The 1 Thing You Learned- Cooking Wild Game

[mtwarden]

don't automatically throw the front shoulder meat into the burger pile- take the time to cut out the flatiron steaks, they are very (very) good

 

[nettereo16]

Label your bags prior to freezing!!!

I had some bags of moose meat that I didn't label but put separately in the corner of the freezer.
One day my girlfriend wanted cook some moose tenderloin so she grabbed a bag. It was actually moose heart and she refuses to eat heart for whatever reason.
She cooked it up before I saw what it was and we sat down to eat. I didn't have the heart (pun intended) to tell her what it was because she had already eaten some. She made a comment that it was quite chewy for tenderloin but otherwise very tasty. She still has no idea.

 

[Lawnboi]

This makes a huge difference in cook time and how evenly the meat gets done.

Iv found this to be the number one variable in a tender piece of meat. I can take something from the fridge and cook it next to a room temp steak and the difference is very noticeable.

 

[Robster]

several things I learned. The first is from my son. USE A MEAT THERMOMETER!!!! I like medium rare and the only way to consistently cook it to perfection is with a meat thermometer.

Second is using a dry rub instead of a marinade. Brown sugar, garlic salt and pepper for 24 hours is an awesome rub. Just one of many.

 

[Clarence]

Roasts from the Shoulders are better fare than from the hind. We are grinding less and less. I want enough burger for burgers, but for tacos we use a roast. For pasta I do bolognese sauce from a roast. Never again will I grind a neck or a shank. Shanks are now my favorite cut.(oso bucco). Learn to butcher yourself. No shop will care as much as you, and few will mess with cutting flatiron, shanks, and nice tied up neck Roasts. You can save a pile of money, with minimal investment.

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[GSPHUNTER]

I use a minimum of seasoning. I want to taste the meat not the seasoning. A little S&P.

 

[AK_Skeeter]

On larger game, caribou and larger, the flatiron steak is a great cut.
Just fillet from the shoulder scapula and then fillet in half at the silver skin separating
the 2 flat iron steaks. This is one moose flatiron steak, cut in half, grilled hot and fast.

 

[AK_Skeeter]

Moose Osso Buco is pretty large, so brown one at a time before braising.co

 

[mvmnts]

There's only one way to check done-ness, and that's with a good instant read thermometer. Check several times in several places and trust the numbers! Pull it earlier than later.

Don't pre-cut steaks or pre-grind meat. Cut into primals and re-freeze portions as necessary. Label your cuts and use them appropriately. Backstraps and tenderloins, top round, bottom round, sirloins, shanks, cube and trim is how I break everything down. It doesn't need to be complicated.

Dry age your meat for the day in the fridge (on a wire rack in a 1/4 sheet pan) to promote good browning. Don't salt too early or too late, there is a prime period to salt.

Embrace the stew meat! Braises are probably my favorite way to eat venison. Throw out your crockpot and get a nice enameled dutch oven. Brown off your aromatics and your meat to develop flavor and then finish your stew low-and-slow in the oven, all in one pot.

Have a selection of recipes for "off" meat. (my go-to is pad ka-prao w/ carrots and green beans, served over jasmine rice - video recipe)

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Don't be afraid of sausage and pastrami. It's not that hard and the finish product is well worth the extra prep and work.
Charcuterie is your friend!

 

[Oregon Hunter]

I learned that my wife feels much more confident cooking wild game in a sous vide. She was always reluctant to cook anything but ground meat because she was afraid she would ruin it. Since we got a sous vide she knows she can't mess up and is much more likely to throw a roast in the weekly menu.

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This sous vide technique looks interesting! Do you need to but any equipment to do it?

 

[Oregon Hunter]

Cast iron is awesome.

My brother loves it too, but honestly I don't know much about it. Can you explain why you like cast iron, and where it's best used?

 

[Oregon Hunter]

For the longest time I always over cooked it, over the years though I found that once the meat hits a safe temperature I take it off the grill, even if it’s a little pink.

That's the #1 and easiest tip for cooking wild game

 

[Oregon Hunter]

That cooking is small part of the overall product. It’s a labor of love take every precaution to take care of the meat. Dry age and never cook past rare ( bear is an obvious exception).

Thank you for bring up the importance of making a conscious effort to enjoy the process! I blow past this and forget about savoring the experience way too often

 

[Oregon Hunter]

There's only one way to check done-ness, and that's with a good instant read thermometer. Check several times in several places and trust the numbers! Pull it earlier than later.

Don't pre-cut steaks or pre-grind meat. Cut into primals and re-freeze portions as necessary. Label your cuts and use them appropriately. Backstraps and tenderloins, top round, bottom round, sirloins, shanks, cube and trim is how I break everything down. It doesn't need to be complicated.

Dry age your meat for the day in the fridge (on a wire rack in a 1/4 sheet pan) to promote good browning. Don't salt too early or too late, there is a prime period to salt.

Embrace the stew meat! Braises are probably my favorite way to eat venison. Throw out your crockpot and get a nice enameled dutch oven. Brown off your aromatics and your meat to develop flavor and then finish your stew low-and-slow in the oven, all in one pot.

Have a selection of recipes for "off" meat. (my go-to is pad ka-prao w/ carrots and green beans, served over jasmine rice - video recipe)

Wow, you sound like a terrific chef! Could you explain more about dry aging?

 

[Oregon Hunter]

Label your bags prior to freezing!!!
I had some bags of moose meat that I didn't label but put separately in the corner of the freezer.

My girlfriend wanted cook some moose tenderloin so she grabbed a bag. It was actually moose heart (she refuses to eat heart). She cooked it up before I saw what it was and we sat down to eat. I didn't have the heart (pun intended) to tell her what it was because she had already eaten some. She made a comment that it was quite chewy for tenderloin but otherwise very tasty. She still has no idea.

And if you want to have a little fun with a buddy, put goofy but useful labels on an animal you help butcher. 6 months later a buddy pulled out a package of possum backstrap that I helped him butcher. It gave us something to laugh about in March lol

 

[Warmsy]

Brining diver ducks and moorhens actually makes the birds palatable

 

[rclouse79]

My brother loves it too, but honestly I don't know much about it. Can you explain why you like cast iron, and where it's best used?

I got hooked when I dug out my wife’s old Dutch oven that hadn’t been taken care of. I cleaned it up and browned a bear front shoulder in it and cooked it most of the day in the oven on low heat. It was one of the best things I have eaten. I have since bought a large frying pan and a square grittle. I even got an outdoor propane burner so oil doesn’t splatter in the kitchen. In my opinion it is superior for browning meat because it holds heat so well. I am sure I am mostly imagining it, but everything seems to taste better when cooked in cast iron. Plus you don’t have to worry about ruining the finish on it like a Teflon pan. If you buy one watch Cowboy Kent Rollins on YouTube. He had lots of good tips for cooking and maintaining cast iron.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Brining diver ducks and moorhens actually makes the birds palatable

I'll take ur word for it.

 

[540-Virginian]

Diddo on room temp comment. Red meat should come to room temp before cooking. Exception is ground meat.

i have found searing then finishing over indirect heat to be a score for almost everything i grill now. So get the hot sear and grill marks on two sides but then through a heat shield or finish it in the oven to keep things juicy and not risk burning outside while trying to get to a safe temp.

Note: I cook on an egg