Do you enjoy eating game?
Had my first seasonal taste of venison last night at a favorite restaurant, La Fontanella in Pelham, N.Y....Enjoyed very much! Made me wonder whether you 'serious eaters' out there also enjoy game...where do you go for it...do you cook it at home...what are your favorite game dishes?
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43 Comments:
Even when I ate meat, I didn't care for the taste of game. I didn't care for the taste of offal, either... so, I'm thinking I may have always been destined for vegetarianism.
Among the meat eaters in my family, though, buffalo is a current favorite to replace the red meats they used to eat.
Brownie at 10:01AM on 12/10/08
Love it. My dad got a deer every year ... until he started taking my brother and then both me and my brother hunting with him, heh. Even after he stopped bagging deer, we still always ended up with venison because someone we knew just had too much. These things happen when population control need is so bad you can legally take 5 deer some years (otherwise, you just end up hitting them with your car, which I can tell you first hand is NO fun).
Anyways. We ate venison every way we ate beef: hamburgers, meatballs, steak tips, etc. We always loved it, and good thing considering the amount we ate. My dad told me once that I'd probably eaten more venison than beef over the course of my childhood.
joyyy at 10:09AM on 12/10/08
I love it! I'm lucky that SO and his friends hunt. I've had lots of venison as well as elk, and moose, and wild turkey. the flavors are stronger than most grocery store meats but I think they are alos more honest, if nothing else, I know the animal died quickly and as humanely as possible.
huneybumper at 10:14AM on 12/10/08
I pretty much grew up on game - mostly venison, with the occasional rabbit, quail, or duck. These days I don't eat it as much, but I still enjoy it when I can get it. It's tasty stuff.
jenilowrance at 10:24AM on 12/10/08
Short answer: Yes.
It's always seemed odd to me that in Missouri, which is full of the tradition of hunting, restaurants have had a hard time selling game dishes. The "cute" idea seems stuck in many people's heads. Oddly, growing up in a small town, my family's menfolk didn't hunt, but many of my friends' families did, and not once but twice I married into hunting families, so I learned to cook rabbit, squirrel and venison very quickly. Mr. Meatloaf is way not a hunter, so our game comes on our plates, and there is very little I will take more quickly than a waiter's suggestion that pheasant is the evening special.
lemons at 10:38AM on 12/10/08
I SO did not read the title of this thread correctly..........
izatryt at 10:53AM on 12/10/08
Love it. Venison, rabbit, even squirrel. I actually have some big elk steaks in the freezer from my cousin. I've never prepared it before, but looking forward to it!
hungryinhouston at 11:04AM on 12/10/08
Well, although my uncle hunts deer every season and sometimes brings home a deer, I have never had venison. However, I have had the pleasure of reindeer (on a pizza in Norway, which was brilliant), elk, zebra, yak, camel (okay, not really game - but maybe?), and others. My go-to game, though, is bison. I love it. I love that flavor and richness that doesn't come from fat, like in most beef that I eat. There is just something about that texture and flavor that I love.
I have a place in town where I can get elk and reindeer, especially during this season, and then I can always get bison at the local butcher, both local and from out-of-state. I prefer bison burgers to beef burgers, too, with their juiciness, but I will use ground bison for anything, really, including tacos.
Traveller at 11:30AM on 12/10/08
@ Iz-"I know all there is to know about the eating game..."
Kerosena at 11:49AM on 12/10/08
I like venison. The first time I had it was in Jackson Hole, WY and loved it! Because of that experience, I have been searching for a restaurant within 4 hours of Cleveland (that's not underground), but to no avail. Then again, the meal could have been wonderful because I was "backpacking" across N America for 3 months.
Cassaendra at 12:20PM on 12/10/08
I love venison. The backstrap grills beautifully (seasoned with just salt and pepper) and is delicious served medium rare-rare. I've also braised various tougher cuts in a mixture of sliced onions, apple cider, white wine, rosemary and garlic...it's kind of like a brisket, or a pot roast and tastes delicious served with mashed potatoes, or polenta.
Junie at 2:20PM on 12/10/08
I'm sadly disappointed. When I read the topic line I thought someone had come up with an eating game, like drinking games. But I love venison, maybe we can combine the two.
MixedByHand at 3:06PM on 12/10/08
That's what I thought! An eating game!!
@Kero ~ So what are the rules?
izatryt at 4:28PM on 12/10/08
the medalions are superb... like little filet mignon slices.... there's a venison farm in my area.... i've also had venison spare ribs also.... good. not very meaty but good flavor on the grill... if you're into picking at bones.
i used to eat rabbit but then i got a chihuahua and it reminded me too much of my little willie.....
pooch at 6:10PM on 12/10/08
NOT!! But then I don't really like too many red meats. The game flavor just bugs the hell out of me. I did however like it in jerky and those sticks you get at the store, they are good. My now exhusband used to bag a deer or elk every year and I would make him heart sandwiches for him the the deer or elk heart. I would boil it in water and then have to carve it for the sandwich with the usual s#$t he likes in a sandwich. OHhhhh I miss those days......NOT!
pjracz10 at 7:47PM on 12/10/08
I haven't had venison, but I love quail.
buffy at 7:50PM on 12/10/08
I twern't corn-fused at all. I haven't had a lot of experience, except venison - which I love. I've never seen it served in a restaurant. I remember one Asian restaurant in NJ that got closed down for buying and serving venison bought from local hunters. I'm not sure they disclosed that it was venison. This was about 180 years ago, when I was a mere babe in the woods.
