Wild Game Recipes

Field Preparation of larger game

Any game meat should be prepared and cleaned with care at the earliest possible convenience. Ideally, the animal should be gutted immediately after the kill to remove blood and damaged organs from the body cavity, and to allow the carcass to cool rapidly. When blood or extremely damaged areas are present, wipe away blood, and if possible remove damaged areas without affecting the hide.

Place the animal in a cool to cold area out of the direct sun. Ensure that the carcass is off the ground and air is free to circulate on all sides. In the field, place the animal on top of logs or similar support, or hang. With bear, in particular, the hide should be removed after rigour mortis has set in so that the meat is cool and firm, and fat is firm to solid.

After removing hide, trim all surface fat from the carcass. The animal should be quartered and all bloodied and damaged meat cut away. The quarters should be wiped clean with a dry-to-damp cloth, and hung in a cool, shaded place until butchering. If temperatures rise above 40 degress F, move the quarters to a cooler for hanging. When possible hang for two to three days with plenty of free air space between each quarter so that water content of meat is reduced.

Bring quarters to your favourite game butcher, or butcher according to your personal style.

Debone meat by separating muscles and carefully cutting out bone. Trim all fat from meat, taking care to separate superficial muscles, removing fat deposits and heavier portions of the muscle sheath. Remove any large veins or arteries, cutting away bloodied portions of meat. Using butcher string, tightly tie meat into roastpan size portions, wrap for freezing.

Meat from the shanks may be trimmed from bones and cubed to be used as shiskabob , stew meat or ground for burgers, chili, or spaghetti sauces, etc.

Ribs may be cut away at backbone and packaged in meal size portions.

The neck may be trimmed and cut to roast-size portions.

Roast Bear

If meat is received frozen from field, partially thaw. Clean surfaces of meat with a clean damp cloth. Do not rinse the meat in water. Do not thaw completely.

For fresh or cleaned and thawed portions, debone the meat by separating muscles and carefully cutting out the bone. Trim all fat from meat, taking care to separate superficial muscles and remove fat deposits and heavier portions of the muscle sheath. Remove any large veins or arteries, and cut away any bloodied portions of meat.

COOKING...

When trimmed, rinse quickly under cold water; dry with a clean cloth. Spread meat on cutting board and sprinkle with onion powder and fine black pepper. Using butcher string, tightly tie meat into a roastpan size portion. Place in refridgerator for one or more hours so that spices permeate meat.

Place 1/4 inch of vegetable oil in a heavy roastpan and heat on stove burner at medium to high temperature. When oil is hot, place roast in pan and sear the roast turning meat until all surfaces are well browned.

Remove pan from burner, remove roast from pan. Allow oil to cool so that water can be added without spattering. Drain of half the oil, leaving 1/8 inch in pan.

Sprinkle roast again with onion powder, black pepper and garlic if preferred.

Place a meat rack in roast pan, and place meat on rack. Add water to pan up to the level of the meat rack. Cut 4 onions into quarters and place around roast.

Pour or use basting brush to spread one ounce or more of "Bovril" Bouillon beef concentrate over top of roast.

Cover pan, and place in oven for 2 to 3 hours at 275 to 300 degrees F, checking roast periodically to ensure water level remains constant and turning roast at about two hours. Baste with liquid from the pan at intervals. Potatoes and carrots may be added to the pan after two hours, or prepared separately.

When meat and vegetables are tender and thoroughly cooked, remove roast to a serving plate and cover with aluminum foil, allowing meat to cool and set. Place any vegetables in a serving bowl and keep warm.

Prepare gravy from drippings in pan using corn starch as a thickener, or draw off to a gravy bowl. Slice roast in 1/4 inch slices, serve with vegetables.

Bear Stir Fry

Ingredients
1 lb Bear (cleaned as above)
6 tbs Vegetable oil
3 tbs Soya Sauce
2 tbs corn starch
3 stalks celery
2 green peppers
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper one large onion
1 lb bean sprouts
1/2 lb mushrooms
4 carrots
one cup brocolli
1 cup cauliflower
1 cup snow peas
other preferred chinese such as bamboo shoots, bok choy, and water chestnuts.
steamed white long grain rice.

Preparation
If meat is frozen, thaw only until the surface is soft. clean with a dry-to-damp clean cloth. Using a sharp knife, slice meat to 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices. When slices are more than one inch wide or long, slice to strips about one inch in width. Trim all fat, muscle sheath, and bloodied areas from the strips. Rinse quicky under cold water and dry using a cleath cloth.

Place meat in a bowl with soya sauce based marinade of your choosing. Set aside in a cool area for thirty minutes to two hours, or in a refridgerator for no more than six hours.

Prepare vegetables by washing peeling, and cutting into half inch, or one inch slices, two to four inches in length. Place in cool place until ready for use.

When all ingredients prepared, place 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large wok or frying pan, at medium to high heat. When oil is hot, add pieces of marinated meat to oil individually, stirring to brown all sides. Ensure water from meat is allowed to evaporate from the pan before adding other portions.

When all strips have been browned to your preference, add 2 tablespoons of oil, allow oil to heat. Add heavier, more solid vegetables, stirring so that all are heated thoroughly. Add Bean sprouts and mushrooms. Add finer and leafy vegetables last. Stir until all are heated and cover for five minutes at low heat.

Prepare soya sauce mixture adding in corn starch, soya sauce and spices of your preference to one cup of cold water. Stir until blended, then add to ingredients in pan, stirring untill sauce thickens. Serve with white rice.

Bear or Moose Chili Con Carne

Ingredients

1 lb ground Bear
1 cup chopped onion
10 oz can mushroom pieces, drained
14 oz can kidney beans
1/2 green pepper
2-10 oz cans condensed tomato soup
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbs vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, crushed or chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
cayenne pepper or crushed hot pepper to your preference.

Preparation
Chop green pepper to 1/4 inch pieces.
Place vegetable oil in fry pan until hot, add ground meat, black pepper, salt, and half the chopped onions,
fry until well browned.
Place condensed tomato soup in a large sauce pan, adding garlic, green pepper, chili powder and remaining onion.
Add browned meat and onions and stir well.
Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Add entire can of kidney beans including liquid.
Simmer for five minutes, serve with steamed rice.