cooking the game

BOILING STONES
(Things a man can do in the kitchen)
© November 30, 2009
By: George O. Martin, Jr.

Cooking the Game

If you have noticed an abundance of people, barely visible in their camouflage coveralls and jackets, it is because hunting season is upon up. This is the time of year when primal urges rise up in the hip waders of otherwise normal peace-loving men, and they feel an uncontrollable urge to go out into the wilds, and shoot something.
While they have spent the spring and summer plowing and planting; and the late summer and autumn gathering, and storing all that was planted, now, in this late fall, the hidden hunter in the brain manifests. The hoe and spade are put away and the trusty Sears and Roebuck musket, given him by his father, is taken out of the closet, cleaned and oiled, and the hunt to bring meat to the table begins.
The great poet of the 20th century, Ogden Nash, captured these kinds of things in his famous poem, entitled: The Hunter
The hunter crouches in his blind.
Neath camouflage of every kind.
This grown up man, with luck and pluck,
Is trying to outwit a duck.
Of course he was talking, not about the avid sportsman, but about the novice or, citified hunter; the one who seeks the pleasure of the outdoors, an escape from the mundane. The bookkeeper looking for the thrill of the hunt, and the admiration of his lady when he returns and throws the carcass of a dead and disemboweled animal at her feet; and then goes off to the ‘frig in search of a well deserved beer.
Certainly there are none of these kinds around here. Here we have the serious sportsman; the man who wisely hunts to provide for his family; cautiously and legally pursues his prey, brings it to his home, and proudly prepares it for storage, and then goes to the ‘frig for the reward of a beer.
Whether the hunter is citified, novice, or experienced sportsman, after the beer comes the problem which neither the hunter nor the lady, want to face: Now that we have this lump of meat, what shall we do with it? Who and how shall we cook it? And, how do we make it taste like something that came out of the meat case in the store so the kids might eat it without gagging at the table? I hope I can help with a few suggestions.
First; take it off of the feet of the lady on whom you placed it. She will be relieved. Then explain to her that you will take care of everything. You will see to it that it is cut and packaged and put away; and, when the time comes, that you will cook and serve it properly, and she won’t have to do a thing.
(Now, this may not be part of the dynamics of your family but, it will get you off the hook for a time until you can get her used to the idea that she will have to cook the beast or suffer a ruined kitchen because of your well known clumsiness.)
At this point there are lots of people who will give lots of advice as to what to do with the carcass. Some will tell you to let it hang in a cooler at 40 degrees for a time, while others will tell you to cut and package it into roasts and chops and freeze it immediately. That is except for some to eat immediately. They will tell you that if the animal is young, there is no need to let it hang, it will be good and tender right away.
Some experts will recommend the meat be soaked in bring for 8 to 24 hours to remove any residual blood. That is what causes the wild taste, they say. I frankly believe the deer taken around this area are usually fed on good grain grown near their range and the meat will not have any overly strong taste. I do, however find it beneficial to soak the meat in cheap red wine overnight before cooking. This seems to make the meat more tender. When cooking, it is best to cook to medium, or falling off the bone well done.
There will be lots of scrap meat left after the roasts and chop have been packaged. Don’t throw it away; it will make excellent summer sausage. This is not difficult in your own kitchen.
In a large bowl mix together 3 pounds of ground venison, one pound of ground beef and 2 cups of water. To this add 1-teaspoon onion powder, 1-teaspoon garlic powder, 4-teaspoons black pepper, 2-teaspoon ground red pepper, 2-teaspoon mustard seed, 2-teaspoons liquid smoke, and 4 tablespoon salt. Use the same proportions if you want to make a larger batch. Mix everything well with your hands to make sure it is well blended.
Form the meat into logs 2 inches thick by 8 inches long. Wrap them tightly in aluminum foil, shiny side toward the meat. Refrigerate the logs for 24hours. Pierce the foil several times, and bake at 325 degrees for 90 minutes. Allow the meat to drip, then rewrap in foil, and refrigerate or freeze until you are ready to eat it.
There are many recipes to look at in lots of books. Surely you will find one that pleases you; and if the lady likes it she may send her mighty hunter out to get another.