Whitetail Ground Hand Pies with Onion Jam and Tomatoes

This recipe takes ground whitetail out of the predictable chili-and-burger lane. Slow onions and tomatoes cook down into a jammy filling base, the pastry keeps it all tidy, and the result tastes like a field-to-table version of a steakhouse snack.

1 pound ground whitetail
2 onions
2 tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
1 package pie dough
1 egg
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Salt
Black pepper
Olive oil

Cook the onions low and slow until amber, then add tomato and garlic and reduce into a thick savory jam.
Brown the ground whitetail separately and fold it into the jam.
Cool the filling before spooning it into pastry rounds.
Seal, egg-wash, and bake until bronzed and crisp.
Serve warm with a sharp salad or sliced tomatoes.

Bake the whole batch and freeze extras after cooling. Reheat straight from frozen until hot through.