Wild Game....what do you like?
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Deer and elk (I'm fletching arrows for deer season which starts in two weeks right now - first year hunting with a traditional bow. Dang if the zwickey's do not just *look* deadly sitting on the arrow).
Deer makes great spagetti, great meatballs, and some of the best ausage I've ever had. Elk has been some of the best chili I have ever had.
I'll also eat squirril (hopefully have one or two after scouting our lease - but then I'm hunting them with a bow so probably not). I have a few dove, not enough to make a meal of the breasts. I think I am going to try a soup or something this weekend before they go bad.
Western US birds aren't too good (well, except pheasant). They have plenty of flavor but even beaten to a pulp they are still like chewing gum. Or at least all I have had are - but being in east Tennessee I only get them from a few sources that travel out west to hunt. Been told that is because of the amount of flight per unti of food they have to do - dunno but the huns and woodcock I tried to eat were awful chewy (even if they did actually taste good).
Deer makes great spagetti, great meatballs, and some of the best ausage I've ever had. Elk has been some of the best chili I have ever had.
I'll also eat squirril (hopefully have one or two after scouting our lease - but then I'm hunting them with a bow so probably not). I have a few dove, not enough to make a meal of the breasts. I think I am going to try a soup or something this weekend before they go bad.
Western US birds aren't too good (well, except pheasant). They have plenty of flavor but even beaten to a pulp they are still like chewing gum. Or at least all I have had are - but being in east Tennessee I only get them from a few sources that travel out west to hunt. Been told that is because of the amount of flight per unti of food they have to do - dunno but the huns and woodcock I tried to eat were awful chewy (even if they did actually taste good).
southerncook
Senior Cook
woodduck...though it's hard to get enough to make a dinner, as the limit is small. Then any grain feeding wild goose who has the misfortune of coming down this way into the path of a friends/relatives gun. We eat what they kill and we cook them with all the respect that any 2,000 dinner would get......
Claire
Master Chef
I like most, but can't say I'd go out of my way for goat, domestic or otherwise. Had it prepared by Vietnamese and African cooks, just don't care for it. One of my great moments as a home cook was when a friend called in Hawaii and said she was sick of her husband bringing home wild boar, did I want some? He arrived with a freshly butchered boar and we tossed it in the freezer. Made some great barbecue sandwiches and kabobs with it. I was surprised at how mild and lean it was. When we visited Canada we were thrilled at how much game is on the menus there, at least in the fall. Here I can regularly get deer venison tenderloin that is domestically raised. I kinda miss at least a little gamey flavor, but it is still delicous.
I just ate some Dove. Which taste like chicken hearts. My husband didn't like it at all. I can take it or leave it.
I like deer if it's been soaked in milk for a couple of hours or over night. Once I roasted a haunch of venison with bacon.. Really good.
I have eaten rabbit and it's ok. Taste like chicken.. as Eddie Izzard would say.
I used to eat squirrel too, but only like it stewed way down with lots of garlic and onion.
as for racoon and anything else. NOPE> I hate racoons. They ate all my koi.
I had duck once. But would like to try it again.
I like deer if it's been soaked in milk for a couple of hours or over night. Once I roasted a haunch of venison with bacon.. Really good.
I have eaten rabbit and it's ok. Taste like chicken.. as Eddie Izzard would say.
I used to eat squirrel too, but only like it stewed way down with lots of garlic and onion.
as for racoon and anything else. NOPE> I hate racoons. They ate all my koi.
I had duck once. But would like to try it again.
SierraCook
Master Chef
Venison stew, jerky or sausage. The other day I had elk chili, it was great.
That is about the limit of my wild game eating.
SC
That is about the limit of my wild game eating.
SC
Guiedo
Assistant Cook
Anything
I will eat anything that you can kill from duck rabbit venison etc. My all time favourite though is spit roast wild pork. I know traditional and boring but so very tasty.
Crocodile would have to come a close 2nd
venison 3
and rabbit especially off a barbeque is always a great little snack.
