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Easy Wild Stew
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The wild red meat massacre
Avoid killing the texture and taste of wild game
I stabbed the stiff, grayish slab of venison with my steak knife with little enthusiasm. At age 15, I was a confirmed carnivore who hungrily devoured the steaks and roasts my mother regularly served at evening meals, all done to a perfect pink in the middle. But her first attempt at preparing wild meat had not gone well. On second thought, it had. The leathery patch on my plate was definitely well done.
Most gourmets want their meat red, though they tolerate medium rare or pink in the middle. Cooking it more is a massacre, especially with elk, antelope and deer. The less cooked a cut of wild game, the more flavorful it is. Overcooking game, the most common mistake when it comes to preparing it, usually occurs because the chef treats it like fattier domestic beef.
Not everyone likes their meat a shade past field fresh. If you like your beef steaks cooked medium or longer, avoid serving wild steaks. Instead, cut them into stew meat. It's common to relegate the less prime parts of an animal to the slow cooker; however, that only makes tough chunks moister. It does little to shorten chewing time. If you want succulent stew, use meat from a tender part of the animal.
If you are unwilling to cut the steaks and roasts from that deer you just shot, you can still find a few pounds of tender stew meat. Cut the roasts so they are even in thickness to help ensure even cooking. Then cut the narrower ends into stew meat, and grind the tougher stuff into burger and sausage.
My first go-round with wild burger was even less inspiring than my initial taste of venison. Ten years ago, a neighbor gave me a half-pound of antelope burger. I never got to taste it. The entire burger crumbled through the grill grate as I tried to flip it. When I shot my first antelope, the butcher added 5 percent suet (by weight), which allowed me to serve some of the most succulent burgers and meatloaves I've ever made. — Lisa Densmore
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Easy Wild Stew
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Wild Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds wild meat burger
- 1 tablespoon dry parsley
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- ½ teaspoon dry thyme
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon dry sage
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 carrot, grated or finely chopped
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ cup barbeque sauce
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except the barbeque sauce with a sturdy mixing spoon or by hand as if kneading bread. In a greased baking dish (not a bread pan), shape the meatloaf so that it's about 2½ inches tall and freestanding (not touching the sides of the pan), then spread the barbeque sauce evenly across the top and sides of the loaf. Bake one hour or until a meat thermometer reads 160 F. Serves 8
Easy Wild Stew
Ingredients
- 2 pounds wild red meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- An 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
- A 10-ounce can beef broth or 1 beef bouillon cube dissolved in 1¼ cup hot water
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 celery stalks, including the leaves, sliced into bite-size pieces
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced into bite-size pieces
- 3 potatoes, cubed
- 1 cup peas or beans
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoon flour
Directions
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, then sauté the meat until it is lightly browned. Move the meat to a Dutch oven or similar slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients except for the water and flour. Cover and simmer for 1½ hours. Mix the water and flour together, then add it to the stew to help thicken it. Stir frequently for another 5 minutes and serve. Serves 6
