JEREMIAH DOUGHTY: COOKING WITH PURPOSE

When life throws you a curveball, you can either bitch about it or make something of it. Huntsman Jeremiah Doughty chose to make something.

After years growing his skills in cooking, Doughty was on track to become a successful chef. Then, he developed an unexpected allergy, and suddenly all beef and bovine fats were off limits. This beef allergy now threatened to keep Doughty out of the career he’d worked so hard to build. It felt like the end of the road, but instead of allowing his allergy to beat him, Doughty used it to make a new start.

Beef isn’t the only red meat out there, and in the great outdoors, Doughty combined his skills in hunting and cooking to try a completely new approach. Doughty’s years of experience allowed him to start hunting big game, giving him new options to beef that he could use in his dishes.

“I had to figure out how to live without red meat because, for most people, beef is the only red meat they eat,” he says. “It was eye-opening, and it led me to explore the big game hunting world, from elk to deer to antelope.”

Taking all that he was learning, Doughty created his business From Field to Plate and now asks others to join him on his journey from the hunt to the kitchen, sharing his skills, cooking style, and the importance of respecting the land and the wildlife around us.

RESPECTING THE HUNT

Doughty grew up outdoors, having adventures and learning his family’s tradition of hunting. For Doughty, hunting wasn’t just a sport—it was a skillset and way of life that gave him a deep appreciation for animals. To hunt, you have to blend in with an animal’s surroundings, learning their ways and behaviors, close to them in a way most people will never experience. During and after the hunt, Doughty learned that the best way to show appreciation for the animal is to make sure its life is given a purpose.

“Growing up, my dad taught us that if you kill it, you eat it to honor its life,” Doughty remembers. “This lesson stuck with me.”

While he learned how to hunt on trips with his father, Doughty also picked up cooking skills from his mother’s kitchen and his grandfather’s grill, where he learned how to make the perfect burger patty by matching the size of a baseball. Doughty’s passion for both cooking and hunting defined his young adult years. Little did he know his experiences would lead him to build From Field to Plate.

MAKING THE MOST OF WHAT YOU’VE GOT

Stepping into the world of big game hunting wasn’t easy. Armed with some basic equipment, Doughty set out on a solo hunting trip in Wyoming—a trial by fire. In demanding conditions, he experienced setbacks that would discourage the less determined. Yet he succeeded.

Even after a successful antelope hunt, Doughty found butchering and cooking the meat to be a difficult and unique challenge. “It was a frustrating experience,” he recalls. “I hated the meat's flavor and texture because I treated it like beef.”

Remembering his father’s words, Doughty refused to give up. “I knew I had to find a way to make it edible,” he says.

Doughty found the secret was to experiment with new flavors. Instead of his usual approach for beef, he used ginger, garlic, and soy, creating a homemade marinade for the antelope that changed the meat into something his family couldn’t get enough of.

This discovery set From Field to Plate in motion, mixing Doughty’s hunting experience with his goal to make amazing, fresh food. “From that moment, I started experimenting more, going to Wyoming every year to get four or five antelope to fill the freezer,” he says. “It snowballed into exploring other wild game and eventually led me to quit my job six years ago.”

He hasn’t looked back since.

FROM THE HUNT TO THE TABLE

Doughty wanted to help others experience the simple joys of hunting, preparing meat, and cooking it in flavorful ways. From Field to Plate is a collection of all the lessons he’s learned from the challenges he’s faced in the kitchen and out on the hunt. Together, it’s a solid guide for hunters, butchers, and cooks of all experience levels.

“To me, the story behind your dinner is more important than the dinner itself,” Doughty says. “You won't get the same story or emotion from a steak at the grocery store. It's like growing your own vegetables. Even if the tomato is small and not perfect, you'll have so much pride in it because you grew it. Hunters are the same way.”

Through his work, Doughty aims to make the whole process of hunting and preparing meat easier, making the skills available to everyone while also teaching the basics of flavor and cooking methods to create great food.

“Cooking often seems scary because we watch shows where chefs sweat over crazy dishes,” he explains. “But here’s the secret: once you understand flavor, cooking becomes natural. Think about fat, citrus, sweetness, and salt. Your taste buds crave variety, and my goal is to hit every flavor note using simple ingredients.”

The real satisfaction hits Doughty after one of his dishes is cooked and eaten. “The best part is the silence that follows the first bite. If the room is quiet, you've done a good job,” he says. Doughty now gives others the tools to see what that satisfied silence feels like.

Doughty’s hard work, respect for animals, and straightforward approach to hunting and cooking has opened up both these worlds to people who may have never tried it for themselves otherwise. The huge impact of his choice to give up beef, explore wild game hunting, and share his knowledge with others isn’t lost on him.

“I'm glad this happened, and I'm glad that I was able to find out who I was, humble myself, jump into that pool, and make the biggest splash,” he says. “And there's times that I get back out of the pool, and I do it all over again. I want to see how many people I can impact.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT FROM FIELD TO PLATE