I must conffess though I would be a bit suspect on the road kill even if it was fresh, but hey chances are I would eat it, bit of picante sauce some blue cheese anything is good.
I will eat anything that you can kill from duck rabbit venison etc. My all time favourite though is spit roast wild pork. I know traditional and boring but so very tasty.
Crocodile would have to come a close 2nd
venison 3
and rabbit especially off a barbeque is always a great little snack.
I must conffess though I would be a bit suspect on the road kill even if it was fresh, but hey chances are I would eat it, bit of picante sauce some blue cheese anything is good.
Venison, rabbit and hare are all staples in the Highlands of Scotland - and all readily available in our major cities.
Also - in season - grouse, ptarmigan, capercaillie, woodpigeon, pheasants.
My husband adores grouse - I can take it or leave it, but I cook it quite a bit as our friends seem to enjoy venison in the winter months.
Also - in season - grouse, ptarmigan, capercaillie, woodpigeon, pheasants.
My husband adores grouse - I can take it or leave it, but I cook it quite a bit as our friends seem to enjoy venison in the winter months.
comissaryqueen
Senior Cook
I've eaten javelina sausage in AZ. it was o.k. I really liked the flavor of Kangaroo but not the texture a little chewy. Venison is my favorite.
cantcook
Cook
What do I like? Venison, rabbit, squirrel, turkey, dove, quail...........I eat regularly and could probably post 100 recipes on wild game alone.
I HATE gamey meat though!
On venison, there are a lot of misconceptions about what actually causes some meat to have a more gamey taste. jpmcgrew did hit on a point about how field dressing an animal can affect it.............basically the faster you can cool the meat after the kill the better. But that only accounts for VERY VERY little of the gamey taste. Most of it comes from poorly handled and cleaned meat, largely due to taking your animal to a game processor. They are FAR LESS meticulous with cleaning the meat and removing ALL the membrane material from the muscle. THAT makes for some gamey venison!!! Also, game processors usually hang a cleaned carcass in a cooler, no membrane removed mind you, for a couple days or more to age it or just due to the volume of work they have at that time. Hanging that meat with the membrane on it is the worst thing you can do, taste wise. Another bad thing about processors are, you never really know if you get your own meat back and often times you don't...............you get the poundage that you should and the cuts that you asked for, but it could easily have come from another animal and most of the time that they grind the meat or make sausage you can bet there is someone elses meat in there too!
Thats why I process all my own meat. I get in no hurry at all about gutting an animal, and usually don't if I'm not inclined to dig out the tenderloin. What I will do is try to hang it up and quarter it out as soon as possible and take all the meat and immediately throw it in a tub of clean water with a box of salt and ice it down. This will draw out excess blood very quickly. You don't want to let it soak so long that you remove all the blood and brine your meat though. That will make for dry and somewhat bland meat. Usually 4 - 6 hours will do it, and keep that ice on it!! When you bring it out is when the hard part begins, deboning and cleaning ALL of the membrane coating off of the meat. Its messy and sticks to you but do it anyway. When you think you have it all, run your meat under the faucet and see if the water gets trapped under anything clear and bubbles up...........if so, keep cleaning!! My meat goes immediately from this stage to freezer paper and into the freezer. No gamey taste AT ALL, no need to soak the meat in milk, no need for heavy marinades, just juicy tasty meat!!! This I guarantee!!!
I HATE gamey meat though!
On venison, there are a lot of misconceptions about what actually causes some meat to have a more gamey taste. jpmcgrew did hit on a point about how field dressing an animal can affect it.............basically the faster you can cool the meat after the kill the better. But that only accounts for VERY VERY little of the gamey taste. Most of it comes from poorly handled and cleaned meat, largely due to taking your animal to a game processor. They are FAR LESS meticulous with cleaning the meat and removing ALL the membrane material from the muscle. THAT makes for some gamey venison!!! Also, game processors usually hang a cleaned carcass in a cooler, no membrane removed mind you, for a couple days or more to age it or just due to the volume of work they have at that time. Hanging that meat with the membrane on it is the worst thing you can do, taste wise. Another bad thing about processors are, you never really know if you get your own meat back and often times you don't...............you get the poundage that you should and the cuts that you asked for, but it could easily have come from another animal and most of the time that they grind the meat or make sausage you can bet there is someone elses meat in there too!
