Game meat is the meat of wild animals that are hunted for food, such as deer, rabbit, pheasant, grouse, duck and pigeon. Game meat has many advantages over farmed meat, such as being leaner, more flavourful, more sustainable and more ethical. However, game meat also requires some special care and attention when cooking, as it can be tough, dry or gamey if not prepared properly. In this blog post, we will share some tips and recipes for cooking game meat, from the field to the table.

Tips for Cooking Game Meat

• Choose the right game meat for your dish. Different types of game meat have different textures, flavours and cooking times. For example, venison is a red meat that is similar to beef, but leaner and richer in flavour. Rabbit is a white meat that is tender and mild in taste. Pheasant is a poultry that is lean and delicate, but can dry out easily. Duck is a poultry that is fatty and succulent, but needs to be cooked until crisp. Choose the game meat that suits your recipe and preference.
• Hang your game meat before cooking. Hanging is the process of letting the game meat age in a cool and dry place for a few days or weeks after hunting. This helps to tenderise the meat, break down the muscle fibres and develop the gamey flavour. The length of hanging depends on the type of game meat, the temperature and humidity, and your personal taste. Generally, smaller game birds need less hanging time than larger game animals. You can also buy pre-hung game meat from reputable suppliers or butchers.
• Marinate your game meat before cooking. Marinating is the process of soaking the game meat in a liquid mixture of herbs, spices, oil, vinegar, wine or other ingredients for a few hours or overnight before cooking. This helps to add flavour, moisture and tenderness to the game meat, as well as reduce the gamey smell or taste. You can use any marinade that you like, but some common ingredients for game meat are garlic, rosemary, thyme, juniper berries, bay leaves, red wine, cider vinegar or Worcestershire sauce.
• Cook your game meat according to its age and size. Younger and smaller game meat tends to be more tender and juicy than older and larger game meat. Therefore, you can cook younger and smaller game meat with fast and high-heat methods, such as roasting, grilling or frying. Older and larger game meat tends to be tougher and drier than younger and smaller game meat. Therefore, you need to cook older and larger game meat with slow and low-heat methods, such as braising, stewing or pot-roasting.
• Don’t overcook your game meat. Game meat is leaner than farmed meat, which means it has less fat and moisture to keep it juicy and tender. If you overcook your game meat, it will become dry, tough and chewy. To avoid this, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your game meat while cooking. The ideal temperature depends on the type of game meat and how you like it cooked (rare, medium or well-done). For example, venison should be cooked to 55°C/130°F for rare, 65°C/150°F for medium or 75°C/170°F for well-done.
• Rest your game meat before serving. Resting is the process of letting the game meat sit in a warm place for 10 to 15 minutes after cooking. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making it more moist and tender. It also allows the temperature to rise slightly, finishing the cooking process. To rest your game meat, cover it loosely with foil or a lid and keep it in a warm oven or on a warm plate.

Recipes for Cooking Game Meat

Here are some delicious recipes for cooking different types of game meat:

Venison Stew

Venison stew is a hearty and warming dish that is perfect for cold winter days. It is made with chunks of venison that are browned and then simmered in a rich sauce with red wine, vegetables and herbs.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg/2 lb venison shoulder or leg, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 500 ml/2 cups red wine
• 500 ml/2 cups beef stock
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp water
• Chopped parsley, for garnish

Method:

1. Season the venison pieces with salt and pepper and toss them with the flour to coat. Shake off any excess flour.
2. Heat the oil in a large casserole or Dutch oven over high heat. Brown the venison pieces in batches, turning occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaves and thyme to the same pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until soft and golden.
4. Add the wine, stock, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil. Return the venison pieces and any juices to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 2 hours or until the venison is tender.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornflour and water to make a slurry. Stir it into the stew and cook for another 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve hot with mashed potatoes, crusty bread or rice.

Rabbit Pie

Rabbit pie is a classic British dish that is made with rabbit meat that is cooked in a creamy sauce with bacon, mushrooms and herbs, and then topped with a flaky pastry crust.

Ingredients:

• 1 rabbit, about 1.5 kg/3 lb, cut into 8 pieces
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 rashers of bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 250 g/8 oz button mushrooms, halved
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 500 ml/2 cups chicken stock
• 150 ml/⅔ cup double cream
• 1 egg, beaten
• 500 g/1 lb ready-made puff pastry
• Chopped parsley, for garnish

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4.
2. Season the rabbit pieces with salt and pepper and toss them with the flour to coat. Shake off any excess flour.
3. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet or casserole over high heat. Brown the rabbit pieces in batches, turning occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the bacon, onion, garlic, mushrooms, bay leaves and rosemary to the same pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until soft and golden.
5. Add the stock and cream and bring to a boil. Return the rabbit pieces and any juices to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cover and transfer to the oven. Bake for about an hour or until the rabbit is tender.
6. Remove from the oven and transfer the rabbit pieces to a pie dish or baking dish. Spoon over some of the sauce and vegetables, leaving some in the pan for serving later.
7. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6.
8. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to fit over the pie dish or baking dish. Cut some slits on top of the pastry to allow steam to escape.
9. Brush the edges of the pie dish or baking dish with some of the beaten egg and place the pastry over it, pressing down gently to seal.
10. Brush the top of the pastry with more beaten egg and bake for about 25 minutes or until golden and crisp.
11. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot with the remaining sauce on the side.

Pheasant Casserole

Pheasant casserole is a simple and satisfying dish that is made with pheasant breasts that are cooked in a savoury sauce with cider, apples and cream.

Ingredients:

• 4 pheasant breasts, skinless and boneless
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 apples, cored and sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• A few sage leaves
• 500 ml/2 cups dry cider
• 150 ml/⅔ cup double cream

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4.
2. Season the pheasant breasts with salt and pepper and toss them with the flour to coat. Shake off any excess flour.
3. Heat the butter in a large ovenproof skillet or casserole over medium-high heat. Brown the pheasant breasts on both sides, for about 10 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, garlic, apples, bay leaves and sage to the same pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until soft and golden.
5. Add the cider and bring to a boil. Return the pheasant breasts and any juices to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cover and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the pheasant is cooked through and tender.
6. Remove from the oven and stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve hot with mashed potatoes, crusty bread or rice.