Game both Furred and feathered

Game both Furred and feathered.

Le Gibier

When you talk about game we talk about why the animals that are harvested by hunting normally hung for at least five days prior to either plucking skinning or gutting them for use. The USDA requires that all proteins must be inspected prior use.  There have been many cases where chefs have butchered venison or rabbits in their kitchens and being fined because of them not following the inspection process.  In our kitchens today all game either comes and processed most of all inspected. A classical dish, Civet au Livet known as jugged hare, where the blood is used to thicken the sauce at the end of the cooking process.  Unfortunately that is not allowed any more. So where do we go from here yes game dishes are extremely popular especially in spring and autumn and in November especially in the Midwest in the fine dining restaurants they feature game as a premium dishes for that month.

Furred game: This includes venison, rabbit, hare, antelope bison moose and many other species.  Most of the larger animals have to be home for at least 10 to 14 days to accept the muscle tissue.  Rabbits when they come into our kitchens today are already skinned and ready to be boned for use.  A classical venison dish comes from the haunch or the loin as it's known in America. Venison chops are very popular and in the farm raised venison legs has enabled a chef to process them into smaller stakes in cuts for his menu.  Notably in the red meat animals must be cooked medium rare to infuse tenderness and flavor.  Of course a more pungent sauce is appropriate for these types of animals to remove the game he tastes that they sometimes leave after processing.

Feathered game: This includes pheasant quail, ostrich, Guinea hens, wild Turkey, wild ducks, and many other species.  All these animals come in processed and ready for use except from removing the tendons from the legs.

Preparation tips:

Bardering is defined as using a long needle and inserting thin strips of fat or smoked bacon under the skin to create moisture during the cooking process.

Marinades.

Marinades are divided into two categories either raw or cooked.  For long-term marinades cooked ones are recommended.  Marinades can have white or a red wine normally includes fresh herbs and vinegars. You will find a lot all the game meats marinated prior to cooking

Curing methods.

For long-term preservation here in methods are used especially with red meat game proteins.  You need to be extremely careful when you use cure is especially when you intend to do a long-term cure such as venison pastrami, game sausages, smoked pheasant, and many other animals that can be cured after processing.  The USDA, requires that all cured meats must meet their standards and conditions which can be found in my book professional charcuterie John Wiley & Sons 1996. 

Finally, the use of game on the menus is an exciting way to ensure creativity so I have been closed to simple recipes for you to enjoy and see where they take you in your creative minds.