Chapter 8 Game Meats 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning

Chapter 8 Game Meats © 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Game Meats • Characteristics – Animals work hard to sustain themselves, so they develop tough lean muscles, with very little fat – Wild animals eat a varied diet, giving their meat a gamy or strong flavor – Farm-raised meats also taste earthy and complex

How Fat Affects Game Animals • The absence of fat can be overcome by: – Addition of fat during preparation – Use of rich marinades – Larding and barding during cooking – Use of aromatics such as herbs, spices, wines, and spirits – Perfect sauces rendered from the bones

Preparation of Wild Game Meats • Rules to follow: – Wear plastic gloves at all times – Clean your knife continually, especially when you are working inside the carcass – Try to keep the carcass clean by getting it off the ground as quickly as possible – Always use clean equipment during dressing – Remove the intestines, lungs, liver, and heart as soon after the kill as possible

Preparation of Wild Game Meats • Rules to follow: – Carefully remove any musk glands, which exude a powerful acid that quickly ruins the game – Protect the cavity from insect invasion – Take care to ensure that these organs are not pierced and that the animal’s hair is kept free of exposed flesh at all times – Cool the carcass quickly and keep it cool during processing and transportation

Preparation of Wild Game Meats • At this time, it is advisable to hang the animal to drain and dry out • Wipe out any excess blood in gutted cavity with paper towels and fresh water, making sure to remove any loose hairs • Dry the cavity well and try to prop it open until the cavity is very dry • To prevent severe spoilage, hang the meat at the proper temperature

Aging Large Game Meat • Flavor improves as it begins to tenderize • It becomes easier to cook • The carcass or large cuts should be held between 34ºF and 37ºF for 7 to 14 days, and even as long as 30 days • Aging allows the enzymes in the meat to break down some of the complex proteins in the carcass

Aging Large Game Meat • Rules: – Do not age any game carcass if it was shot during warm weather and not chilled rapidly enough – Do not age animals that were severely stressed before being killed – If the wounds are too extensive over the body, aging is not recommended

Aging Large Game Meat • Rules: – The animal should be at least 1 year of age before aging will make a difference – Aging is not recommended for carcasses with little or no fat covering – There is a time limit when tenderization slows down and bacterial slime begins to develop

Tenderizing Game Meats • Methods – Mechanical • Cutting • Pounding • Grinding – Plant (protein-digesting enzymes) • • Papaya leaves (papain) Fig Pineapple Some fungi

Tenderizing Game Meats • Methods – Marinades • Considerations – The marinade will tenderize the muscle fibers of certain meats – The marinade is intended to improve the flavor of the meat by penetration the meat fiber – The marinade does preserve the meat for a small period of time – There are two basic types of marinade: » A cooked marinade stays on the meat for a long period of time, up to 4 to 5 days » An uncooked marinade is on the meat for a shorter period of time— 2 to 8 hours

Tenderizing Game Meats • Methods – Marinade • Considerations – The marinade generally contains some kind of oil that helps protect the meat during marinating – The ingredients used should be compatible with the type of meat being used – The ingredients can include herbs, spices, acid liquids, salts, fruits, alcohol and wines, flavored oils, and pungent vegetables – The meat needs to be turned regularly in the marinade

Tenderizing Game Meats • Methods – Marinade • Considerations – Any alcohol, including wine, used in a marinade should first be brought to the boil and chilled before use, because the raw alcohol tends to burn the surface of the meat – The marinade can be used as part of the cooking of the dish that it was used to marinate – The acids in a marinade that contains vinegar, citric juices, or other acidic liquids act to break down protein chains in meats, making them more tender

Adding Fat to Game Meats • • Barding and Larding Stuffing Basting Tumbling

Furred Game • Venison – Meat of the red, fallow, or roe deer – Cud-chewing, even-toed, hoofed animals – Shed antlers annually • Elk – Mild, pleasant-tasting meat – Can be substituted for venison in most recipes

Furred Game • Bison – Largest terrestrial animal in North America – Commonly referred to as buffalo – Meat has unforgettable flavor, with a very sweet, rich texture – Can be cooked similar to beef – Less fatty than beef

Pawed Game • Rabbit – Used for eating as far back as 1500 BC – Meat is white with it own distinctive flavor, comparing favorably to the flavor of veal – Low in calories and fat, and has less cholesterol than chicken, beef, lamb, or pork

Rabbit • Removing the Skin – Slice through the skin, up toward the inside of one of the legs, cutting around the paws and pulling the leg out of the skin – Remove the tail and, using the tip of the knife to loosen the tissue between skin and flesh, draw the skin down towards the head – Now cut around the front paws and continue to draw the skin over the head – Cut off the ears and trim the skin off the head; now the skin should be completely removed and you can start to remove the gut

Rabbit • Removing the Skin – Make an incision from vent to ribs, along the middle of the belly, and through the rib cage, making sure not to go so deep that you perforate the intestines – Break through the skin of the diaphragm, separating the belly from the organs; lift out the lungs, liver, heart, and intestines and separate those you wish to use – Wash the rabbit well, taking particular care with the cavity, and pat dry

Rabbit • Removing the Rack – Remove the hind and fore legs and reserve for further use – Remove the saddle from the carcass, leaving the rib cage intact – Chine the rack with poultry shears, splitting into two racks – Break the rib bones halfway to their ends with a sharp blow of a heavy knife

Rabbit • Removing the Rack – Pull the excess ribs over the ones attached to the flesh, removing the connective tissue and flesh from between the bones to create the French look – Cut the excess off at the eye of the meat, leaving the rack

Hare • Looks like a rabbit but has very different characteristics • Larger in size • Very dark, rich, gamy flesh • Judged good for eating if they have very tender ears when torn, short claws that are easily broken, and an undeveloped harelip • Best at age 7 to 8 months and weighing 2½ to 5 pounds

How to Prepare a Baron of Hare • Remove the hind legs and loins from the body • Remove the bones from the loins, and the aitchbone from the legs • Remove the sinew and silver skin from the back of the baron • Stuff with a sausage and fruit dressing, and wrap the baron with back fat • Tie securely with butcher’s twine

Webbed • Frog – Species used for cooking: • • Green Leopard Pickerel Bullfrog – Giant frog – Jumbo frog

Stuffed Frog Legs • Procedure – Remove the meat from the foot end of the leg, peeling it back without breaking it and leaving it still attached to the bone – Beat lightly to form a flattened piece of meat – Fill with stuffing and roll around the thigh – Wrap in caul fat and cook as desired

Cooking Game • USDA Guidelines – Whole birds to 180ºF, measuring temperature in the thigh with a thermometer – Breast meat to 170ºF – Ground meats and other cuts should reach 160ºF