PerkyMac at 7:54PM on 12/10/08
Not so much. I like buffalo, but mostly for either ground meat use or in stews. Not so fond of buffalo steaks. Some roasts are okay. I love lamb, which a lot of people say has a "gamey" taste, but that's not a game meat.
Wild boar is good, but it's not something I run across often.
As far as the rest of the game meats, I'll be happy to leave them for people who really like them.
Last time I had game meat it was at a pricey restaurant that features a lot of different game. We took another couple there, and they were really into the idea of trying all these different meats. Of course, everyone tasted what everyone else had ordered, and for the most part, I thought that it was all tough, grainy, stringy or otherwise not fit to be called a steak. Any of it would have made fine stew meat or burgers (with some added fat) but as steak it was pretty sad. And expensive. Did I mention that we paid too much?
dbcurrie at 1:01AM on 12/11/08
Dove, quail and venison. Yum! Venison chili is my holiday favorite!
gammypie at 2:35PM on 12/11/08
Love game. More flavour and (typically) less fat and cholesterol. Winning combination all around!
I especially love game birds (which I do cook at home) and venison. However, I've been having a HECK of a time finding venison to buy here in Toronto. I've looked a Whole Foods, and about 6 specialty butchers with no success.
doyouloveanapple at 2:37PM on 12/11/08
@izatryt- i read it wrong too! ahahha
i got excited because I wanted to learn how to play some eating games but i don't want to play anymore.... =X
Melmelmeow at 5:32PM on 12/11/08
Love venison, but then again I'm from Wisconsin. You can get it at any specialty or country-type store there. Nueske's (the BEST bacon in America people) make awesome venison sticks/jerky.
Embackus at 5:39PM on 12/11/08
Here in Memphis game is pretty readily available via friends that hunt: duck, venison, squirrel, goose, quail, I tend to avoid raccoon and possum
And then there's the commercially available "game":
alligator, turtle, rabbit, crawfish, frogs
I think my favorite game meat is feral pig, the mostly-wild descendants of domesticated swine. They get huge out in the forests and swamps, feeding on roots and acorns. I used to know a guy who hunted them and made his own cured sausages, hams, and the best kielbasa I've ever had.
I've often felt that the South had a lot in common with France and Southeast Asia in the "eat anything that swims, crawls, or flies" sense.
Benitowine at 7:04PM on 12/11/08
I probably haven't encountered much game, but growing up, Mum would roast or braise a duck or a goose rather often (in fact, my father and his friends used to hunt geese many years ago; and my Mum dealt with all the cleaning, feathers and all).
I have very fond memories of those duck or geese dinners, and would gladly try to recreate them (among other things, if I remember correctly, Mum would stuff a goose with apples and citrus and roast it in a large LC pot, on a bed of sauerkraut - it was unbelievably delicious), but OH is not game (pun not intended) for some reason, so I'm not pursuing it any more for now. Maybe I'll be able to convince him one day.
brooke29 at 7:29PM on 12/11/08
Have loved all the game I've eaten...
Deer is very good, elk is OK (but can only eat so much at a time), bear is passable (especially ground and mixed with ground beef). Haven't had any other large game I can think of at the moment.
Prefer small game. Rabbit and duck are excellent, but I do prefer domestic over wild for both of them. Alligator is quite tasty. Snake is good, too. Frog legs are not really my thing (they taste swampy to me).
My favorite game is of the small bird variety... I just ADORE quail, squab, dove, etc. All those tiny birds are just so damned good. Nom. Nom. Nom.
LoCo at 9:29PM on 12/11/08
I've sadly been deprived the chance to eat venison -- I'd certainly try it if I had the chance! But, I do love duck, quail, and rabbit. (I tried dove once, but found I prefer duck to the tiny birds. *shrug*) Buffalo is good, no question!
