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Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Good Ole Mountain Oysters....

Around here they are called Bull fries or Calf fries... depending on the critter. Sometimes they are referred to as "Swingin' Sirloin".
What ever you call, them they are tasty! :)



They are easier to work with if frozen or even partially frozen.



I soak them in cold water to thaw just a bit, just enough to make the outer membrane soft.. It takes about 25 minutes but I keep an eye on them.



I make a cut all the way around the fry, cutting through the membrane but not into the meat..



peel the membrane back. You can do this under cool running water, it comes off pretty easy.



rinsed in cold water and ready to slice.



Thickness is a matter of preference. I like them about 1/4 of an inch thick. Some Calf fries need only to be cut in half or left whole....but these are Bull fries, so I slice them how I like em.

They are easier to work with when frozen or partially frozen.



If I have many to prepare, I like to wrap the plate in plastic wrap and set it in the freezer while I work with the remaining fries.

If you have help, they can go ahead and start cookin'.



My favorite coating is regular saltine cracker crumbs . Nothing fancy, just saltine crumbs.
I place the crackers in a baggie and run over them with a rolling pin.
Make more than you think you will need! :)



I dip the fries into an egg milk bath, coat with the cracker crumbs and fry til golden.





Serve with a horseradish cocktail sauce, cold beer and plenty of napkins..





They might not look tasty but trust me, they are. lol :)

41 comments:

cynic said...

I was shivering all the way through that one :)

cowgirl said...

Hahaaa Jim, Thanks! :)

LindaG said...

I've heard about them. Never seen them before.
Thanks for showing how it's done, cowgirl! :)

Mrs. JP said...

I've never or will ever try those. I've heard their good but can't get past the location.

Jonathan said...

I've only ever had deer or antelope fries, which are quite small, but oh so good. The shear size of those bull fries would make it worth the effort. Have you ever had buck fries? Are they similar?

lisa said...

Unfortunately, that is one thing I do not care for. It has been a long time since I have tried it, and maybe trying it your way I might consider trying it again now.

Tango Joe said...

Great write up. I recall the first time I had Calf fries during a trip to Austin.
You are right, not much to look at, but darn good eatin'!

cowgirl said...

Thanks Linda! They really are tasty. :)

cowgirl said...

Hahahaa Mrs JP, Thanks! :)

cowgirl said...

Hi Jonathan!
I've not tried buck fries.. OR antelope, I bet they are great too.
I've had sheep and pig fries and they really are similar in taste to the bull fries.
I had not even thought about buck fries. Thanks for mentioning them. Maybe I can come up with some next deer season.
Thanks Jonathan, and thanks for stopping by! :)

cowgirl said...

Thanks Lisa, at least you tried them. Some won't taste them if they know what they are. lol
Hope you are having a great week!

cowgirl said...

Thanks Joe! Glad to hear you like them too. It's good to see ya. Hope winter is treating you well. :)

Prairie Cat said...

I laughed all throughout this post!

Never had them, but now that I have a farm, maybe it is time to give it a try.

Big Dude said...

I think this may be the first thing you've ever made that I'd probably just pass on :-)

Paul said...

First pics left me a little uneasy, I've never tried them, but I'd definitely eat 'em. Great pictorial Jeanie, thanks.

Rich said...

Rocky Mountain Oysters, as their called in this neck of the woods. Good eatin', but you'll never get people to try in unless you just label it as "beef".

cowgirl said...

Prairie Cat I hope you try them sometime! Thanks...and thanks for stopping by. :)

cowgirl said...

Hahahaa Larry... thanks! :)

cowgirl said...

Paul thanks! Glad to hear you would give them a try. Nice to see your profile is working now too.
Thanks! :)

cowgirl said...

Rich, great idea on labeling them as "beef", I'm going to try that. lol
Glad to hear you enjoy them too.
Thanks!
Hope your week is going well. :)

cowgirl said...

Rich I just listened to the audio clip on your profile...
Wow, it is absolutely beautiful!
Very nice!

JazzCat said...

Those look AWESOME Jeanie!!
I'd eet that entire pan myself! :p

cowgirl said...

Thanks JazzCat!! Glad to hear you wouldn't be afraid to try em. :)
Hope you have a great weekend!

Calamityville said...

Cocktail Sauce! No Ranch Dressing?

cowgirl said...

No Calamityville, I like to go the horseradish route on fries. :)

wannabe chef said...

well not something I have ever cared for, Maybe it was cause I empathize with the critter too much but growing up with 5 older sisters there was a threat to those.

Three Dogs BBQ said...

We have a nice little pub around here that sells these as Rocky Mountain Oysters. We bought some and told a new guy at work that they were a fresh water oyster indigenous to lakes and streams in the Rocky Mountains. He tried one... Oh my, the reaction was priceless. Anyway, another guy came in a popped on in his mouth thinking they were fried mushrooms. Another priceless reaction...

Anyway Jeanie, how do they compare to chicken gizzards? I like those.

cowgirl said...

Hahahaaa WannabeChef..too funny! Thanks. :)

cowgirl said...

LOL Bill! That's great! I bet they were shocked when they found out what they were.
Chicken livers are a lot stronger in flavor than these. The fries are fairly mild.

Hope you try them some day.:)
Thanks Bill!

Old Smoke said...

Hey Jeanie
It has been a couple of days since I stopped by, kinda busy....;) I love 'em. It was one of the perks of "markin' day" I always told everyone what they were, cause that usually meant more for me......Yep, I'm evil

cowgirl said...

That's great Rick! Glad to hear you like em too. :)
Your patio pics are great, wish I had your energy!
Thanks Rick. :)

SadieW said...

Ha no animals were killed in the making of this meal. Rodeo breakfast is what we call it I like em fried in sausage or bacon grease. Lamb frys are best.

Unknown said...

I've only ever heard them called "prairie oysters" here in Canada.

housemom1952 said...

These are considered an aphrodisiac in certain cultures! My Papa Tanner swore by them...He and my granny had 18 kids so there must be something to it.
Seriously, I've eaten them and they are similar in taste to chicken livers to me.
An old Archie Bunker skit has Edith telling Archie they are having "tongue" for supper...he complains that he won't eat it because of "where it comes from"...she says "What will you eat instead"...He says "a couple of eggs!"...lol!

Unknown said...

Delicious! Can't believe that people won't even try these. But, they won't try frogs legs either, and they are super fantastic! I guess you just have to be daring or southern to love these foods! Way to go, I like to dip mine in a blue cheese dip and sometimes after frying, I toss them in a buffalo sauce like wings! Yummy!

cathy mosier said...

I just can't seem to get pass the locale of these...fried rattle snake however is great! Hahaha

cowgirl said...

lol Sadie, I love lamb fries too..

I've been gone for the weekend but stopped at a cafe in New Mexico for lunch today. Calf fries were on the menu.. I had to give them a try.
Definately tasted like pre-battered frozen ones. Just not as good as fresh made. Just can't beat fresh ones.
Thanks for stopping by! :)

cowgirl said...

Hi Michael! They are tasty no matter what they're called. :)
Hope you had a nice weekend.. thanks for stopping by!

cowgirl said...

lol Housemom!! Great stories..thanks!
I appreciate you stopping by too. :)

cowgirl said...

I agree too Vanessa! Can't believe more people won't try them. :) They really are tasty. Blue cheese and buffalo sauce sound great, I will give it a try..Thanks!
Also..thanks for stopping by. :)

cowgirl said...

haha Cathy! I understand what you mean. Wonder who was brave enough to try the first one. :)
I love rattlesnake too. Pretty tasty...almost a cross between frog legs and chicken. :)
Thanks for stopping by!