After a long day of hunting, hunters are ready for a fast and hearty meal. My buddy Vernon, aka The Black Prince, cooks just what hungry hunters need. He calls his meal Vernon’s Slop, but when a hunter is hungry, it is just what the Doctor ordered. His nickname has nothing to do with his race or cooking prowess, but that is another story.
Vernon and I had spent a long day hunting deer on a steep mountain. We saw some does but the bucks avoided us. We made our way back to camp and talked about what was for dinner. Vernon said, let me worry about that.
Once we are back at camp, time is needed to get reorganized for the next hunt. Weapons may need to be cleaned and stored safely. Socks and other garments need to be dried out. The next day’s snacks and water bottles must be reloaded. Casual camp clothes need to be worn after a long day in boots, packs, and layers of clothes. While all of this is going on, dinner needs to be cooking. 
As soon as we hit camp, Vernon was at the fire. He had the wood loaded and flaming as he grabbed a Dutch oven and began dinner. His slop recipe is a dump and cook all in one meal. He already had the deer meat cubed from an earlier hunt. In less than 15 minutes, the Slop was cooking.
2 lbs. of cubed venison
1 pkg of crinkle cut carrots
2 sticks butter
2/3 of a bag of Potatoes O’Brian
1 tsp onion salt
1 tsp Celery salt
1 small 8 oz. sour cream
2 cans or boxes of mushrooms sliced
1/3 a bag of red, yellow, and green pepper strips
2 cups of Flour
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 8 oz. bag of shredded cheddar cheese
1 large Ziplock bag
Roll the meat cubes in the salt and pepper, flour, using the zip bag. Brown in one stick of melted butter. Add the carrots. Once the meat is browned and the carrots are softening, add the second stick of butter. Potatoes, peppers, and spices. If you want the slop to be thicker, add the remaining flour to the pot. If you want the slop thinner, add some water or milk to the mix to make a gravy.
About 30 minutes out, add half the cheese, sour cream, and mushrooms.
You can make Vernon’s Slop over the fire but place the oven on coals separated from the fire. This helps to keep the slop from burning. Check and stir the slop every 15 minutes or so. Allow the meal to simmer while you handle other post hunt chores. The longer it simmers the better. Usually, we cook the slop for an hour or more.
If you prefer more of a stew, add some beef broth, red wine, beer, or water.
Add the remaining cheese at the end. You can also serve the slop over rice or egg noodles. A side of French Bread and butter is also tasty and helps to clean the bowl. This one bowl meal will fill the bellies of the hungriest hunters! 
Vernon’s Slop always hits the spot!
Montana Grant
