Newsgroups: rec.hunting
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 21:24:25 -0400
From: elitist@VT.EDU
Subject: ANOTHER ELITE VENISON RECIPE!

As my many fans and admirers know, I am partial to Middle Eastern cooking,
especially that of the beautiful land of Egypt.  One of the classic dishes
of this region is Koufta, a mixture of ground meat and spices.  Egyptian
women vie with one another to produce the best koufta, and I have had the
good fortune to have had some made by a lady who is almost certainly the
best koufta cook in Cairo.  Here is my version, adapted from Samia
Abdenour's "Egyptian Cooking: A Practical Guide," published by the American
University in Cairo Press (ISBN 977-424-026X, and well worth getting a
copy).  Most Middle Eatern dishes work admirably with venison, and this is
no exception:

Koufta Mashwiya (Grilled Koufta)

For each pound of **finely ground** venison, you will need:

2 tablespoons ground allspice
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 onion, very finely chopped
1-2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon powdered garlic
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
Olive oil

Mix these well into the gound meat, until all the spices are thoroughly
incorporated. Shape the spiced meat mixture into "logs" about 4 inches long
by an inch diameter, and slide the "logs" onto oiled bamboo skewers, two to
a skewer.  Lightly rub the outside surfaces with oil, and grill over medium
heat about 4 minutes per side.

Serve with warm pita bread and side dishes such as hoummous (pureed sesame
paste, available at your local supermarket: "Tribe of Two Sheiks" is the
brand around here).