Cooking Game

[elion_84]

This weekend I discovered a vendor at our local farmer's market who sells chickens, game birds, and rabbits. I didn't want to risk it the first time so we got the chicken. It was really, really good. Now I'm ready to try something more interesting - I was thinking rabbit and pheasant.

The problem is I have no idea how to cook them. I've tried making rabbit stew once and it didn't taste all that good. I'm considering making rabbit cacciatore this time. Any advice? I'm not sure how to go about browning it (like I would chicken) since rabbit doesn't come with skin and it's so lean.

What about the pheasant? Can someone recommend a good recipe for the first taste?

[Blake]

Treat rabbit like you would chicken. ......no, it doesn't taste like chicken, it just cooks pretty much the same way.

I cooked some pheasant recently and don't remember what cooking method I used but I do know that I larded them first and brined them. The guy who shot them said they were the best he had ever eaten.

Blake

[Jinmyo]

Larding works well for rabbit, especially if you're dealing with large pieces or a whole Floppy.

Rosemary is one of my favourite herbs for rabbit.

[budrichard]

Since you are most likely purchasing pen raised pheasant and rabbit, they will be al ittle more tender than wild. You can braise the rabbit quite succesfully. A time consuming method for a large rabbit would be a boneless saddle with the leg and other meat for the stuffing. Pheasant, even pen raised are invariably a little dry if not larded or cooked with butter or bacon. Depending on your taste, a pheasant should be alittle pink unlike chicken. An alternative that we have come to enjoy is pheasant cut up, braised in sour cream(non fat works well) with bay, garlic, sage and juniper berries, a standard for game. Either way you cook these, a source like that is great and deserves to used to provide a different view of the menu. Me. I slog through the mud and weeds for my game, which makes it all the more precious. -Dick

[jackal10]

Pheasant should ideally be hung in the feather for a week or so.

This time of year just plain roast is good. Lots of butter, and cover the breast with bacon.

30 mins in a hot oven.

Serve with bread sauce, game chips, redcurrant or cranberry, brissel sprouts and a good burgundy

[elion_84]

Larding works well for rabbit, especially if you're dealing with large pieces or a whole Floppy.

What is larding? I've never seen this term.

[jackal10]

What is larding? I've never seen this term.

Inserting batons of fat into the meat. Used to help dry meats.

You can get special needles like skewers, but with a clamp arrangement at the blunt end to take the strip of fat. You can do it with a thin knife like a boning knife and some care. Helps if the fat is cold.

If you use bacon its called "barding".

[fimbul]

The pheasant I've cooked has all been farm-raised, bought frozen from the supermarket. I've roasted them whole, but always found the legs a bit tough cooked that way. I've taken to boning and sauteing the breasts, and confitting or braising the legs separately. From the wings and carcass, I make stock.

[Jinmyo]

What is larding? I've never seen this term.

Inserting batons of fat into the meat. Used to help dry meats...

What jackal10 said.

[budrichard]

" Pheasant should ideally be hung in the feather for a week or so. "

The above process resulted from the lack of refrigeration during the past where game by neccessity was hung until being ready to be consumed. The game developed a flavor and certain tenderness while it decomposed.

To hang game today when refrigeration is available is asking for trouble in controlling the decomposition. Yes you can 'hang' in a refrigerated environment but unless kept at the proper humidty like dry aging, the game will dry out. There simply is no reason to hang properly dressed, cooled, cut up and prepared game today. I have shot everything from bear to wild turkey, never hung any of it and enjoyed uniformly good eating with no worry about decomposition and spoilage. The gamey flavor that one experiences is usually due to improperly prepared wild game.

Wustof will sell you larding needles. http://www.pcd.com ordered mine for me.-Dick

Edited November 5, 2003 by budrichard (log)

[howard88]

I recently purchased a young rabbit from D'Artagnan. I think it was about two and a half pounds. I brined it for 24 hours. I cut out the breasts and legs and used the backbone and any other left over parts for a stock. I floured with wondra and sauteed each part for a few minutes for color. I sauteed a mirapoix of onions, celery, carrots, garlic. Added the rabbit stock, supplemented by some chicken broth and braised in the oven at 225 degrees for three hours. I removed the rabbit and reduced the stock with the addition of some sauvignon blanc. It was tender, sweet falling off the bone good. The sauce was rich and flavorful and served with wide egg noodles.

[howard88]

Addendum:

I sauteed and added a pound of cremeni mushrooms and added to the braise about an hour before removing from the oven.

[MichaelB]

Two reactions to the rabbit dishes.

First, playing with rabbit carcasses is a great way to hone your meat fabrication skills. Four legged mammals are all pretty much the same. If you learn how to take a rabbit to primal cuts and then primal cuts to what you intend to eat, you can do the same with everything up to an elephant -- the equipment required, however, may be a bit different.

Second, I don't like the idea of braising a cut as tender as rabbit loin.

So, I braise or confit the hind legs and bone out the loins and tenderloins. I often also remove the excess meat from the front legs and neck. The rest goes into rabbit stock.

A main course of braised or confited leg and pan roasted loin is terrific. You can also stuff (as suggested above) the loin with a farce of the front leg and neck meat. Just leave the flap on the loins -- if you have never boned a rabbit you'll see what I mean when you try. Coat the flap with the farce and roll it up. Tie with string or wrap the package in caul fat.