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:18,759 Speaker 1: be a stretch to keep it on theme for an 21 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: episode about cooking coons, but there's some coon hunting in it, 22 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:26,400 Speaker 1: along with a good lesson and good lessons with their 23 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:31,040 Speaker 1: own theme with everything, and Jason Campbell's words in my voice, 24 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: Here's the story called hanging Back. It all started about 25 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: the time I thought it was all ending for me. 26 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: Like most high school freshmen, I thought I had the 27 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: whole world figured out. I just couldn't legally drive far 28 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: enough to explore much of it. Everything changed in my 29 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: small town world the day my lifelong bad need diagnosis 30 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: got a name, nail patella syndrome. It was barely an 31 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:13,799 Speaker 1: inconvenience as a small child, but at fifteen it became 32 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: a daily issue, and I hit the growth spurt that 33 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:20,519 Speaker 1: seems to catch us all about that age, and things 34 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: kind of got out of whack that My faith was strong, 35 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: but it felt like the beginning of the end. Thankfully 36 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 1: it wasn't. However, there was a slight shift in my 37 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: mountaintainment abilities. After major reconstructive surgery and new parts in 38 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 1: both knees, I found myself still hungry for adventure, even 39 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 1: more so after the struggle learning to walk again. I 40 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 1: was so thankful and relieved as I slowly regained my mobility, 41 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: and I give the Lord and the doctors my great 42 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 1: family all the credit. Fast forward eighteen years, a few 43 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: more surgeries, and I'm proud to still be working hard 44 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 1: as a machinist, hunting, fishing, and even raising our wonderful 45 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: three year old son with my awesome wife Rebecca. Now 46 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 1: I've come to understand the value in hanging back when 47 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: it comes to making tracks. I ain't that fast. I 48 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: can usually be found somewhere in the background, mosing alone, 49 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: doing the best I can, and just thankful to be 50 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: doing so. I don't run like a deer, and even 51 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: dragging one's difficult for me. Okay, I'm gonna get to 52 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 1: the good part the coon hunting. This part relates to 53 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 1: fond memories, empty wallets, a lot of luck, and, as 54 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 1: Brent loves to say, making do with what you have. 55 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: Back there in high school, I had two strikes of 56 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: luck around the same time, passed my learners permit driver's test, 57 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: and then shortly thereafter met a new friend, a kind, 58 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: older gentleman at the local gas station. It had been 59 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: the best breakfast for miles around, and old timer's hung 60 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 1: out there, you know, the kind of place that feels 61 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 1: like home to everybody that stops in every day. We 62 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 1: struck up a conversation and he invited me on my 63 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 1: first coon hunt that night. I al withhold his name 64 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: for privacy's sake, but we'll call him mister Dale. At 65 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: the time, I couldn't tell a good coon dog from 66 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: any other. But man, I'm telling you, I got a 67 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: great a backwoods education that night. And then a long 68 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: list of things learned that stand out to me. Now 69 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 1: here's three, in no particular order. Number one, listen to 70 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 1: the old timers with your good ear. Number two, mister 71 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 1: Dale had some health troubles and he wasn't fast, just 72 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: like me. Number three, bloodhounds are beautiful and powerful creatures. Now, honey, 73 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:59,160 Speaker 1: with mister Dale and his crew every other night that season. 74 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: Sometimes we treed one, sometimes we didn't, but I always 75 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 1: had fun just easing along talking life with mister Dale. Now. 76 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: A lot of times my knees and his health meant 77 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:14,480 Speaker 1: we missed the action at the tree when the faster 78 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 1: folks got there first. Sometimes we just plumb gave out 79 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,479 Speaker 1: a breath and couldn't make it to the tree. It 80 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 1: never bothered me. One bid to miss it. I was 81 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:31,720 Speaker 1: just happy to be invited along season. End of day 82 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:34,839 Speaker 1: year and it's usual fashion of going out of about 83 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:37,600 Speaker 1: the time the crappie started biting in the spring. So 84 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 1: I was back to sleeping at night and then school 85 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: and fishing in the evenings. Time marched on in a 86 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: few months went by like short days. Then one day 87 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 1: I was out fishing at a local farm pond and 88 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:54,600 Speaker 1: I see mister Dale walking across the pasture. Now, I 89 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: wonder what he's doing here? Where's his fishing pole? How 90 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: did he know I was? Then came the shocker, as 91 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 1: mister Dale told me he had given up coon hunt, 92 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:09,960 Speaker 1: mostly for medical reasons, and I could see his despair 93 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 1: and telling me about selling each of his beloved hounds 94 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:16,719 Speaker 1: one by one. I thought, surely that the last one, 95 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 1: the only bloodhound of the bunch, and secretly, my personal favorite, 96 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:26,680 Speaker 1: was being saved as his pet just for him. Now, 97 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:29,839 Speaker 1: I have yet to find the words to describe my thoughts. 98 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:32,599 Speaker 1: As he went on to his next point and his 99 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 1: reason for tracking me down at that pond, he described 100 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 1: to me the multiple offers please and even downright arguments 101 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 1: he had dismissed up to that point. Regarding the future 102 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:50,159 Speaker 1: of his beloved big red dog. He said, Son, my 103 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 1: whole family and half of my friends are after old Betsey, 104 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 1: but I've given a lot of thought. If you'll have 105 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:00,479 Speaker 1: her stopped by the house tomorrow, I want you to 106 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 1: take her and my dog Box two. She's a good dog, 107 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 1: and I always appreciated you hanging back with me in 108 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: the woods, even if we missed a tree or two. 109 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 1: It was such an act of kindness on mister Dale's part. 110 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 1: It's been almost twenty years since it happened, and I 111 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:21,800 Speaker 1: still don't have the words for it. Though Betsy has 112 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 1: long since been ringing Heaven's hollers. The memories are with 113 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 1: me deeper than these scars on my knees. So many 114 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: nights just found me and old Betsy I can still hear, 115 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: especially when the wind blows cold through the briar choke 116 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 1: Creek Bond just singing to my soul, just for me 117 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 1: while I'm hanging back. Thanks mister Dale, Well, thank you 118 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 1: Jason Campbell for sharing that wonderful story of compassion, determination, 119 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: faith and generosity. And according to Jason Campbell, that's just 120 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: how it happened. How to cook a Coon. A short 121 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: while ago, my old partner Clay middle name I cheated 122 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 1: turkey calling contest. NUKEM told you all about an event 123 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: that he, his wife, Missedy, and me and my wife 124 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: Alexis went to in Gillette, Arkansas, the Jillette Coon Supper. 125 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 1: It was the eightieth annual gathering of friends, family, and 126 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 1: like minded individuals who may not agree on politics, but 127 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 1: can all agree that education, community, and heritage is important. 128 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 1: It was my first attendance of an Arkansas tradition that 129 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 1: I not only was aware of, but that I supported 130 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 1: most years by buying tickets but never attended. It wasn't 131 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 1: because I didn't like the crowds or I was disgusted 132 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 1: with the thought of eating an I've been eating these 133 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:06,679 Speaker 1: critters my whole life. It was all about timing. The 134 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 1: Coon Supper takes place in January, during the most holly 135 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 1: of outdoor pursuits for a lot of our Kansas and 136 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 1: those that fancy themselves as honorary residents Duck season. Duck 137 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:22,280 Speaker 1: season had My brother Tim and I are working hard 138 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:25,720 Speaker 1: entertaining clients at our duck cap on the Arkansas River 139 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 1: and in the small community of Raydo. Now we were 140 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:31,840 Speaker 1: hunting and whining and dining and folks and just couldn't 141 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:34,680 Speaker 1: fit the event into our schedule, even though it took 142 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:38,719 Speaker 1: place less than thirty minutes from our camp. We never 143 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:40,960 Speaker 1: knew how many people we would have, and let's face it, 144 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: not everyone, even hunters, get real excited about gnawing on 145 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:48,560 Speaker 1: the ham of a ProCon loader, the trash panda, the 146 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:54,040 Speaker 1: mass bandido, a river bottomed coon. So we would usually 147 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 1: buy tickets from a friend of ours who sold them 148 00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 1: just to support the scholarship program that they've vent funded. 