... Does having eaten alligator count at all?
bansidhe at 6:11PM on 12/12/08
i'm just reading a book called the scavenger's guide to haute cuisine, written by stephen rinella, about hunting for all the various birds, fish, and beasts needed to prepare a multicourse three day long feast using recipes by escoffier, then butchering and preparing them into elaborate concoctions like galantines, quenelles, mousses, and terrines. his point of view is sort of hard to take since i'm the type of person who will go to the park for the express purpose of feeding squirrels, but i admire his passion.
cybercita at 12:30AM on 12/13/08
Some good elk advice is going on on A Hamburger Today: http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/12/dear-aht-should-i-make-burgers-with-my-elk-meat.html
Adam Kuban at 5:55PM on 12/13/08
cybercita, thanks for posting that!
simon at 7:06PM on 12/13/08
you're welcome, simon. i must say it was quite a horrific read for a bambi lover like me! but he's an excellent writer and it was a very entertaining book.
cybercita at 11:50PM on 12/13/08
I love it - last night, I made a huge batch of elk stew. It's going to feed me for a week. SO delicious.
lo82070 at 12:23PM on 12/15/08
My dad brought home some moose meat from a hunting trip he had taken and was determined to make a stew like they had in the wilderness. We could smell it ( I swear on anything you'd like) a mile away!! He had started cooking it inside and the odor was getting bad he said so he moved his pot outside and cooked it on a buane burner! The only thing worse than the odor was having to try to eat it! My older sister was in tears because she was so ashamed of everyone in town being able to follow the stentch to our house!!!!!!!! It was horrible to say the least!
nancyromero at 12:34PM on 12/15/08
Paul Prudhomme once published an awesome recipe for RATS Gumbo, where RATS is an acronym for Rabbit, Andouille, Tasso, and Squirrel. Some of the best eats I've ever had...
I definitely appreciate game, even more so when I killed and butchered it myself. Gifted meat is OK, but if you went out and bought it then I wouldn't consider it "game" as the animal was probably commercially slaughtered an processed... it would fall into the "exotic/unusual meat" category for me.
SSG Snuffy at 1:22PM on 12/15/08
I like eating game, I think it tastes delicious and is morally much preferable to eating most farm-raised animals. My buddy's girlfriend gave him a lot of grief when he wanted to go bow-hunting on a friend's property out in West Virginia. She said it's not necessary to kill wild animals any more because we can eat farm-raised ones.
But which is preferable? Eating an animal that has had a chance to live a full life, in its natural habitat, doing whatever it is it wants to do, and which dies a fair (I think), quick, relatively painless death? Or a cow that has lived for a year-and-a-half, most of it crammed into an industrial feedlot standing in a pile of it's own excrement, eating food that is slowly killing it and antibiotics to keep it alive long enough to reach slaughter weight? Stupid Omnivore's Dilemma making me all thinky :)
Anyway judging from the above posts I may be preaching to the choir, just my two cents.
Oh and the moose story is hilarious...
WhatsCookin at 1:32PM on 12/15/08
@cybercita - that's one of my all-time favorite books! I didn't think I would like it because of all the hunting details, but you're right -- he's such a great writer, I found it all fascinating.
To answer the question -- yes, to some. LOVE venison and the wild birds I've tried (esp. pheasant and quail), but I had wild boar a while back and didn't care for it.
CookiePie at 1:55PM on 12/15/08
Oh I love it! My grandpa goes hunting (elk and moose), but doesn't usually manage to bring anything home. This makes my grandma happy, 'cause she hates the stuff (cooking it and eating it), and me sad, because I love the stuff.
I'm secretly hoping to magically acquire some hunting friends where I live now, so I can "help" them out when they have too much...
tguidici at 2:31PM on 12/16/08
I must add another 'game' dish I enjoyed recently...rabbit, prepared southern Italian cacciatore style with a delectable red gravy...I could not stop dunking the fresh brick oven bread...Where? It's an occasional blackboard special at Mamma Francesca Italian Restaurant in New Rochelle, N.Y...
gutreactions at 11:43AM on 12/17/08
huneybumper you statement of the die more humanely is NOT ALWAYS TRUE
especially when the hunter uses 4-5 shots and just wounds the animal and has to chase it for an hour as it suffers
i have heard stories from hunters and the worst part is some of them get their rocks off when this happens
joejoe at 2:34PM on 01/11/09
@WhatsCookin~AMEN!
I'm from Texas. K?
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 11:26PM on 01/11/09
Don't know if its considered 'game' but enjoyed some Wild Boar last night at a local favorite Italian eatery called Fratelli's in New Rochelle, N.Y. The rib and steak from the boar were loaded with flavor...also had a variation of this dish at Peter Kelly's X20 in Yonkers...
gutreactions at 8:25AM on 02/04/09
I've eaten venison for most of my life, but I wanted to try some new things so I tried out this recipe for grilled dove kabobs that I found on AmericanHunter.org the other day and it was a huge hit at my cookout! Check it out: http://americanhunter.org/ArticlePage.aspx?cid=40&id=1699
cookie_sandwiches at 1:29PM on 07/14/09
Have tried venison, wild boar, goat (not game, but less commonly eaten meat in North America), buffalo, quail, ostrich...can't think of what else. Liked them all. I would try almost any animal as long as it was either raised for meat or properly hunted...but I do have a double standard for dogs, having grown up living with one. I know it is hypocritical; I'm OK with that.
wellred at 1:58PM on 07/14/09
@wellred: that's not hypocritical at all! More people should be willing to try new things, like different types of game! Check out my recipes if you're looking for something new!
cookie_sandwiches at 2:23PM on 07/14/09