If you’re a fan of wild game, you’ll know that it often tends to be a much leaner piece of meat. But with fat, comes flavor.

We recently paid a visit to Drew Snyder, head chef at Bonnie & Clyde’s Pub and Grill in Lehighton, who shared one of his favorite recipes for preparing wild game.

Snyder demonstrated how to make Parmesan Encrusted Elk Rack.

“This is good for any type of game because this is adding flavor that’s not ordinarily there,” says Snyder. “There’s not a lot of fat when it comes to wild game.”

Snyder says that while beef fat adds flavor, deer fat doesn’t.

While Snyder prepared elk, he says this recipe will work well with venison, bison, caribou, moose, lamb and any type of red meat. If you’re using beef, he recommends using a shoulder tenderloin

Snyder, who grew up in Bucks County and relocated to Carbon after taking the job at Bonnie & Clyde’s just over a year ago, is an avid hunter and outdoorsman. He often has wild game on the menu, and prepares it in a variety of ways.

Snyder has no formal culinary training, but instead perfected his craft under an exceptional chef, who is also his mentor. He’s been cooking for more than 10 years throughout the Bucks County area.

Being at the Lehighton restaurant almost since it first opened has given him a chance to help shape the menu, which he describes as a “New American style of food.”

“We serve a mix of Italian food, seafood, steaks, fresh fish, lobster, duck, Cornish game hens. We try to mix it up a lot,” he says.

The coolest part about working in a place like this, is that we can try a lot of different things. If it works, it works. We can try anything, and we do a little bit of everything.”

In the meantime, Snyder says he’s still searching for just the right blend of recipes and dining experiences.

“I want to find something that signifies us.”

Bonnie & Clyde’s Pub and Grill is located at 111 North St. in Lehighton. The kitchen is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.

Parmesan Encrusted Elk Rack

Serves 2

2 6- to 8-ounce elk racks

1 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh chopped garlic

1 teaspoon fresh chopped shallots

1 teaspoon fresh herbs (combination of equal parts thyme, parsley and rosemary)

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

Sea salt

Vegetable oil (90/10 blend of vegetable and olive oil preferred)

Cabernet rosemary-infused demi-glace

Microgreens

Combine the olive oil, garlic, shallots and herbs into a container deep enough to cover your elk rack. Mix well, add the elk. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down until all of the air is removed and to prevent oxygen from getting in. Marinate for 2 to 4 hours.

Remove elk racks from marinade and remove pieces of garlic, shallots and herbs from the meat so they won’t burn when cooking. With a sharp knife, trim away any silver skin (the thin membrane of connective tissue).

Heat vegetable oil in a saute pan. When hot, seer the meat over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a food processor or blender, combine panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and onion powder; blend for 30 seconds.

Sprinkle both racks with sea salt, then coat liberally with the breadcrumb mixture.

Add more vegetable oil to the saute pan, and heat. Add the elk racks and cook lightly on each side for a minute or two. This will brown the panko and melt the cheese.

Preheat your oven to 375 F, then place the ovenproof saute pan into the oven. If you prefer your meat rare, cook for 4-5 minutes. Cook 8 minutes for medium or 12 minutes for medium well done.

Plate and finish with a drizzle of demi-glace. For his dish, Snyder created a Cabernet rosemary-infused demi-glace. You can make your own demi-glace, which is labor-intensive and takes hours, or you can purchase a prepared demi-glace.

When on the menu at the restaurant, this dish is serve with a wild rice blend and garnished with microgreens and a slice of watermelon radish for color.