MISSOULA, Mont. - Grilling season is here. The Boone and Crockett Club is sharing a kabob recipe from a cookbook that skewered the competition recently in a national book awards.

The Club's first-ever cookbook, "Wild Gourmet: Naturally Healthy Game, Fish and Fowl Recipes for Everyday Chefs," received the coveted Gold Award in the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards. It's one of the highest national honors for independent book publishers. An engraved crystal trophy was presented April 10 at a ceremony in Austin, Texas.

Judges include book retailers, reviewers, editors, publicists and librarians.

The title has been prominent on the Amazon bestseller list since its release in November. Glowing reviews have appeared on websites from Audubon to Field & Stream.

"A Gold Award is a prestigious accomplishment and we're honored to receive it," said Julie Tripp, director of publications for the Club. "Our goal was providing a valuable resource for hunters, locavores and foodies alike. This new, national recognition will help even more people discover what sportsmen have known all along - the tastiest, healthiest meat is wild meat."

At 272 pages, the book features instructions for processing game mammals, birds and fish, recipes from Emeril Lagasse, Scott Leysath, Hank Shaw and others, as well as suggested wine pairings, submitted by third-generation Napa winemaker and Boone and Crockett member Marc Mondavi, to go with each dish. For purchasing info, click here.

To help celebrate the award, Boone and Crockett is sharing one of the book's recipes:


Grilled Marinated Caribou Sirloin
By Scott Leysath

It sounds far-fetched, but suppose you don't have caribou sirloin in your freezer. What then? This simple marinade is great with any antlered game, although it's hard to beat the delicate flavor and texture of caribou. A marinade should enhance, not disguise, the flavor of game meats. Too often, home chefs go to great lengths to mask the rich, vibrant taste of wild game.

This marinade has a hint of Asian flavors with both sweet and sour components. Marinated meat can be skewered or simply grilled alongside peppers and onions. If skewered, consider placing vegetables like peppers and onions on separate skewers to better control the cooking temperatures of both meat and vegetables.

2-1/2 cups caribou (or other game) sirloin, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes

Marinade
3/4 Cup olive oil
1/2 Cup honey
1/4 Cup red wine vinegar
1/3 Cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1-1/2 Teaspoons ground ginger
1-1/2 Teaspoons kosher salt
1 Tablespoon course ground pepper

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a tight fitting far and shake vigorously. Can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks.
2. Place caribou in a non-reactive container or zipper lock bag. Add marinade, toss and refrigerate for 1-6 hours.
3. Remove from marinade, drain and place on a medium-high, well-oiled grill and brown on all sides, but preferably not past medium-rare (130-135 degrees internal temperature).

Suggested wine varietals: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir or syrah.


About the Boone and Crockett Club

North America's first hunting and conservation organization, the Boone and Crockett Club was founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887. Its mission is to promote the conservation and management of wildlife, especially big game and its habitat, to preserve and encourage hunting and to maintain the highest ethical standards of fair chase and sportsmanship. Join us at http://www.boone-crockett.org.


Media Contact: Steve Wagner, Blue Heron Communications, at 800-654-3766 or steve@blueheroncomm.com.