Onion Soup Venison Meatloaf, Foil-Wrapped
Ground venison, onion soup mix, and breadcrumbs, cooked in foil on a grate instead of a loaf pan.
- calories
- 410
- weight
- 9 oz
- cal / oz
- 46
- protein
- 42 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 50 min
- total time
- 60 min
- water
- 90 ml cold
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Campfire coals
- Grill grate
- Dutch oven
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Foil packet
- Pre-mix at home
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Ground venison | 2 lb | frozen solid at home, thawing in the cooler on the drive |
|---|---|---|
| Onion soup mix | 1 packet | beefy onion; any brand works |
| Dry breadcrumbs | 3/4 cup | |
| Eggs | 2 | or 2 tbsp powdered egg plus 4 tbsp water |
| Water | 3/4 cup | bouillon dissolved in it if you have some |
| Worcestershire sauce | 1 tbsp | |
| Soy sauce | 1 tbsp | |
| Ketchup | 2 tbsp | for the glaze, optional |
| Yellow mustard | 2 tbsp | glaze |
| Brown sugar | 1 tbsp | glaze |
| Heavy-duty foil | 2 long sheets |
Method
- Burn a fire down to coals, or set a charcoal grill up for medium indirect heat. You want steady heat, not flames.
- In a bowl or a gallon zip bag, mix the venison, soup mix, breadcrumbs, eggs, water, Worcestershire, and soy sauce. Work it until it holds together and stop there.
- Shape it into a low, wide loaf about two inches thick on a doubled sheet of foil. Thin cooks through; a tall loaf burns outside and stays raw inside.
- Stir the ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar together and spread it over the top.
- Fold the foil into a sealed packet with an inch of air above the loaf, then set it on the grate off to the side of the coals.
- Cook 45 to 55 minutes. Open the packet and check the center: firm, no pink, juices running clear. If you carry a thermometer, 160°F.
- Let it sit five minutes in the open foil before you cut it.
Venison ground for jerky has essentially no fat in it, which is why this leans on soup mix, breadcrumbs, and water instead of relying on rendered grease to keep things moist. The breadcrumbs and eggs hold that added liquid in place during the cook. Without them you get a dry brick.
The camp change is the pan. A foil packet on a grate does the same job as a loaf pan in a 350°F oven, so long as you keep the loaf thin and the packet off direct flame. Shaping it wide also cuts the cook time down from an hour to something a fire will hold steady through. Venison is a cooler item, not a shelf-stable one, so this is a first-night dinner.
Packing
Combine the soup mix and breadcrumbs in one bag at home and premix the glaze in a small jar. The venison rides frozen at the bottom of the cooler and thaws on the way in.
Variations
- Add a cup of chopped carrot, onion, and bell pepper to the mix if you have a cutting board and the time.
- No eggs: 2 tbsp powdered egg and 4 tbsp water binds it the same.
- In a dutch oven, skip the foil, bake covered with coals on the lid for about an hour.
https://www.huntingpa.com/threads/venison-meatloaf.3272