Most students working toward an online culinary arts certificate are accustomed to using farm-raised beef, pork and poultry in their dishes. However, incorporating wild game can bring exciting new possibilities for your cooking. Try these recipes to see how taking meat from field to table can result in a variety of delicious items.
Make a venison classic
“Select a tender cut of meat, like a backstrap or a tenderloin.”
Steak Diane is a method of preparing deer meat with a long history. Hunter Angler Gardener Cook offered a version that starts with selecting a tender cut of meat, like a large backstrap or a tenderloin. Salt the meat well and place butter in a large pan over medium-high heat.
Lower the heat to medium and cook the venison on all sides. After eight to 10 minutes, it will form a browned crust. Set the meat aside, covered with foil.
Cook shallots in the saute pan for a minute, and then add garlic for another 30 seconds. Use brandy to deglaze the pan, and reduce before pouring in venison stock with tomato paste, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Stir, and boil the mixture for about three minutes on high heat.
Turn off the heat and wait for the boiling to stop before mixing in heavy cream. Cut the meat into medallions. Pour out sauce onto the plates, placing the pieces of venison on top and garnishing with chives.
Step up your bowl of chili
Chili makes for a consistently satisfying dish, but it can be even better with wild game. The Food Network provided a recipe that uses ground moose for a rustic bowl of tasty ingredients. Begin by warming extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat and adding the meat.
Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring to break up the moose. Throw in onions and garlic, cooking another 10 minutes before setting the skillet aside. Place fire-roasted tomatoes and canned tomato sauce in a large pot over medium heat and crush the tomatoes.
Stir in the meat, plus more onions and garlic, bell peppers, parsley, a green chili pepper, jalapenos, habanero, chili powder, salt, cumin, oregano, pepper and a half cup of beer. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally.
Brush olive oil onto a baking sheet and set halved tomatoes on top. Add more olive oil, along with salt. Then, place the sheet in an oven set to 200 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour.
When the tomatoes are ready, crush them and add them to the pot of chili. Cook another two hours, adding salt to taste before serving.
For a rustic, flavorful dish, try making duck.Pour the flavor onto duck
Duck is a rich, savory bird, but there’s always room for adding in more intriguing tastes. The Sporting Chef recommended using a marinade based in Irish whiskey. Combine a few tablespoons of the liquor with olive oil, soy sauce, garlic and black pepper.
Coat your duck halves in the marinade, cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours, turning them over occasionally. When you’re ready to cook, pat off the pieces of bird. Melt butter in a large skillet and saute onion, carrots, celery and red potatoes. Set aside the vegetables and place the duck pieces in the skillet with skin down.
Cook until the skin becomes crisp and golden brown. Then, turn over to cook another three minutes. Set the duck and vegetables in a baking dish with parsley and another quarter cup of whisky.
Place the dish in an oven set to 400 degrees. Cook for six to seven minutes. Sprinkle on salt and pepper before serving.
Colorado culinary arts students can find plenty of ways to put a rustic spin on their cooking. Using game in your recipes will bring out exciting flavors and set your dishes apart.
