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| ISBN-13: | 9781504949941 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AuthorHouse |
| Publication date: | 10/05/2015 |
| Pages: | 190 |
| Product dimensions: | 8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.52(d) |
Read an Excerpt
Cooking Wild Game and Fish with Chef Milos
By Milos Cihelka
AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2015 Milos CihelkaAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-5049-4994-1
CHAPTER 1
SECTION: BIG GAME
SO YOU'VE HAD A SUCCESSFUL HUNT!
During medieval times in Europe, wild game was reserved for kings and noblemen. Peasants were not allowed to eat it and the penalty for poaching game was death! Even nowadays, wild game in Europe is still considered a delicacy, handled with great care and respect, reserved for special occasions and served in expensive restaurants. In the Unites States many people dislike eating wild game, having had bad experience with it.
The majority of hunters really do not want to have anything to do with the game after they harvest it, preferring to let someone else take over. Typically, the processor immediately skins the deer, then cuts off the head and feet and throws the carcass in the freezer. When frozen solid, it is then cut up on a band saw, with bones, fat and sinews in every cut. The result is strong, gamey tasting, tough meat unfit for cooking in any manner. No wonder it tastes bad!
If you are really determined to have great tasting, tender game, my book will guide you through the steps from A to Z. You do not need to be afraid of failure.
Most people who enjoy a tender, flavorful steak or delicious roast in a fine restaurant probably do not realize that the meat has been aged for three to six weeks. Wild game also needs to be aged, which you can accomplish easily yourself. But do not try to take aged deer to a processor, as they will refuse to handle it.
FIELD CARE OF BIG GAME
You should carry a drag rope in your pocket, or pack along with your knife a few plastic bags that zip close for transporting the organs, and some disposable arm-length plastic gloves. Big game should be field dressed immediately.
Quick field dressing facilitates cooling and prevents spoilage when the danger of the meat turning sour is especially high. This is critical during the warmer weather of early bow hunting season, or when hunting in a desert or hot, arid country for antelope, mule deer, black-tailed deer, wild boar or javelinas.
First, place a tag on the deer to make it legal according to your state regulations.
Begin gutting the animal. Start by inserting a knife with a 5 inch narrow blade at the edge of the rectum, just under the tail. The blade should enter straight in above the rectum, touching the spine. When the blade is fully inserted, with a sawing motion begin cutting around the perimeter of the rectum, touching the surrounding bones, severing the connective tissues that hold the colon. Be careful not to cut into the intestine. When finished, you should be able to pull out several inches of the colon.
Next, lay the deer on its back; it's helpful to ask someone to hold it in that position.
If not, you may tie a front leg to a tree or bush to hold it up. When it is a buck, remove the genitals. Locate the sternum (center end of the rib cage). Carefully insert the point of the knife edge up, just through the skin and underlying membrane, exposing the cavity, but not cutting into the stomach. If your knife has a gut hook, insert it there and draw it all the way down to between the legs. Otherwise, insert two fingers of your free hand palm up into the opening. Holding the point of the knife edge up between your fingers, carefully open the abdominal cavity all the way down, taking care not to cut into the viscera.
Now, if you are right-handed, lay the deer on its right side, preferably on a slight incline, legs downhill. Pull the stomach, liver and intestines out, detaching any tissues which hold it in. Check to see that the urine bladder was removed (found in a cavity between the hind legs next to the spine), being careful not to burst it! Remove kidneys and excess fat. Check under the tail - there should be just an empty hole, no intestinal remnants.
Then cut through the diaphragm (membrane separating the lungs from the viscera). Put your left hand through this opening to the front of the chest as far as you can reach and grasp the heart. Carefully move the knife in your right hand forward; sever the trachea, esophagus and arteries above the heart, and then pull the heart and lungs out. Move the deer away from the gut pile, then flip it on its belly to drain the blood from the cavity. You can lift the front of the deer up to facilitate drainage. Spread the legs to keep it in that position and leave it draining for a while.
