Steak on Stick--the perfect party appetizer

Rick is out hunting in the rain today. That doesn't sound like my idea of fun, but he seemed pretty psyched. At least he decided to skip the morning hunt and stay dry a little longer (often his need for coffee in the morning outweighs his need to sit in the tree). He left mid-morning, after doing part of the prep work for the teriyaki venison skewers we're taking to a party tonight (that is slicing the meat into strips).

The hunting widows reading this may be wondering how I've convinced my husband to go to a party on a Saturday night during hunting season. Trust me, this is unusual. The only reason he is going is because the people upon whose land he hunts are throwing the party. His plan is to come out of the tree at dark, walk up to the house, a
nd join the fun. I'll be getting a ride to the party with a friend.

We're bringing Rick's famous Steak-on-a-Stick, teriyaki venison style. Every time we've made this, it's gone immediately. Even our picky young nephews have told us we can make it whenever we want.

Steak-on-a-Stick—Venison Teriyaki

• ½ lb to 1 lb venison chunks, cut into strips (about ½ inch wide by 3 to 5 inches long) (note: because you are marinating this, you don’t have to use prime cuts of meat. Just make sure you’re using pieces of venison that you can cut to into the strips)
• Teriyaki sauce
• Skewers (we use bamboo skewers if we're taking these to a party)
  
• 1 cup sesame seeds

Cut the venison into strips and place in container with lid. Cover the meat with teriyaki sauce. If the sauce doesn’t cover the meat, add water until all pieces are submerged. Place in fridge and let marinate for at least 4 hours (the longer the meat marinates, the more tender it will be). After marinating, put meat on skewers, threading well enough so the meat won’t fall off when cooking. Clean out the container and put the meat on the skewers back in it. Pour the cup of sesame seeds over the meat, cover, and shake so that the seeds cover all the meat. Heat grill to 350. Place the skewers on the grill. By the time you’ve put the last one down, it will be time to flip. It generally takes 3 to 5 minutes to cook.

For the Teriyaki sauce

• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbs minced ginger (fresh or from a jar)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ tsp honey
• ¼ cup cold water (if needed to thin sauce)

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to allow the sauce to thicken. Once it reaches a boil, take it off the heat and let it cool. If it looks too thick, add the cold water until it’s the consistency you want.

A few notes:

• These are best when cooked on the grill, but they work in the broiler too. Either way, watch them closely because they cook very fast.
• You can probably use pre-made teriyaki sauce, although we’ve never tried it. The homemade sauce is very easy to make and really doesn’t take much time.
• The recipe makes a lot! We usually take it to parties, and we never bring any leftovers home.