Wife not into "game" meat

[Hem]

Does it matter...really?

 

[Khunter]

Personally, I like the dish to highlight the natural taste of the animal, but most other people seem a little turned off to that.

I bet if you substituted bison for beef secretly and didn’t tell her she wouldn’t notice at all if it’s hid in tacos, spaghetti, etc.

hiding game meat in spagetti tacos etc is the same thing as not eatimg game meat at all.Your first statement is the valuable one.

What is the point of serving inidentifiable meat product. Let the natural flavor come through. Sure, make the spaghetti etc since it is good too but not as the most common way of serving wild game IMO.

 

[kevine001]

Made tacos. Could tell it wasn't beef but SHE LIKED IT. Gonna make a few dishes in the next week or two and just slowly incorporate it into recipes.

 

[thusby]

Check out the crunch wrap recipe in one of these threads. Amazing stuff, can’t find the link.

 

[Lota lota]

First off, I'm no expert at game meat preparation but I consider myself a very good cook. I've made venison stew once, let it slow cook all day. Daughter had three helpings. Wife had one, was not a fan. I've had elk burgers, did not turn out well because of low fat content. Recently, friend got a bison and I ground it all with added pork belly fat. Daughter and I loved them. Wife did not dislike but claimed she could tell difference. On archery opener (9/2/23), got my first buck. Except backstraps, the rest I had ground with beef fat added by local butcher. Questions:

1. suggested seasonings for the back straps as I intend to do them in cast iron, pull and cover with foil to rest for 10 mins, then slice and eat. Other than garlic salt, pepper and maybe onion powder, anything else?

2. for the ground, I plan on doing the usual: meat sauce for spaghetti, chili, tacos and maybe even some shepherd's pie. Anyone have wife/family with sensitive palette and use anything special to help with flavor? Thanks in advance. I love eating game meat, but trying to get creative so wife can enjoy it with me.

I grew up on wild game. My mom was very paticular only eating the snack sticks, jerky etc. One day my dad didn't tell her what it was and that he was just making "burgers", which turned out to be elk. She never knew the difference. I think women have a hard time wrapping their minds around eating animals that they have seen alive/dead or were recently harvested. Not a sexist thing at all...just seem to notice it more with women.

 

[ploxwithblox]

If by venison you mean mule deer, then by all means kill elk or antelope instead. Generally much better and less gamey meat compared side by side by a wide margin based on a ton of animals that have come through our kitchen. If the above you mention is your approach and repertoire, your cooking skills will benefit from more practice so work on that and do not over complicate this. Practice and practice some more. Made venison stew once in your life? Why only once? A million great variations of ‘stews’ to be enjoyed.

It was the technique not the lack of added fat in those elk burgers most likely. I add zero fat to all my grind for every species of critter and folks love the burgers and everything else I make with it. I minimize grind as the steaks and roasts are the best. For binder if younwant it for burgers/meatloaf/meatballs etc an egg and panko or bread crumbs per pound or so works. Often I add nothing but basic spices and some olive oil then carefully cook so does not become a brick. Ends up juicy and tender.

The last thing I would stretch by adding fat in the grind is mule deer. I want that meat gone as fast as possible as it usually is the gamiest flavored meat in the freezer. I would not multiply the poundage of mule deer to eat with added fat. Just means I have to eat more mule deer.

@Dsnow9 is spot on with his advice. Keep the seasonings simple—complicated overbearimg seasonings not needed. Make lots steaks and less ground meals and mind the pan/griil and the internal meat temps. Game meat is generally not “gamey” so nothing to hide. Exception to me would be some mule deer.

I serve minimally seasoned Elk, lope, bear, moose, sheep, Mt. Goat regularly to all mn wr of folks with little experience eatimg game meat and the compliments flow and the meat gets chowed down.

Just keep working at it and expend less effort trying to “hide” naturally good flavor nd results will improve.

Some folks just have it in their head some irrational bias against game meat and convinced many of them are just thinking they taste a bad taste that is not actually there. Probbly never overcome that bias so just keep cooking for the two in family who eat the wild game amd the wife can have whatever else she prefers.

Lastly start cooking Hank Shaw recipes. He has all the creativity you could ever want to try all lined up for you.

This is the reply I was hoping to see here. Trim it well and cook it well rather than excessive effort to hide it with over the top seasonings. I have Hank's buck buck moose cookbook and those recipes are really great. My other .02 for at least roasts is to get a quality dutch oven instead of a crock pot. Being able to sear, deglaze and cook at a controlled temp is a big step forward. I served a roast last Sunday and my friends wife said it was the best roast she ever had. I did a little smirk to myself as it was a neck roast from a mule deer buck...