If you have punctured the viscera, the cavity needs to be flushed with cold water. If none is available at the moment, wiping the cavity with moss, grass or ferns will help temporarily. Upon arrival home, you should make certain that the cavity is clean. It is a good idea to wipe it out with a vinegar-soaked towel, which kills bacteria and eliminates odor.
The liver, heart, kidneys and also the testicles are all very much edible. These parts, along with the tenderloins, can be cooked immediately, especially if you are in a hunting camp. My section on "Fast Foods" gives recipes for the preparation of these quick camp meals.
PROCESSING
I recommend processing your venison yourself, rather than taking your kill to a commercial processor. A processor will weigh the deer and mark the weight on the receipt. Then they skin it, cut the head and feet off and freeze the whole carcass immediately. When frozen, it is cut up on a band saw like a loaf of bread, with every slice having bone, fat, sinews and various parts of meat. I was told it takes them about 8 minutes to cut up a deer! When the customer comes back to pick it up, they will give him the amount of meat or product according to his deer size. It will be anybody's deer, no matter where it came from or how that other hunter shot, cleaned and handled it. They do not have the time to tag and handle your deer separately. Venison processed in rigor mortis with bones and fat is unsuitable for any type of cooking. And it will turn rancid in the freezer in a couple of months. I have had hunters offer me such venison. Since I did not have dogs at that time, I thanked them and after they left, threw it away.
Once you have aged and processed your own deer and tasted the difference, you will never again take it to a processor. And when you serve it to your guests, they will not believe it is venison! I can guarantee you that, absolutely!
TRANSPORTATION OF BIG GAME
To drag a deer, first cross the front feet behind the head. Then attach the drag rope around the neck, holding the feet in place. The dragging is much easier this way. Larger game such as elk, moose or caribou necessitates quartering the animal on the spot and packing the meat on horseback, on your own back, by snowmobile or all-terrain vehicle.
When hanging game in camp or when transporting it home, make sure it stays dry and that air can circulate around the animal. It is not a good idea to put a still warm animal in the back of a heated station wagon or SUV for a long drive. If it starts raining or the road is extremely dusty and the deer is secured on the roof rack, cover it with a plastic – but never wrap it in plastic when the body is still warm.
For long distance transportation, it is very important to have the meat well chilled but not frozen. Chilling can be speeded up by inserting ice frozen in gallon jars, or bags of ice, into the cavity of a hanging animal. Do not allow ice or melting water to make direct contact with the cavity, which must remain dry. Once the meat has been thoroughly chilled, it will remain cold for up to three days in reasonably cool temperatures. We have transported big game to Michigan from Eastern Canada and Western states, just cold, not frozen.
One good way to get great results in a distant hunt area is to ask a local butcher to age the saddle and hind quarters (of an elk or moose as example), hanging them in his walk-in cooler. After 3 weeks, he can bone the meat out, pack it in plastic-lined cardboard boxes and ship it by air freight to you. It will not spoil! But do NOT allow him to cut it into steaks or freeze the meat. They usually do a terrible job! For best results, cut the steaks and roasts yourself, then freeze them.
Contrary to popular opinion, meat will not spoil very fast. Even small game, such as rabbits, ducks or pheasants, when properly chilled, can be transported in coolers just as they are, whole, with feathers on, un-gutted. I have done so on several occasions.
AGING GAME
As chef-owner of a restaurant that featured wild game on the menu daily, I often had customers ask why our game tasted so much better than the game they prepared at home.
I explained that long before the cooking starts, proper care of the harvested animal is of utmost importance – beginning with careful field dressing and then aging. It seems that everyone knows about aging beef, wine and cheese, but few understand the importance of aging wild game.
