Preparation of wild game?

[achiever]

First of all, I am not a cook so some detail would be appreciated. I want to know if there is anything special that someone would do to prepare and cook a wild turkey. Also, what are the necessary steps that one takes to prepare other game, i.e. deer, waterfowl, dove, pheasant. I am looking for general info. In the past, other people have prepared game for the family and I wasn't involved. Maybe I should just buy a cookbook.

[Doghunter]

My experience with cooking wild turkeys has been that the only fit meat is the breast. Commercially raised Thanksgiving turkeys are about 17 weeks old. An adult gobbler is 3-4 years old or older and the leg meat is just too tough and dry to get tender. Get the breat meat off and season, then roll in breader or flour and fry like chicken strips. Very tasty.

Deer needs to be soaked a bit in some cold water until you get most of the blood out. The best way to do this is to clean the meat up of any sinew and slime, place in a big cooler, and keep it iced down good for about 4-5 days, draining off the bloody water each day. This will age it and soak the blood out. Then, cutting across the grain of the meat when possible, cook just like beef. I don't fool with waterfowl and doves anymore. Ducks especially those killed off of a pond or in the swamp tend to be too muddy tasting for my likes. Dove breasts can be floured and seasoned and fried like chicken.

[mbh78]

Like doghunter said, the breast is the best on a wild turkey. However, the leg and wing meat is also tasty if you slow cook it. You can put it in a slow cooker and then use the meat in casseroles and it is very good. I have never soaked deer meat in anything prior to cooking.When I skin and quarter a deer, I wash the meat thoroughly and place it in a plastic bag to keep the air out, and then place it in a refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. This lets the meat age and helps the flavor and tenderness. I then de-bone and make the various cuts, wrap it in plastic wrap first, then freezer paper, and freeze it. Never had a problem with any of it.

[RenegadeRN]

Acheiver.....if I ever can find some place to go dove and/or duck hunting I will get some more to cook. Other than the breast there isn't any meat that I know of on a dove. Reach under the breast bone (you can feel it) with your thumb and peel it out of the bird leaving the rest for to feed the wild animals or in the trash. You should have a piece of dark, reddish meat maybe 2-2 1/2" in size. You will need more than a few to make a meal, but is good. As has been said here, make up a dredge of whatever (milk, flower, eggs) and you fry it like chicken. HOWEVER, I have seen it wrapped with a slice of bacon and broiled and season with whatever seasoning you like.

Duck Uh....only been duck hunting once and enjoyed the heck out of it and the one duck I brought home was prepared by someone else. With squirrel I have found that if you parboil them a short period of time it tenderizes them. Them is some tough critters and ya need a few of those as well. I have typically made a stew from their meat, but fried, baked, seasoned with bacon, etc. works good too. I am gonna try my hand and turkey hunting this year and others have let you in on the secret to deer meat. If you do not want to deal with it you can check with a local butcher shop. Its been awhile, but used to they would process the deer for you. I dunno if Wells Pork Products will still do it or not. They hang it up to age in a cooler. Me? Its expensive enuff to go hunting, so I keep as much of my hard earned money as I can.

[BigDawg556]

Renegade could you tell me more about the tree rat stew? After reading this I'm kind of hungry. I plan on going out with my son this weekend to kill a few.

[buckhunter]

hey brian,man in delway says he par-boils them for 45minutes then rolls them in flour[or breader can't remember]and fries them.says they are tender enough that way that even he can eat them with no teeth!nothing can be any better than fried smothered in gravy!

[sbkittrell]

Has anybody here ever cooked a turkey in one of those big deep friers? I wonder if that would make the drum sticks more tender or at least not as dry.

[alien319]

I haven't cooked a wild turkey in one but I have cooked domestic turkeys in them and I think it would def. help to make them more tender and juicy. The peanut oil really does the trick. Makes the domestic ones very tasty!

[anjel223]

I had a friend aske me the other day how to make deer taste less gamey. I have no clue how to answer that as the 'gamey' flavor appeals to me. So I thought I'd ask here. I believe the deer meat she has has been frozen. Is there a way she can prepare the meat that will make it a bit less gamey?

[manxxcatt]

biggest part is to get the blood out. ice baths for a few days. I have a buddy that swears that after the ice bathing, when you get ready to cook your venison, to soak it overnight in milk. Never tried it, but couldn't hurt right?

