Few things are more aggravating when you’re grilling than trying to skewer a piece of meat or burger on the grill to flip it and having it slide through the grates onto the flame or fall off and hit the ground.

By Alan Clemons, Managing Editor

That happens sometimes with a fork or spatula and it’s not good. My dogs like it when I drop something, but I don’t. We go through hours of preparation for hunting trips and yet sometimes neglect the little things at home or camp that can make cooking easier. Here are three things to make life a little easier and the venison a little better.

Use Some Tongs!

Unless you’re just dead-set on stabbing a loin or roast with a giant two-pronged fork, toss it and get some tongs.

If you ever watch any cooking shows or even at a restaurant with an open kitchen, you’ll see chefs using tongs instead of forks. Tongs are easier to handle, give you more leverage with small or large chunks of meat, and are quicker. Try flipping chicken, chops or venison steaks with tongs instead of stabbing them and trying to easily flip them. I promise, you’ll give up the fork and use the tongs from now on.

They don’t have to be fancy, either. You can buy them at most “marts” and some of the larger grocery stores. Check in the kitchen section or, in the grocery store, on the aisle with the grilling items. I like the ones that are about eight or nine inches long. If you have a big grill and don’t like to reach over the grate, get some longer ones.

Have A Good Cooler

We touched on this a bit last week with this story about the Icey-Tek coolers, which are on sale now in ShopDeerHunting.com.

A solid, dependable cooler that keeps your venison or food items (and beverages!) cold for longer periods is far better than a cheap cooler and melted ice. Icey-Tek makes some outstanding coolers that will keep you food and beverages cold and on ice for days. These high performance coolers can keep ice for up to 12 days. They’re great for camp and in emergencies when the power goes out, too.

They’re available at ShopDeerHunting.com in four sizes and multiple colors. Throw away those old coolers with little to no insulation and be ready for hunting season with a good one.

Keep Your Food Frozen, Not Burned

My father’s a big duck hunter and each year I try to go with him a few times to put away some mallards and gadwalls in the freezer.

A couple of years ago I had some nice breasts and legs packed nicely and stacked in the freezer. When I got a bag of them out a couple of months later, they were freezer burned, tough as leather and hit the bottom of the garbage can with a thud. I was not happy.

I should have had a food storage system like this Oliso Pro Vacuum Sealer, which DDH Editor Dan Schmidt says is the bombdiggity. He uses it for many things including storing vegetables from their garden and keeping venison fresh for months. The sealer removes air, ensuring a proper storage package and preventing freezer burn.

I recently picked up the new FoodSaver GameSaver Titanium G800, which I’ll be putting to darn good use this season for ducks and deer. It has a 15-inch long sealing strip and can handle larger cuts of meat, as well as smaller ones, and a dual setting for single- or double-seal capabilities.

Hey Y’all, Let’s Eat!

Here’s a great recipe for a smoked venison roast from DDH fan Tim Smart, who submitted it for our popular cookbook “We Kill It, We Grill It.” The book is packed with reader-submitted recipes that are mouth-watering and your family would love! Get It Here Now

Smoked Roast with Dry Rub

1 Venison Roast

Dry Rub
1/2 cup chili powder
1/2 cup salt
1/4 cup granulated garlic
1/4 cup granulated onion
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp dry mustard
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup Creole seasoning

Combine ingredients, then generously coat and rub them into the roast. Start smoker with lump charcoal and some wood chips.* Let the roast smoke with indirect heat for 4 to 5 hours, checking every hour or so to regulate heat and spray roast with water. After 4 to 5 hours, remove from smoke rand place roast in high-sided pan with 1/4 inch of water. Cover with tinfoil and bake for an hour at 250 degrees.

* Let the wood chips soak in water for an hour or so before putting on the hot coals.