newhunterette
04-20-2008, 09:53 AM
Today, wild game meats are enjoying a newfound popularity as healthy alternatives to traditional meats found in supermarkets.
Decades ago, wild game meat was a large part of the average Canadian’s diet, but as people moved away from the country and into cities, they relied more on farm-raised meats like beef, pork, chicken and lamb. Today, wild game meats are enjoying a newfound popularity as healthy alternatives to traditional meats found in supermarkets.
In addition to their all-natural quality, game meats offer significant health advantages over traditional red meat: they’re significantly lower in fat, calories, and cholesterol than beef or pork, and in some cases, white meat chicken.
Venison
Venison is the term applied to deer meat. Once thought to be a food source for the poor, venison is now prized as a culinary delight. Venison has more nutritional value than beef, is lower in fat and cholesterol and higher in protein.
Venison is darker red and more richly flavored than beef. The most prized cuts are chops, rib portions and the rear or haunch. One popular use of venison is to cut the meat into cubes and make stew. Other recipes include ground venison patties, or grinding for use in meatballs or spaghetti sauce.
Venison should be cooked quickly over high heat and served rare or medium rare. Well-done venison is tough and chewy.
Buffalo/Bison
Buffalo or, more properly, Bison is similar tasting to beef, but coarsely textured and sweet. It’s often used as a substitute for beef.
It has significant advantages over beef because it’s high in protein and low in cholesterol (about 30 per cent less than beef) and has less calories and fat than beef or chicken. It’s also high in essential fatty acids and has an excellent ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 acids.
Cuts of bison are similar to beef cuts. Because of the lean qualities, it is best cooked at a lower temperature and cooked rare to medium rare.
Elk
Elk meat provides the full flavour of beef without the calories, fat or cholesterol. Elk meat is also high in protein and iron.
Because elk meat can be tough, it’s an excellent option for slow-cookers. When barbecuing or pan frying, sear the meat on high heat to seal in the juices, then cook on low heat to the desired finish.
Rabbit
Rabbit is the only meat that can be fully broken down by the human body and processed into energy. Rabbit meat is high in protein and B vitamins and low in calories, cholesterol and sodium. Because rabbit is 98 per cent fat-free, it’s frequently recommended for medical reasons. It’s also commonly raised without use of hormones or steroids.
Rabbit meat has a fine texture and a mild flavour. It can be used in stews, pan-fried or roasted. When grilling, baste frequently and cook to medium.
Preparation
Some cuts of game meat can be tough. To tenderize the meat, marinate in low-fat sauces, olive or Canola oil and season with herbs and spices.
If you’re unsure about trying game meats, test them out by adding small amounts to stir-fries, casseroles, soups and rice dishes. See which meat suits your taste buds before stocking up your freezer.
Storing
You can freeze game meat in your freezer by wrapping it in airtight, heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap, freezer paper or freezer-safe plastic bags.
Fresh game can be frozen for up to eight months. Seasoned or cured meats can be frozen for four months. Other methods for preserving game meats include smoking, drying, corning, canning and sausage-making.
Frozen game meat should be thawed in the refrigerator or microwave oven. Because game meat can be high in bacterial content, thawing at room temperature can promote bacterial growth.
Refrigerator-thawed meat should be used within one or two days. Meat thawed in the microwave should be cooked immediately.
show this article to the antis :)
Alison
Decades ago, wild game meat was a large part of the average Canadian’s diet, but as people moved away from the country and into cities, they relied more on farm-raised meats like beef, pork, chicken and lamb. Today, wild game meats are enjoying a newfound popularity as healthy alternatives to traditional meats found in supermarkets.
In addition to their all-natural quality, game meats offer significant health advantages over traditional red meat: they’re significantly lower in fat, calories, and cholesterol than beef or pork, and in some cases, white meat chicken.
Venison
Venison is the term applied to deer meat. Once thought to be a food source for the poor, venison is now prized as a culinary delight. Venison has more nutritional value than beef, is lower in fat and cholesterol and higher in protein.
Venison is darker red and more richly flavored than beef. The most prized cuts are chops, rib portions and the rear or haunch. One popular use of venison is to cut the meat into cubes and make stew. Other recipes include ground venison patties, or grinding for use in meatballs or spaghetti sauce.
Venison should be cooked quickly over high heat and served rare or medium rare. Well-done venison is tough and chewy.
Buffalo/Bison
Buffalo or, more properly, Bison is similar tasting to beef, but coarsely textured and sweet. It’s often used as a substitute for beef.
It has significant advantages over beef because it’s high in protein and low in cholesterol (about 30 per cent less than beef) and has less calories and fat than beef or chicken. It’s also high in essential fatty acids and has an excellent ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 acids.
Cuts of bison are similar to beef cuts. Because of the lean qualities, it is best cooked at a lower temperature and cooked rare to medium rare.
Elk
Elk meat provides the full flavour of beef without the calories, fat or cholesterol. Elk meat is also high in protein and iron.
Because elk meat can be tough, it’s an excellent option for slow-cookers. When barbecuing or pan frying, sear the meat on high heat to seal in the juices, then cook on low heat to the desired finish.
Rabbit
Rabbit is the only meat that can be fully broken down by the human body and processed into energy. Rabbit meat is high in protein and B vitamins and low in calories, cholesterol and sodium. Because rabbit is 98 per cent fat-free, it’s frequently recommended for medical reasons. It’s also commonly raised without use of hormones or steroids.
Rabbit meat has a fine texture and a mild flavour. It can be used in stews, pan-fried or roasted. When grilling, baste frequently and cook to medium.
Preparation
Some cuts of game meat can be tough. To tenderize the meat, marinate in low-fat sauces, olive or Canola oil and season with herbs and spices.
If you’re unsure about trying game meats, test them out by adding small amounts to stir-fries, casseroles, soups and rice dishes. See which meat suits your taste buds before stocking up your freezer.
Storing
You can freeze game meat in your freezer by wrapping it in airtight, heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap, freezer paper or freezer-safe plastic bags.
Fresh game can be frozen for up to eight months. Seasoned or cured meats can be frozen for four months. Other methods for preserving game meats include smoking, drying, corning, canning and sausage-making.
Frozen game meat should be thawed in the refrigerator or microwave oven. Because game meat can be high in bacterial content, thawing at room temperature can promote bacterial growth.
Refrigerator-thawed meat should be used within one or two days. Meat thawed in the microwave should be cooked immediately.
show this article to the antis :)
Alison