[buckhunter]

I had a friend aske me the other day how to make deer taste less gamey. I have no clue how to answer that as the 'gamey' flavor appeals to me. So I thought I'd ask here. I believe the deer meat she has has been frozen. Is there a way she can prepare the meat that will make it a bit less gamey?

i use to ice my deer down in a cooler and i too have heard about the milk like manxx stated but it leaves the meat bland tasting to me and there's no flavor whatsoever. the biggest thing about deer meat is how it was taken care of in the first place and then what cut of meat are you working with?i'm not going to go into great detail but the piece of meat your friend is working with,make sure she has trimmed off all the sinew and tell her to clean it up as best as possible to where she only has pure meat she is working with.one of the biggest reasons that deer meat is gamey tasting that i see is that the meat was not cut up to where all the "trash" was removed.sinew [the white strand stuff]makes it tuff,you can not chew the stuff,it is about like trying to chew an inner tube.a ham needs to be opened up to where you have the four muscles seperated,kinda like butterflying it,and not only do you remove all the sinew but you get the veins and arteries out and the gland that is in the ham.alot of times that is where the gamey taste is coming from,a piece of ham that got whacked up and not cleaned and trimmed properly!i do all of my deer myself,i have it down to a pure art the way i skin and cut one up and it doesn't take me long to do it,i spend more time trimming and cleaning the meat up then what most people do even for my hamburger and there is never any complaints about it being gamey.

[manxxcatt]

I'm witness to that...the man has a freeze full of good cuts.

[anjel223]

THanks ya'. I'll pass the info along.

[Doghunter]

There is one issue here I haven't seen addressed. If deer are run for any period of time by dogs, the game smell and taste are far more difficult to remove. Also, these deer tend to be more tough. When a deer is running, their body produces adrenaline just like people. Also, after they are shot, the muscles trap lactic acid and creatine and it makes the meat very hard and stiff just like a marathon runner. The toughness and gamey nature of the meat certainly requires more preparation. Anyone who has cleaned many deer will notice that a deer chased by dogs always has more of the "saran wrap" looking cover on the meat along with the gelatinous slime. After soaking my deer on ice for a few days, I place it in a sink full of cold water with about a cup of vinegar and crushed red pepper and allow it to soak a few more hours. After rinsing and cutting the cleaned meat up, I brown it in lard or bacon grease, add water, garlic salt,black and red pepper, onions, a little worchestershire, and slow cook it for about 6 hours. I'll guarantee you can't tell it isn't beef if properly prepared.

[buckhunter]

you forgot to mention the part that if it was run by dogs that there is no telling how long he/she/it gets to ride on top of the dog box!!!!lol as for soaking it i do not,i cut them up,put them in a plastic tote or plastic bag and throw them on the shelf in my pepsi cooler which stays on 38degrees for about a week.haven't killed a deer in front of dogs in a few years now and the deer i'm referring to are from still hunting.my backstraps i put up are the color of fillet mignon and it's not strong or gamey tasting,it taste like deer meat should in my opinion.the gamiest tasting piece of meat i get from the deer i cut up are the true [inside]tenderloins.little stronger tasting,but i like it and most time i will make them for my breakfast or lunch,yum yum!

[longshooter86]

I have found that if you put the meat in a cooler in the shade and keep the water hose in it with the water running slowly just to keep it circulating and fresh cool water in there. And just let it sit for a day then tend to it the way that you do any other time that it will take the blood out of the meat, and also take a LOT of the gamey flavor out of it. But be aware you are aging the meat as you do this so plan for that. I usually clean the deer keep the hide on it and stick it in a cooler that I built for no more than 2 weeks at about 34-36 degrees. then take it out and process it myself. I like to do my own cuts I like my cuts as lean and clean as I can get them.

[buckhunter]

i'm all about the "lean and clean" part!do not like to eat dirt and grit.

[manxxcatt]

you forgot to mention the part that if it was run by dogs that there is no telling how long he/she/it gets to ride on top of the dog box!!!!lol as for soaking it i do not,i cut them up,put them in a plastic tote or plastic bag and throw them on the shelf in my pepsi cooler which stays on 38degrees for about a week.haven't killed a deer in front of dogs in a few years now and the deer i'm referring to are from still hunting.my backstraps i put up are the color of fillet mignon and it's not strong or gamey tasting,it taste like deer meat should in my opinion.the gamiest tasting piece of meat i get from the deer i cut up are the true [inside]tenderloins.little stronger tasting,but i like it and most time i will make them for my breakfast or lunch,yum yum!

I can attest to buckhunter on this one. Got a cut from him and not gamey at all. Was like eating prime beef.