Most of you must have seen advertisements of restaurants claiming that they serve "dry aged beef". What does that exactly mean? Restaurants specializing in exceptional quality of steaks, roasts and also lamb have what is in the industry called "aging boxes". These are walk-in refrigerators dedicated to aging meat only, which means no other food products can be stored there. They are temperature and humidity controlled and have an ultraviolet light which inhibits the growth of bacteria. The meat must be in large pieces with bones, such as whole hind legs, sirloin shells or prime ribs. It is either hung from hooks or placed on perforated shelves and rotated daily. Small cuts and boneless meat cannot be dry aged. During aging, which lasts 3-6 weeks, the meat will lose weight through desiccation and the open ends will develop mold, necessitating extra trimming. All of that adds substantial cost to serving dry aged beef and lamb. Other domestic animal products are also aged. These include various types of salami, sausages and dry cured hams. The best and most expensive dry cured ham is produced in Spain. Some of these hams are aged for up to three years!
Besides dry aging, there is also "wet aging". Beef cuts, such as tenderloins, strip loins and lamb cuts, are vacuum packaged in thick plastic bags called "Cryovac". Refrigerated, meat in these bags will keep for several weeks and will also age to a degree. But the flavor and tenderness will not equal dry aging. So what happens in aging?
During aging, enzymes that are naturally present in all flesh gradually break down connective tissues, tenderizing the meat. At the same time, just as in aging wine or cheese, the flavor of the meat mellows with age. This is especially noticeable in wild game, which when cooked in a fresh state is tough and has a strong "gamey" taste.
While few sport hunters have access to walk-in coolers, most do have an airy garage or barn to use for aging game during the fall and winter hunting seasons in cooler climates. Even if the outside daytime temperature rises to 55° F and nighttime drops below freezing, the garage or barn will modify these swings. Keep a window open or place a small fan nearby to circulate air. Ventilation is important. If the temperature in your storage space drops below 28° F, protect hanging venison from freezing by loosely draping a tarp over it and turning on a light bulb or a small heater underneath. Make sure you do not allow the carcass to freeze!
A number of hunters who are successful every year, especially those living in warm climates, have built their own aging coolers. These can be simply constructed from plywood, insulated and equipped with a small-size air conditioner placed in a cut-out window. The cooler can be as small as 6'x6' and 8' high with a sturdy ceiling with hooks for hanging game. Friends, relatives or club members can share the cooler space and expense. The cooler can be located in a barn, garage, or any shady, protected location.
Hang the deer head-down and place a bucket under it to collect drainage. The reason for hanging it this way is that we don't want blood and bodily fluids to drain and pool up in the hindquarters during aging. You should also prop the cavity open with a stick between the flanks in order to allow air to circulate inside the body. Remember to remove the tenderloins on the inside, next to the spine, so they do not dry out. They can be cooked fresh.
The best temperature for aging is 40° F. Warmer temperatures will speed up aging; cooler temperatures will slow it down; freezing temperatures will stop aging. So in warm weather, you can shorten the aging time.
HOT OIL FLY REPELLANT
Big game hunting during warm weather can present a problem due to flies and other insects getting on the flesh when your animal is hung for draining and aging. To prevent this, I recommend using my formula for "hot oil," which you can easily make at home.
Similar chemical fly repellants are sold commercially as "liquid netting."
To make your own hot oil, place two cups of vegetable oil in a small sauce pan on the stove. Add a small handful of dried crushed red chili peppers. Stir. Allow the oil to start sizzling, and then remove it from the stove. Set aside to cool. Pour it into a jar and seal it. Store this in a cool place. It is not necessary to strain out the pepper flakes; the oil will get hot ter with age. It will keep for a year without refrigeration.
Before you apply the hot oil, make sure the cavity of the animal is dry. If not, wipe it out with paper towels. Spill some oil into the palm of your hand and lightly coat the entire cavity, plus any openings such as the mouth, nose, eyes and shot holes where flies might enter. Pour a little extra down into the throat.
Do not oil the hide. The animal's hide is the best protection against flies and other insects. This hot oil formula will not affect the taste of the meat.
