Article contributed by Lucy Wyndham
Former American pro-footballer and TV commentator Mike Ditka was quoted as saying: “Really, if I’m gonna eat a meat, I’d rather eat venison than anything and I do like it a little on the rare side. That’s probably my favorite meat and I’ve had some awfully good venison in some of the great restaurants.”
Up until recently wild game meat was considered inferior to beef products by a very discerning American public. Today even some of the country’s swankiest restaurants offer a variety of wild game including deer, wild boar, duck, and quail on their menus in dishes ranging from deer tartar to quail pie. As popular as game is becoming, it remains one of the trickiest meat types to prepare, especially if you are in the catering business where both the quality, taste, and presentation of your meals are of the utmost importance. Thankfully a few basic guidelines will enable you to not only pick the best meat, but also prepare it in a delicious manner.
Know how to pick your game meat
When you are in the catering industry you want to ensure that you only use the freshest, quality ingredients. Once you have sourced a reliable supplier for your game (unless of course, you hunt yourself) you need to know exactly what to look for when buying your meat. If you are buying game birds, opt for those that look plump and have a pleasant, gamey smell. If you want to cook deer or any other type of game such as deer, look for meat that has both a dense texture and deep color. Always remember that younger animals and birds are naturally more tender and those that fed on a natural, quality diet render the most flavorsome meat.
Match the type of meat to the correct cooking method
There are a number of ways in which game can be prepared with the cut of meat largely determining the method. Naturally tougher cuts like those derived from the neck, shank or shoulder of a deer can be braised and then used in a delectable soup or stew. Hindquarters are the most versatile part of the animal and can cut in strips across the grain to use is designer salads and sandwiches, cubed for pies and kebabs, or cut into steaks, tenderized, and grilled. If you are cooking game birds such as duck, pheasant, and goose consider searing it in a hot pan before oven roasting it until the skin is crispy and the meat juicy.
And be careful not to overcook it
One of the most common mistakes both home cooks and chefs make is to overcook their game. Regardless of the cooking technique, you settle on it is important to never cook your meat for longer than is required. Even just a few minutes unnecessary cooking time can render your meat rubbery, gamey, and almost unpalatable. Tender cuts of game like loin and tenderloin are typically served rare to medium-rare and literally require a couple of minutes over high heat to reach the correct state. Due to the fact that game is generally a lot leaner it may be necessary to continuously baste it during the cooking process to ensure that it does not dry out before it is ready to be served.
Always rest your meat after cooking
If you want your game meat to be juicy you have to allow it to rest after cooking. Most cooking processes will leave the exterior of the meat dry. While your meat is resting, however, the moisture will spread to the entire cut of meat ensuring that all areas are as juicy as the centre. The ideal resting period depends on the size of the piece of meat although it is typically between 10 and 20 minutes. The most adequate way to rest game is to cook it till the internal temperature peaks and then tenting it in foil to keep warm while the meat fibers relax. This technique works as well for deer as it does duck and can easily be used to rest large quantities of meat at a time.
Wild game has come a long way since it was seen as an inferior meat product. With more modern-day chefs stepping out of their comfort zones as far as ingredients are concerned one can expect to see game on an increasing number of menus in the near future.