149 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:05,360 Speaker 1: We guided professionally for twenty six years. We missed twenty 150 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:09,360 Speaker 1: six coon sumpers. We retired from guiding a dozen years ago. 151 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:13,559 Speaker 1: That's thirty eight coon suppers that I didn't attend. Then 152 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:17,080 Speaker 1: came twenty twenty four, and my friend Austin Booth, the 153 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 1: director of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, invited Clay 154 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: and I and our wives. To look on my wife 155 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:28,400 Speaker 1: Alexi's face when I said, Austin's invited us and Clay 156 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:30,400 Speaker 1: ad missed it to the coon supper next week and 157 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:36,200 Speaker 1: to let it was not astonishment or horror. It was 158 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:40,360 Speaker 1: supportive and agreeable, with only one caveat. I'm not eating 159 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: any and I'll be glad to go with you, she said, 160 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:47,320 Speaker 1: And that Gal's my best friend and I can always 161 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: count on her. Support. However, eating fur bearing creatures is 162 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: about where she draws the line. I've eaten them forever 163 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 1: and usually either like them baked with sweet potatoes or 164 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:02,560 Speaker 1: barbecue like them cooked that way, but neither way stood 165 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:05,160 Speaker 1: out really from any other wild game I've ever read. 166 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: To be honest, the most significant or intriguing factor of 167 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:10,320 Speaker 1: eating a cooked coon was the fact that you were 168 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 1: eating a cooked coon. It became a staple of country 169 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:17,400 Speaker 1: folks during hard times, but the outside of the coon 170 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:22,560 Speaker 1: was historically more valuable than the meat found inside until 171 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:25,800 Speaker 1: the fall of the fur market. Now, when the fur 172 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:29,120 Speaker 1: market crashed in the late eighties, the way coons were 173 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: valued changed with it, and people no longer trapped air 174 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:35,040 Speaker 1: hunting and killed them for the fur, and there were 175 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:39,319 Speaker 1: never very many hunting them just for their meat alone. 176 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:43,120 Speaker 1: It's too easy to fill your freezer full of deer meat, ducks, 177 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 1: and fish, and those were always more appealing to folks 178 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 1: with less of a conviction for eating wild game than 179 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:55,200 Speaker 1: a coon. The older fancies of the meat died out slowly, 180 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 1: with only regional peel from specific communities keeping the flame 181 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 1: burning for a stupot full of cooked coon. Except Gillette 182 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 1: folks down at Gillette were keeping on keeping on. And 183 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:10,480 Speaker 1: while the amount of meat cooked through the years may 184 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 1: have gone down and the alternative domestic choice has gone 185 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: up during that event, the quality of this Southern delicacy 186 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:22,000 Speaker 1: has remained. Now, I'm going to tell you how they 187 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: cook it. Cole Counts is in the agrive business and 188 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:35,560 Speaker 1: as a young man compared to a lot of those 189 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:39,680 Speaker 1: associated with the Coon Supper, but he's also a get 190 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:44,080 Speaker 1: alumnist who is helping maintain the tradition and supporting the 191 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: legacy by volunteering every year. Cole sees the importance of 192 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 1: the mission by bringing the community together in support of education. Now, 193 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:58,079 Speaker 1: Cole himself was a recipient of the scholarship and stewards 194 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:02,360 Speaker 1: the benevolence he received by working in agriculture and giving 195 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: back to his community along with a whole bunch of 196 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 1: other folks. He's quick to downplay his role in the 197 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:12,680 Speaker 1: preparation and pushes the attention to the men and women 198 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:15,400 Speaker 1: who've been there way longer than him. I get it. 199 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:19,559 Speaker 1: They should be recognized and have been as recently as 200 00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:23,640 Speaker 1: Clay's Bear Grease episode number two fourteen. If you had 201 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:26,320 Speaker 1: listened to that one, get your hind end over there 202 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: now and listen. He dives deep into the history and 203 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:33,560 Speaker 1: the politics and the highlights some of the OG's that 204 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 1: have been instrumental in fanning the flames of that event 205 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 1: for the last eighty years. Now, you folks have my 206 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 1: unwavering gratitude and appreciation for staying the course and keeping 207 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 1: the mission of the event alive and well education and family. 