Game Category

Game refers to animals that are normally raised in the wild. Meat from game tends to be leaner and more flavorful than that from their domesticated counterparts, but it's also much more expensive. It's also tricky to cook well. Meat from animals that can harbor the parasite that causes trichinosis, like bears and boars, must be cooked thoroughly. Otherwise, tender cuts of game should be cooked very quickly with high heat and served rare, or else the meat will dry out and become tough. Tough cuts should be braised or used as stew meat, and cooked slowly. Most of the game that's available commercially has been ranch-raised, and have a milder flavor than wild game. If you're not partial to the gamey taste and aroma of wild game (which resembles that of liver), you can tone it down a bit by first marinating the meat for a few hours or by adding vinegar to the sauce.

alligator

Alligator meat is lean and mild and people say it tastes like a combination of pork, chicken, and rabbit. The best meat comes from the tail.

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antelope

Antelope are related to goats, but the meat resembles strongly-flavored venison.

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bear

Compared with beef, bear is high in protein and low in fat and calories. Make sure you cook it thoroughly--it's possible to contract trichinosis from undercooked bear meat.

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boar

Boar meat is similar to pork, only leaner, redder, and stronger-tasting. Make sure you cook it thoroughly--it's possible to contract trichinosis from undercooked boar meat.

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buffalo

Buffalo meat tastes like beef, but it's a lot leaner. To keep tender cuts from drying out, cook them to no more than medium rare. Tougher cuts should be cooked very slowly over low heat.

Kangaroo is becoming increasingly popular in Australia. It has a very strong, gamy flavor that's a bit like venison. It's very lean, so avoid overcooking it.

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partridge

These small, plump birds are related to pheasants, and very tasty. Varieties include the chukar, red-legged partridge = French partridge, and grey partridge = English partridge.

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pheasant

These tend to be pricey, but they're more flavorful than chickens. One pheasant can serve two people. Pheasants are lean, so bard them before roasting.

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pigeon

Pigeon meat is dark and very tender. Look for it in Asian or gourmet markets. Varieties include the squab, which is a young pigeon that's never flown, the wood pigeon, rock dove, and ring dove.

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quail

Quails have dark meat that's quite tasty. They're very lean, so bard them before roasting or marinate them before grilling. Allow two quail per person.

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rattlesnake

A novelty item in the Southwest, rattlesnake meat resemble chicken, only it's chewier and has lots of small bones. Don't overcook it.

Turtle meat is very flavorful though it's somewhat chewy. It often goes into soups.

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venison

The term venison applies to deer meat, elk meat, moose meat, caribou meat, and reindeer meat, all of which can be used interchangeably. Venison is very lean, so it's important not to overcook it. The best cuts are from the back strap, or loin area. If you want to tone down the gamy flavor, marinate it in milk or add some vinegar to the sauce.

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