Phyllis Hobson - Easy Game Cookery

By Phyllis Hobson

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Hobson, Phyllis

Easy game cookery / by Phyllis Hobson

A Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin, A-56

ISBN 0-88266-231-7

A successful hunt should mean good eating at the table, not hard work in the kitchen. The best ways to cook game are the easiest.

One of the best recipes for venison can be written in one sentence: Roast the haunch on a spit over an open fire with a little salt and pepper and an occasional basting of butter. There are other easy ways you can bake and simmer and saut wild game without qualifying as a gourmet cook. Cooking game need not be dull, just easy.

That is the key word for the best in wild game cookery: easy. Take it easy cooking game. Simmer the meat slowly over low heat. Bake it in a low-to-moderate oven. Fry it gently. Take it easy on the heat. And with these recipes to guide you, sit back and take it easy while the game slowly cooks to its tender, juicy best.

For best flavor, game animals should be skinned, game birds plucked, and fish scaled or skinned as soon as possible. The entrails should be removed and the meat washed and chilled. You may want to take large game animals to a butcher or a locker plant for processing. With smaller game, chances are you will do it yourself.

All fat should be trimmed from the meat. Although most game animals do not develop the heavy layer of fat characteristic of domestic livestock, their fat is strong tasting and even a small amount will affect the flavor of the meat. The trimmed meat can be basted with cooking oil, butter, or margarine. Ground meat can be mixed with pork or beef fat.

Large and small animals and game birds (but not fish) should be aged to improve the flavor and tenderize the meat. Small game animals and game birds should be wrapped in a damp towel or put in a plastic bag and kept in the refrigerator for a few days to age. One to two days will age young animals and up to four days is good for older, tougher meat. In cold weather, large game may be hung in a cold garage or unheated basement where the temperature does not go above 40F. Or, the carcass can be cut into large chunks and stored in a refrigerator.

After aging, large game should be cut into roasts, steaks, stew meat, and so on. Small animals and game birds may be cut up or left whole.

The more tender cuts from young game animals can be fried, broiled, sauted, or cooked on the open grill just as you would the steaks and chops of beef, pork, and lamb. To fry the steaks, dredge the pieces in flour, season with salt and pepper, and brown in heated oil over low heat. Turn once to brown on both sides and let the meat slowly cook to tender goodness.

Smaller pieces of boneless meat can be sauted in hot butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir frequently and do not flour. Either way, be careful not to overcook game. Otherwise, it will become tough and dry.

The meat from older animals should be braised or stewed to break down and tenderize the fiber. To braise, first fry or saut to brown the meat, then add to 1 cup liquid, cover, and cook over very low heat until tender, adding small amounts of liquid if necessary.

Meat from more mature game and the tougher cuts from young animals can be fried if they are first tenderized. There are several ways to tenderize meat.

Use a commercial tenderizer. Commercial tenderizer made from a natural enzyme, will soften the tough muscle tissue in a few minutes. Follow the directions on the package.

Marinate. Place meat slices in a shallow bowl or baking dish and pour over it a coating of French dressing; tomato juice, water, and lemon juice; water and vinegar; or your favorite marinade. Refrigerate 24 hours, turning several times.

Pressure-cook. Stew or braise at 15 pounds of pressure for 1520 minutes, following the manufacturers directions.

Break down the fiber. Tenderize by pounding with a meat mallet, chopping, or grinding the meat.

Parboil. Simmer for 15 minutes over low heat in just enough water to cover. Then discard the water and bake, fry, or braise. Parboiling also removes some of the gamey taste from strongly flavored meat.

About that gamey taste. Most people like it once they have acquired the taste. It is like ripe olives or Limburger cheese; few people like it the first time. But for many people, the different flavor of game is the reason they look forward to the opening of the hunting season. They welcome the change from the monotony of beef, pork, and chicken on the dinner table. If you have not yet acquired the taste, there are ways you can minimize the strong flavor of wild game. Here are a few.

Soak it. Cover the meat with water in which 3 tablespoons of salt or 3 tablespoons of vinegar have been mixed. Soak the meat for 30 minutes. Be careful, though; soaking too long can make the meat soft and watery.

Disguise it. Baste a roast with marinade or gravies rich with garlic or spices. Serve steaks and roasts with flavorful sauces and gravies.

Stuff it. Fill the cavity of whole animals with sliced onions or orange halves. Discard the stuffing after baking.

Combine it. Make stew or ground meat with half game and half beef or pork. Cook a venison stew or pot roast with potatoes and carrots.

Parboil it. Simmer the meat in water before frying or baking. Discard the cooking water.