208 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,320 Speaker 1: But someone has to be reaching for the torch when 209 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:58,160 Speaker 1: the time is right to pass it on. That's why 210 00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 1: people like Cole and the others who come in now 211 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 1: are so important. Alexis and I sat beside a couple 212 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: who have been coming for sixty one years. He told 213 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: me he was a graduate of Gillette and had never 214 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 1: missed one. He lives in a little rock now and 215 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: he and his wife travel every year to support the 216 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 1: community and the students scholarships. The good Lord Willing I 217 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:27,480 Speaker 1: won't miss anymore. Now, let's cook this thing. A coon 218 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 1: has four sets of glads that need to be removed 219 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 1: before cooking. Failing to do so will give the meat 220 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:37,720 Speaker 1: the very undesirable flavor. It's simple, and with a little practice, 221 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 1: you can have that rascal ready for the bully pot 222 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:43,440 Speaker 1: in less than a minute after you snatched his hind 223 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:46,680 Speaker 1: and off. The glass resemble a bean in shape and 224 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:50,479 Speaker 1: size and vary in color with subtle shades of grape. 225 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 1: They're found in between muscles on each side of the neck, 226 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 1: the joints between the thigh and the lower hind legs 227 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 1: both sides of the rear part of the backstrap, and 228 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 1: the joint between the body front legs between the muscles. 229 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 1: Once that's done, the meat is cutting quartered into serving pieces. 230 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 1: Front legs, hind legs, and a backbone. Pieces are placing 231 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: in salt water baths of brine overnight. The brine can 232 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 1: simply be water and salt and that works great. You 233 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: can also use pre made flavor infused brines that have 234 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 1: sugar and other spices added to create some unique flavor 235 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:32,200 Speaker 1: of yol. Turkey brins have been used by friends of 236 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 1: mine and they say it's a great way to enjoy it. Now. 237 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 1: I haven't tried it yet, but I will. The function 238 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 1: of the brine is to infuse flavor and to tenderize 239 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:44,800 Speaker 1: and moisturize the meat. Brin a turkey, brin, a coon, 240 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:48,160 Speaker 1: it's all the same thing. Now in a big pot 241 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 1: of water. I use a thirty quart the same part 242 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 1: of brin am in. I just wrenched the pot out 243 00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 1: in the coon off before following coals directions, and I 244 00:15:56,840 --> 00:16:00,920 Speaker 1: added four carrots and four onions, four bell peppers, six 245 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:03,680 Speaker 1: or eight stalks of celery night, cut up a couple 246 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:07,000 Speaker 1: of limon and then I went out on my own 247 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 1: and I added a couple of bay leaves and a 248 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 1: cap full of liquid crawfish ball to mix and I 249 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:16,960 Speaker 1: let it slow bowls for about two hours. Now, once 250 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:20,680 Speaker 1: that's done, the coon is cooked. But there's one more step. 251 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:24,320 Speaker 1: We need to amp up the taste even more. It's 252 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:35,880 Speaker 1: time to fire up the smoker. Any residual fat that's 253 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 1: left should be removed before placing it in the smoker. 254 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:41,720 Speaker 1: I removed the coon from the pot, took off any 255 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: fat that was left, and put the five pieces of 256 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 1: bone in backstrap, both shoulder and both hams into an 257 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:53,760 Speaker 1: aluminum pan. Now, I have a camp chef pellet grill 258 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:56,520 Speaker 1: and set the temp at two twenty five in high smoke, 259 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:00,200 Speaker 1: and I let it sit in for about two hours 260 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:03,280 Speaker 1: an hour and the cook I turned the meat once. Now, 261 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:05,919 Speaker 1: once that was done, I took the pan off the 262 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:09,399 Speaker 1: smoker and immediately covered it with aluminum fall and I 263 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:13,400 Speaker 1: let it rest thirty minutes on the stove. If you're 264 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:16,520 Speaker 1: going to add any barbecue sauce, anything else like that, 265 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 1: now's the time to do it. I didn't. That's up 266 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:24,159 Speaker 1: to you. Now allow me to do you another solid 267 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: while I'm at it. Everybody knows that biscuits go with gravy, 268 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:33,200 Speaker 1: corn bread goes with beans, but for the uninitiated, sweet 269 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:35,960 Speaker 1: tateres go with coon. Now. I whipped up a batch 270 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,920 Speaker 1: of cream sweet potatoes while Coon was in the last 271 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 1: stage of smoking, and they were ready to go when 272 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:45,720 Speaker 1: it was time to uncover the pan. Hot dog tastes 273 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 1: better at the ball game. All my kids, from the 274 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:51,720 Speaker 1: oldest to my youngest, Amy, Hunter, and Bailey will testify 275 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:55,880 Speaker 1: to that there's a legitimate link between place and taste. 