Acro® S-2
4.9.2020
"Wild game meat is a seasonal food that is rich in a variety of vitamins and nutrients. Meat from animals that have grazed freely and eaten birch shoots, conifers, grass, leaves and herbs rich in minerals. Flavors that give the game meat local character depending on the weather, soil and vegetation - just like an exclusive wine!"
Wild game meat
In the gastronomic world of Peter Skogström
Peter J Skogström is known to most of us as “Chef of the Year 2006” and he is also an Olympic champion in cooking.
Peter grew up in Bor, a small village south of Värnamo, and it was in the forests of Småland that the interest in hunting came to life.
Småland means forests, meadows, pastures and glittering lakes. Mile-wide forests invite you to go hiking, mushroom and berry picking, and last but not least, hunting.
When Peter was 8 years old, he got to accompany his dad on his first hunt and at the age of 12 he shot his first prey - a hare!
For Peter, being close to nature is the meaning of hunting. Most enjoyable, according to Peter, is to hunt birds along with companion, Vectra, the family's 3.5 year old Kleine Münsterländer.
Wild boar hunting also tops the list of favorites, thanks to the excitement and adrenaline rush that is part of this type of hunting.
Since 1999, Peter and his wife, Marie, have been running the restaurant "Mat & Vin Slottsparken" where they have realized their food dreams with everything that’s included in the gastronomic world: cooking classes, theme nights, dinners and parties of all kinds, both for companies and for private persons.
Peter loves to combine his passions for hunting and cooking. To bring wild game meat home and create a gastronomic experience. It is also the responsibility of all hunters to take care of the game after the shot. Peter is happy to inspire and share his knowledge. Below he presents the cutting process of a couple of different wild game species.
Cutting - Processing the Meat
From the time you shoot the animal, hygiene is critical, and you should make sure the meat is placed in a cool environment as soon as possible. Simultaneously, it is extremely important to not let it come in contact with aerobic bacteria and soil bacteria.
For the best possible result, hanging is a key aging and tenderizing process. After cutting, remember to save the bones and roast them in the oven. That is the base of making tasty broths!
Cloven-hoof game animals such as moose, deer and fallow deer provide venison meat for many useful cuts such as roast beef, thighs and roll.These parts have slightly different cooking temperatures so one advantage is to cut out the roast anatomically. Then you do not cut into the meat but only in the membranes that hold all the details together.
You can then cook each muscle to the perfect temperature, and you do not need to cook a whole steak if you are going to cook for just a few persons.
Front meat such as bow and neck suits best to long time cooking, sous vide and minced meat. Flank, ribs and other trimmings will also be a good for minced meat!
The exclusive parts of the game (saddle, chop and fillet) are best suited for "a la minute" cooking because of their small fibers and tenderness and should not be cooked well done.
Wild boar has the same cutting procedure as cloven-hoof game, but the cuts can be used in slightly different ways. The steak is perfect to cut anatomically. Keep the backbone on the chops to make the meat juicy. The neck is nice to barbeque just like the ribs while the front ends goes to stews and minced meat. Normally you do not make broth on wild boar bones.
Game Birds like pheasant, grouse, turkey and duck are cut out "on a tray" while the hull goes to the broth and the thighs to the rillette or alternatively you cut the meat off the thighs and make minced meat.
Rabbit & Hare are cut in the same way. You take care of the bows, thighs and back. The thighs are suitable for cooking stews or as boneless roasts. Neck and flank are used as a base for a nice sauce.
How to Cook Game
Always start by taking the meat out from the fridge an hour before preparing it so that it is not too cold and get shocked in the pan.
If you are going to cut a large piece of meat into two, cut it along the fibers. Then you get elongated steaks that are easy to control the temperature and the meat will be more tender across the grain.
Wild game meat generally consists of coarser fibers than domestic meat. Therefore, it is important to keep track of the direction of the muscle fibers so that you can always cut them accordingly, otherwise the meat can be difficult to chew.
With larger pieces of meat, such as steak, start to brown the meat on all sides, quickly, and on high heat. Then put the meat into the oven 110-120°C where it is allowed to slowly rise to the desired temperature.
Fillet and steak of deer and fallow deer tend to become pie-like in taste and texture if cooked on low heat. Sous Vide is therefore not a suitable method for this meat. It´s better to roast the meat in the pan and bake ready in the oven at 150°C. If it is a small fillet, it can advantageously be fried only in the pan.
Get yourself a good thermometer! Measure in the thickest part of the meat. A benchmark can be 56°C for all game except for birds that need to get up to 66°C in order not to get chewy. Wild boar is recommended to cook to 68°C inner temperature.
Since game meat is lean, it is beneficial to intensify the flavors using fatty ingredients such as butter, cream, bacon.
With larger pieces of meat, such as steak, start to brown the meat on all sides, quickly, and on high heat. Then put the meat into the oven 110-120°C where it is allowed to slowly rise to the desired temperature.
Fillet and steak of deer and fallow deer tend to become pie-like in taste and texture if cooked on low heat. Sous Vide is therefore not a suitable method for this meat. It´s better to roast the meat in the pan and bake ready in the oven at 150°C. If it is a small fillet, it can advantageously be fried only in the pan.
Wild Game Meat Inner Temperatures
Moose/ Deer/ Fallow Deer Steak:
55º C - Rare
62º C - Medium Rare
68º C - Well Done
Moose/ Deer/ Fallow Deer Fillet:
52º C - Rare
57º C - Medium Rare
65º C - Well Done
Wild Boar Steak:
65º C - Medium Rare
68º C - Well Done
Wild Boar Fillet:
65º C - Medium Rare
68º C - Well Done
Hare:
52º C - Rare
57º C - Medium Rare
65º C - Well Done
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