Thats why I process all my own meat. I get in no hurry at all about gutting an animal, and usually don't if I'm not inclined to dig out the tenderloin. What I will do is try to hang it up and quarter it out as soon as possible and take all the meat and immediately throw it in a tub of clean water with a box of salt and ice it down. This will draw out excess blood very quickly. You don't want to let it soak so long that you remove all the blood and brine your meat though. That will make for dry and somewhat bland meat. Usually 4 - 6 hours will do it, and keep that ice on it!! When you bring it out is when the hard part begins, deboning and cleaning ALL of the membrane coating off of the meat. Its messy and sticks to you but do it anyway. When you think you have it all, run your meat under the faucet and see if the water gets trapped under anything clear and bubbles up...........if so, keep cleaning!! My meat goes immediately from this stage to freezer paper and into the freezer. No gamey taste AT ALL, no need to soak the meat in milk, no need for heavy marinades, just juicy tasty meat!!! This I guarantee!!!
Constance
Master Chef
Venison
My husband and grandson are deer hunters, and last fall put over 300 lbs of meat in our freezer in the form of venison loins, hams, bulk italian sausage, brats and salami.
Deer are overly plentiful here in Southern Illinois, and fatten up on the farmers corn and soybeans. My guys bring home mainly young does that are sweet and tender, though even the bucks are tasty when properly cleaned and cooked.
I make venison stew, braised medallions, pot roast with vegetables, venison and noodles, venison vegetable soup, etc out of the young ones, and use the bucks for Italian Venison, BBQ and chili.
Venison is far healthier to eat than beef or pork, not only because it is lean, but also because it isn't loaded with growth hormones and antibiotics.
Rabbit and squirrel can both be delicious when prepared correctly. They're good floured, browned, then braised with mashed potatoes and gravy...also great in a gumbo or jambalaya. Of course you can put about anything in a gumbo. When I lived on the bayous, I learned not to ask, as the meat tended to be whatever papa brought home from the traps.
My husband and grandson are deer hunters, and last fall put over 300 lbs of meat in our freezer in the form of venison loins, hams, bulk italian sausage, brats and salami.
Deer are overly plentiful here in Southern Illinois, and fatten up on the farmers corn and soybeans. My guys bring home mainly young does that are sweet and tender, though even the bucks are tasty when properly cleaned and cooked.
I make venison stew, braised medallions, pot roast with vegetables, venison and noodles, venison vegetable soup, etc out of the young ones, and use the bucks for Italian Venison, BBQ and chili.
Venison is far healthier to eat than beef or pork, not only because it is lean, but also because it isn't loaded with growth hormones and antibiotics.
Rabbit and squirrel can both be delicious when prepared correctly. They're good floured, browned, then braised with mashed potatoes and gravy...also great in a gumbo or jambalaya. Of course you can put about anything in a gumbo. When I lived on the bayous, I learned not to ask, as the meat tended to be whatever papa brought home from the traps.
wild duck or goose is wonderful slow braised over a mirepoix with red wine, and served over wild rices and greens.
venison, boar, and elk are always appreciated. grilled, roasted, stewed, depending on the age, and cut.
Julia CHild has a wonderful Rabbit and Leek pie recipe, and Wiliamsburg VA Christiana Campbell Tavern has a fine recipe for WIld game pie.
As much as I love summer for the produce, I love fall for the game and slow oven cooking.
venison, boar, and elk are always appreciated. grilled, roasted, stewed, depending on the age, and cut.
Julia CHild has a wonderful Rabbit and Leek pie recipe, and Wiliamsburg VA Christiana Campbell Tavern has a fine recipe for WIld game pie.
As much as I love summer for the produce, I love fall for the game and slow oven cooking.
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