Caution when preparing game meat. Video
Game meat not only has an original taste, but is also very useful – it contains more protein and less fat than the meat of farm animals, in addition, game is richer in vitamins. But game meat requires more attention and labor in cooking than the usual chicken or pork. If you do not follow some of the subtleties, you can spoil the taste of the dish or even get health problems.
Caution when cooking game meat
How can game be dangerous?
The main danger lurking in the meat of wild animals is infections and parasites. If you buy venison or hazel grouse in a store, then the meat is guaranteed to have passed veterinary control and you can eat it without fear of contamination. But if you are going to cook dinner from game caught on the hunt by your spouse or relative, the risk of getting meat infected with parasites is very high.
Experienced hunters usually examine their prey themselves, looking for signs of disease and discarding contaminated meat. But in some cases, it is possible to determine whether the killed animal was sick only with the help of a veterinary examination. This is especially true of bear meat and wild boar meat – these animals often suffer from trichinosis, which is extremely dangerous for humans. Their meat can be eaten only after passing the veterinary control. Do not forget that the meat of any game requires careful heat treatment.
The game is not cooked immediately after gutting, but the meat is allowed to mature – this is how its taste is revealed more fully. But if the ripening process is delayed, the surface of the meat becomes slippery, greenish areas appear on it. Previously, overripe game meat was appreciated by gourmets, but now doctors do not recommend using it.
If the meat not only acquired a greenish color, but also began to smell unpleasant, the ripening process gave way to rotting. Such meat can only be destroyed, it is no longer suitable for eating.
Proper preparation of game
If you pluck, singe, and gut the bird yourself, you will have to work hard not to spoil the taste of the dish. When plucking, it is necessary to especially carefully remove the hemp remaining from the feathers, trying not to break through the skin, otherwise juice will flow out of the meat through the resulting gaps during cooking. Game is not scalded with boiling water like poultry. After plucking, the carcass is rubbed with flour and singed.
When eviscerating, you must act carefully so as not to damage the goiter (in birds) and the gallbladder. If this does happen, the parts of the carcass that have gotten the contents of the goiter or bladder will have to be cut out – their taste is already spoiled. You can save the meat if you quickly rub the spoiled areas with salt, and then immediately rinse them.
Game meat often has a specific taste and smell, especially waterfowl meat. To soften the unusual aftertaste, the game is marinated for at least 12 hours in the cold. Fermented milk products, dry wine, water acidified with lemon juice with spices, onions and garlic can serve as a marinade – your experience and imagination will tell you the recipe. It is important that the marinade is not very sour – this will ruin the taste of the meat. You can also grate the meat with spices – ginger or nutmeg are great.