As your meat ages, check the cavity daily. It should remain dry to the touch. If slime develops, wipe it off immediately with a vinegar-soaked towel. The cavity will dry again in a day or two. After about seven to 10 days, you will notice white specks of mold on the exposed surface of the cavity. This is a normal occurrence and is nothing to be concerned about so long as the cavity remains dry. In two weeks the mold may cover the entire cavity and there will be a strong, unpleasant odor. Again, this is normal, nothing to worry about.
Hang a fawn or a doe for two weeks, a mature deer for three weeks and an old buck for up to four weeks. Only then should the animal be skinned and butchered.
Note: you cannot age any game or domestic meat after it has been frozen.
Let us then briefly cover the key points of aging large game before we move on to skinning, quartering and butchering:
• the animal is hung head down, chest cavity opened with a stick
• best temperature for aging: 40° F.
• cover with a tarp and use a light bulb beneath the tarp if temp is below freezing
• keep inside cavity dry and ventilated
• wipe away any slime with vinegar-soaked towels
• age young fawn or calf moose, elk or caribou one week
• age adult doe or cow elk, moose or caribou two weeks
• age mature buck or bull three to four weeks
• inspect the deer every few days for wetness
• don't worry about odor, it will have no effect on the meat
SKINNING BIG GAME
Several years ago, Jerry Chiappetta, a well-known producer of outdoor television series and myself produced nine tapes demonstrating processing and preparation of wild game, fish and seafood. These very popular tapes have won a number of awards and were later converted into DVDs, which are still available from Amazon. They are called Wild Harvest Videos and were judged the best of their type by American Culinary Federation. The videos are used in culinary schools and guide any individual, including housewives in game and fish processing and cooking.
Tools needed for skinning and butchering are available from restaurant and butcher supply stores: skinning knife, boning knife, sharpener and bone saw. You will also need a strong rope, large cutting board, plastic sheets or large metal trays, vacuum packing machine and bags.
Contrary to what you may have heard, skinning a deer right after the kill will not improve its flavor. It will only dry the meat out and result in additional waste. Removing the musk glands from the insides of the hind legs is another myth, as is cutting a deer's throat to "bleed it." These actions will make no difference in the taste of the meat.
The tenderloins, located inside the cavity on either side of the spine, should be removed soon after the animal has been harvested to prevent them from drying out. Tenderloins are tasty and tender even when fresh, so you can cook them right away.
One of the easiest ways to skin a deer while it is hanging is to use a vehicle to pull the hide off. First, however, make sure your deer is hanging head-down from a sturdy tree limb or strong beam in your garage or barn.
If you wish to have the head of a trophy animal mounted, slit the hide starting between the antlers, in a straight line along the top of the neck and the top of the spine. Then cut around the torso behind the shoulders, slit the hide on the inside of the front legs and pull the cape off up to the head. Cut the neck off just below the head, leaving the head attached to the hide. Always cut the hide with the edge of the knife pointed up to prevent cutting hair.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Cooking Wild Game and Fish with Chef Milos by Milos Cihelka. Copyright © 2015 Milos Cihelka. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction, xiii,Foreword, xvii,
PART 1 WILD GAME,
SECTION: BIG GAME, 3,
SECTION: SMALL GAME, 48,
SECTION: RABBITS AND SQUIRRELS, 65,
SECTION: SIDE DISHES, 69,
SECTION: MARINADES, 82,
SECTION: SAUCES, RELISHES, SALADS AND DRESSINGS, 85,
THE FINAL WORD, 88,
PART 2 FISH AND SEAFOOD,
SECTION: FRESHWATER FISH, 107,
SALTWATER FISH, 117,
SMOKING FISH, 142,
SHELLFISH AND CRUSTACEANS, 148,
SECTION- MUSHROOMS, 167,
COLD SAUCES AND DRESSINGS, 170,