276 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:59,040 Speaker 1: Fish tastes better on the river, so it only stands 277 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: to reason that coon would taste better in the environment 278 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:06,200 Speaker 1: of where it celebrated most. Let you let coon soper. However, 279 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:10,600 Speaker 1: there was no loss of flavor or enjoyment of eating 280 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:13,200 Speaker 1: it when I prepared my plate and set at our 281 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 1: family table with Alexis and Bailey. Alexis and Bailey both 282 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:21,399 Speaker 1: had some If a bike can be counted as some bailey, 283 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:24,200 Speaker 1: she didn't care for it. Now, this is the girl 284 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 1: that would rather eat barre chilla than ice cream. Remember 285 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:30,480 Speaker 1: that's probably a slight exaggeration on my part, I'll admit, 286 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 1: but she loves wild game coon. It wasn't for her. 287 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:39,680 Speaker 1: Alexis the poster child for city girls who voluntarily jumped 288 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 1: into this country life of mine with an open mind 289 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:46,000 Speaker 1: and a sparkly pair of uggs many many years ago. 290 00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:49,239 Speaker 1: Try to bite and she said, I couldn't tell you 291 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:52,560 Speaker 1: that that wasn't beef. I just ate it has the 292 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:56,119 Speaker 1: same consistency as roast. It's just the thought of it 293 00:18:56,240 --> 00:19:00,040 Speaker 1: being a coon that has me not wanting another bite. 294 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:02,640 Speaker 1: I love you, Brent, and I ain't eating any more 295 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:06,280 Speaker 1: of that. I like the way she always says she 296 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:09,760 Speaker 1: loves me, right before she adds she ain't about something 297 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:14,600 Speaker 1: I am. Everybody needs a cheerleader, a companion, a godly 298 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:18,719 Speaker 1: spouse who supports them in whatever they do. That's good, 299 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:25,480 Speaker 1: even though that may not wish to participate. Alexis is mine, 300 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:27,720 Speaker 1: and I'm sure there are just as many ways to 301 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 1: cook coon as there is to cook anything else. This 302 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:33,919 Speaker 1: is just one way. The way I chose to do 303 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:37,000 Speaker 1: it was this one, with some help from my buddy Cole. 304 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:40,919 Speaker 1: I thought it was fantastic and will absolutely do it 305 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:45,120 Speaker 1: again this fall. Someone like my friend Jason Ellsworth, who 306 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:48,159 Speaker 1: is they show enough wild game chef, a man who 307 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:51,240 Speaker 1: could make a feast out of butterflies and haystring. There's 308 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 1: no telling them what that rascal could contract with a 309 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:57,679 Speaker 1: skin coon. Check him out over at Ellsworth dot cooks 310 00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:01,040 Speaker 1: on Instagram. If you don't believe me, now, I've been 311 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:05,240 Speaker 1: talking about frying catfish in the past, and now how 312 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 1: I like to cook a coon. And if you like 313 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:09,439 Speaker 1: these episodes, let us know and maybe we'll do some 314 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 1: more in the future. We've got a lot of stuff 315 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:13,920 Speaker 1: to talk about in this country life, and we'll take 316 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:17,920 Speaker 1: suggestions from everyone, even the guy that left a one 317 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:21,879 Speaker 1: star review saying I don't listen to the ex cop 318 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:25,560 Speaker 1: turned country boy who is talking about only god knows 319 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:31,399 Speaker 1: what every week. Well, mister, I was a country boy 320 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:35,439 Speaker 1: before I was a police officer. Maybe you were listening 321 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:39,000 Speaker 1: to it backwards. I don't know. Maybe you should try 322 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:43,800 Speaker 1: the Meat Eater podcast, Cutting the Distance, Foundations, Wired to Hunt, 323 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:48,640 Speaker 1: Bear Grease, Cows. We can review God's Country or The Element. 324 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:53,040 Speaker 1: They're all meat eater podcasts, and surely you'll find something 325 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:55,879 Speaker 1: one of them that won't make you so angry. J 326 00:20:56,119 --> 00:21:04,200 Speaker 1: Cody J. Finishing this up in Manitoba, Canada. I've been 327 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:07,000 Speaker 1: up here getting ready to chase black Bears with old 328 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 1: friends and new friends. And we'll visit about that later. 329 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 1: Something else we'll be talking about very soon is some 330 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:18,159 Speaker 1: This country life of barrel gonna hang on just a 331 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:22,399 Speaker 1: little longer. I think you're gonna like it. Time to 332 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:25,159 Speaker 1: get ready to hit the woods until next week. This 333 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:28,880 Speaker 1: is Brent Reeves signing off. Y'all be careful.