Outdoorsmen gather for harvest feast
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Chef Jeremy Critchfield checks a tray of smoked venison meatloaf — a recipe similar to the one he uses for meatloaf on their regular menu.
The first course of pheasant and barley soup begins the wild game dinner.
Jim Tobal (left) and Bill Kooser, long-time members of the group, reminisce about the history of the wild game dinner.
Kenny Chenger (standing), reads the names of deceased members before the start of the wild game dinner.
Thinly filleted trout simmers with onions, celery and oranges, the first step in the preparation of pecan-encrusted trout.
Special care is taken while prepping the tender, lean bobcat meat that will be the featured item in the fresh vegetable stir-fry.
Chef Jeremy Critchfield stirs a kettle of stewed squirrel, prepared with fresh herbs and bailey to later be drizzled over buttermilk biscuits.
Chef Jeremy Critchfield (left) and Ben Moyer carefully trim the lean bobcat meat into bite sizes pieces for an Asian-inspired stir-fry dish.
After a successful harvest 36 years ago, three outdoorsmen and their friends gathered to enjoy one another’s company, swap stories and partake in a hearty dinner of their harvest.
Not much has changed in three decades as the former educators and lifelong friends gathered again at the Historic Stone House Restaurant last weekend with fellow hunters and anglers to enjoy a gourmet, 10-course meal.
“Time to start class,” former Laurel Highlands history teacher Jim Tobal said with a laugh before he blessed the feast.
“Thank you for this yearly gathering of hunters, fishermen, outdoorsmen and conservationists,” Tobal prayed. “We thank you for the bountiful harvest we’re about to partake of. May our arrows fly straight, our guns shoot accurately and our fishing lines never break.”
Tobal, along with his good friends Ken Chenger and John Pechunka, who formerly taught chemistry and English at Laurel Highlands respectively, has spent decades hunting and fishing, and formally arranged an annual wild game dinner in 1980.
“It’s something we always do. It’s about the stories we tell, and the camaraderie. It’s a unique gathering of men,” Tobal said. “Anyone that hunts knows that you don’t just want to kill the animal — you want to make use of it, respect it, and eat the meat. We take a lot of pride in the way we clean it — it’s just the proper thing to do as hunters.
“I imagine there are people out there just want to kill, but when you’re older, you appreciate life in general. We don’t abuse anything. We thank the Lord for the harvest, swap stories, develop friendships, and enjoy our lives,” he continued.
Last year, the trio approached Stone House executive chef Jeremy Critchfield after news that their former location at Braddocks Inn Restaurant in Chalkhill wouldn’t be open.
“We were extremely pleased with the dinner last year — everything he did was so darn good. It tastes a lot better than just throwing it in a pan and frying it,” Tobal said with a laugh.
Critchfield used his personal experience with hunting and preparing wild game to provide an abundance of savory dishes, served family style, to a room full of fellow avid outdoorsmen.
In the air, there were stories and laughs about “the ones that got away” along with the successful harvests from a bow or muzzleloader. Also audible was the clatter of silverware and satisfied mumbles as those gathered commented on the tasty dishes before them.
“They don’t give me any directions — they let me have creative reign, a blank canvas,” Critchfield said.
“It’s like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates. I never know what I’m going to get. They just show up with coolers and boxes full of wild game, and I get to decide how it’ll be prepared.”
“This is my passion. It’s how I grew up. This is an awesome opportunity to hone my craft, while taking part in a tradition for these local outdoorsmen,” he said.
Critchfield treated those in attendance to platters overflowing with creamy pheasant and barley soup, Italian fried turkey breast, bacon wrapped pheasant with a tart sauce, pecan crusted trout and buttermilk fried quail. The chef also prepared venison in several ways, including grilled backstraps, smoked meatloaf and meatballs.
New to the menu this year, though not to Critchfield, was stewed squirrel.
“I haven’t fixed squirrel in a couple decades,” he said with a laugh. The small pieces of the hearty forager were served with gravy over buttermilk biscuits.
Critchfield also tried his hand at a meat not common on most menus — bobcat.
Bill Kooser, local outdoorsman and former biology teacher at Laurel Highlands, brought in the bobcat that a client brought to his taxidermy business.
Comparing the meat to a tender veal or pork cut, Critchfield prepared it in a sweet and tangy stir-fry with fresh vegetables.
“This is something the guys look forward to every year; it’s just a fun thing to do, and we know where all of the meat comes from. We know it’s good and clean and fresh,” Tobal said.