When I spoke with Michael Hunter – known to many as The Hunter Chef – about his new cookbook Hunter Chef in the Wild, I expected recipe tips and hunting stories. What I didn’t expect was the genuine humility, conviction, and practical wisdom that left me thinking long after our call ended.
“Why does it taste so good over
the fire?”
It’s a question he talks about with this chef buddies. And for me, he wasn’t just talking about flavour. As we spoke, I realized this simple question carried something deeper – a reminder that life itself tastes sweeter when it requires effort.
In his new cookbook, launching September 2, Michael shares over 80 recipes celebrating this philosophy. Think whole-roasted beaver on a spit, bear shanks with creamy polenta, or trout grilled right on the riverbank.
“I just think cooking over the fire tastes better,” he told me. “It’s the smoke, the mountain air, and the place that you are.”
We seemed to agree: Life is sweeter when it’s harder.
Food First – Changing Perceptions
I asked Michael how he manages public conversations about hunting, especially in an era when wild harvest is so misunderstood. His approach is simple:
“I’ve really found a great niche as a chef and someone that’s a chef and a hunter. I’ve been able to work with a bunch of hunting brands to promote hunting and to promote what they’re doing through food because it allows me to reach the non-hunting audience and talk about food first rather than just hunting.”
“If you’re talking to someone about hunting, they don’t necessarily want to listen to you. But if you talk to them about food first, they’re more open to understanding.”
Boom! Food First Philosophy – a concept I scribbled down in my notes with stars and underlines.
“One of the reasons I got into writing cookbooks – this is my second one – is that I love showing hunters how to get more out of their game. You see things like ribs, neck, and shanks being discarded because they’re tough and full of sinew and tendons. If you don’t know how to cook them or make a stew, they are awful. But if you learn how to make a proper stew, it’s some of the most delicious meat on the animal.”
“A friend’s wife once said, “If you can make an old rutting mule deer buck shank taste good, all power to you,” because she thought it was going to be awful. I did osso buco with mule deer shanks, and she couldn’t believe they’d been giving them to the dogs for thirty-plus years.”
I know what I’ll be trying this fall.
Hardship, Hunting, and Staying True
When I asked about his ideal hunts, Michael told me:
“I love being in nature. The farther away from civilization the better. It’s an added bonus when your phone doesn’t work… I like really rustic, off-the-beaten-path, canvas wall tent experiences.”
This commitment to authenticity is the same conviction that carried him through 11 months of relentless protests at his Toronto restaurant, Antler, where he famously butchered a deer leg in the front window to make a point about food sovereignty.
“My mother taught me not to put up with other people’s shit… when you stay true to who you are, when you believe in yourself and what you’re doing, I don’t think you can mess up.”
Can it possibly be that easy? I’ll need to try that.
How to Choose an Outfitter
I’d recently added info to our GOABC website about how to choose an outfitter and I was curious what Michael had to say.
“You’re going to be spending a lot of time with that person. Getting to know them before you spend your hard-earned dollars at their outfit is important. You’re sharing close quarters with that person and their crew, make sure you get along and are aligned with their morals.”
If there was one thing I could go back and tell my younger self it would be the importance of values alignment. I liked this guy.
Michael’s Top Three Tips & Other
Must Tries
Because Mountain Hunter readers love practical takeaways, I asked Michael for his top three tips for camp cooks – or anyone wanting to share wild game with friends and family:
1. Start with a good recipe.
“Pick a trusted source… a chef or author whose recipes work.”
2. Understand the difference.
“Wild game is very different than farmed meat, mainly due to age. Beef in the grocery store is up to a year old, maybe eighteen months, so it’s more tender than wild game. Unless it’s a predator like bear or cougar, try eating things a bit more rare than you are used to.”
3. Learn patience and adapt.
“Be patient. If a recipe says three hours, it might take five depending on the animal’s age and muscle development. Adapt on the fly.”
I had to ask: What about gaminess? What causes it and how can we avoid it?
Michael surprised me:
“I like that gamey funk, but braising removes gaminess. Red wine, stock, tomato, rosemary, long cooking – the gaminess is gone. Eating more rare also helps with backstrap or tenderloin. Spices help too. Sweet and sour flavours like fruit, vinegar, sugar reductions pair well with game, almost like a chutney or marmalade.”
Good thing I’d just had breakfast.
One wild protein everyone should try cooking at least once?
Without missing a beat:
“Squirrel. It’s in the rabbit family, tastes like chicken. It’s probably one of the most underrated small game meats out there. But more BC-specific, bear. I was at a spring bear camp where I made bear shanks with cheddar polenta, and guys who’d hunted bear their whole lives couldn’t believe how good it tasted. For me as a chef, that’s a huge win.”
How about a back-pocket recipe that’s
a slam dunk even when the fridge is
half bare?
“Any stew or braise is a slam dunk for me. The osso buco recipe is a favourite. Creamy cheesy polenta goes great with stew. There’s a spice ash rub in my first book that’s also a slam dunk. Venison backstrap is another – people go crazy for it at the restaurant. Any braise with tough meat is my favourite.”
Yummy.
Field to Table
Hunter Chef in the Wild is on sale September 2.
His first book, The Hunter Chef Cookbook, is available on Amazon (and enroute to my kitchen).
To experience Michael Hunter’s recipes in person, visit him at Antler Kitchen & Bar in Toronto—or better yet, take Michael’s advice and cook something wild over the fire this fall. After all, food – like life – always tastes better when you’ve worked for it.
Questions for the Guide? Looking to create your own adventure in this area or with this Outfitter? Visit them in our member directory and get in touch!
