Cooking with Game Meats: A British Culinary Adventure

Game meats, with their rich flavours and unique textures, offer an exciting alternative to conventional meats like chicken, beef, and pork. 

In the UK, game meats such as venison, pheasant, rabbit, and grouse have a long-standing tradition and are making a comeback in modern kitchens. 

Whether you're a seasoned cook or a curious novice, learning to cook with game meats can be a rewarding and delectable experience.

The Appeal of Game Meats

Flavourful and Nutritious: Game meats are known for their robust flavours. They are generally leaner and higher in protein compared to farmed meats, making them a healthy choice.

Sustainable and Ethical: Wild game is often more sustainable and ethically sourced, as these animals live in their natural habitats and are free from the intensive farming practices that affect many other types of meat.

Seasonal and Local: Game meats are typically seasonal, which means they are often fresher and locally sourced, supporting British wildlife management and local economies.

Popular British Game Meats

Venison: Venison, or deer meat, is one of the most popular game meats. It's versatile and can be prepared in various ways, from hearty stews or casseroles to elegant steaks.

Pheasant: Pheasant is a game bird with a delicate, slightly sweet flavour. It's perfect for roasting or making into a traditional game pie.

Rabbit: Rabbit meat is tender and mild, lending itself well to slow-cooked dishes such as casseroles and terrines.

Grouse: Grouse has a distinctive, rich flavour and is often considered a delicacy. It's best enjoyed roasted or grilled.

Tips for Cooking with Game Meats

Marinating: Game meats can benefit from marinating, which helps to tenderise the meat and infuse it with additional flavours. A simple marinade can be made using olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and fresh herbs.

Cooking Techniques: Due to their leanness, game meats can dry out if overcooked. Slow cooking, braising, and roasting at lower temperatures are ideal methods to retain moisture and tenderness.

Pairing with Seasonal Ingredients: Enhance the natural flavours of game meats by pairing them with seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients. Root vegetables, wild mushrooms, and berries are excellent companions.

Resting the Meat: After cooking, allow the meat to rest for a few minutes. This helps the juices redistribute, ensuring a moist and flavourful result.

Recipe: Roast Venison with Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

1.5 kg venison loin

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

250 ml red wine

250 ml beef stock

1 sprig of rosemary

1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan, gas mark 4).

Season the venison loin generously with salt and pepper.

In a large ovenproof frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the venison on all sides until browned.

Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for about 20-25 minutes for medium-rare, or longer if you prefer your meat more well-done.

Remove the venison from the oven and let it rest on a warm plate, covered with foil.

In the same pan, sauté the shallots and garlic over medium heat until softened.

Add the red wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Pour in the beef stock and add the rosemary sprig. Simmer until the sauce has reduced by half.

Stir in the redcurrant jelly and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce is glossy.

Slice the venison and serve with the red wine sauce.

Exploring Game Meats: A Culinary Journey

Cooking with game meats opens up a world of culinary possibilities. Embrace the tradition and flavours of British game, and you'll find yourself crafting dishes that are not only delicious but also steeped in history and sustainability. 

Whether you're roasting a succulent venison loin or preparing a hearty rabbit stew, game meats can elevate your cooking to new, exciting heights. Happy cooking!

Where can you purchase game meat? Some butchers stock it, sometimes, but somewhere that stocks it as a matter of course is DukesHill https://www.dukeshill.co.uk/collections/game-meat.

Venison and Haggis Smash Burger in a Whisky Butter, Stout Steamed Brioche

Kamado Joe and BBQ expert Ben Forte reveals the Burns Night special:

Venison and haggis smash burger in a whisky butter, stout steamed brioche

Makes 1 burger

115g venison mince

70g haggis

40g minced pork fat

2 rashers smoked streaky bacon

One or two slices of Emmental

Softened 75g of butter

1 tbsp whisky

Brioche burger buns

Brown sauce

Splash of stout

Steele cloche (a metal saucepan will do)

Best cooked on a scorching hot flat griddle surface.

Mix all the meat together in a bowl, before loosely forming into two 4oz balls and set aside. Mix whisky and butter together. Add more to taste if you love a wee dram!

Butter your brioche generously and griddle for 10/15 seconds, being careful not to burn. Remove and set aside. Dollop brown sauce on the top half of the bun.

Griddle your bacon until crispy but not brittle. Set aside.

Now, it's time to smash those burgers - a broad, flat spatula is best. Place your haggis balls on the cooking surface, leaving ample space between the two. Then press down on each, flattening out. Make sure you oil your implement of choice so it doesn't stick. A good tip is to cut two, 10cm square pieces of greaseproof paper, placing them on top of the meat balls before smashing. Now don't touch them, you want a lovely crust to form. These won't take long to cook - maybe a minute. 

If you see pools of moisture forming on top of each patty, it's time to flip. Once flipped, place your bacon on each, top with Emmental cheese and give it a moment to melt together. Still on the griddle, pop one of the patties on top of the other. Grab the stout and cloche or pan, splash a good glug at the base of the burger, cover with cloche and steam your burger for 20 seconds.

Remove smash burger tower and place on bottom half of brioche.

Eat immediately, knocking back a dram of your favourite scotch whisky during the eating.

https://www.kamadojoe.com

DukesHill Launches Exciting New Wild British Game Collection

With the shooting season for grouse now underway, Royal Warrant holder, artisan food producer and fine food supplier DukesHill has launched a wonderful and delicious new Wild British Game Collection. 

A rich and robust tasting Venison Wellington and a Three Bird Roast of pheasant, partridge and pigeon are just some of the highlights of the new range. 

Established in 1985 in the West of England rural county of Shropshire curing ham using time-honoured traditional techniques, DukesHill's reputation and range continues to grow with the introduction of the new Wild British Game Collection.  

Naturally lean, packed full of flavour and guaranteed to be 100% British, the new wild game is responsibly sourced from approved British estates who ensure all game is handled and cared for properly.

Following popular demand, DukesHill's new collection of British game has been introduced after becoming the most requested product category from its customers.

DukesHill is renowned for championing artisan producers whose skilled use of unique and traditional methods create outstanding food and flavours. With an true uncompromising commitment to sourcing and creating delicious British produce with the highest regard for animal welfare, DukesHill's new Wild British Game Collection carries the British Game Assurance (BGA) stamp, and offers the very best in quality, provenance and taste.

Louisa Clutterbuck, CEO of British Game Assurance and Eat Wild said: “Compared with traditional farmed meats, wild game is astonishingly versatile; the flavour profiles of one type of bird are completely different to another, giving you plenty of room to experiment in your kitchen. It's also lean, high in protein, and low in fat, thus making it a healthy alternative. 

"What's more it's supremely free range and has a lower carbon footprint than many other meats. DukesHill's new Wild British Game Collection celebrates all of this, and better still, all the meat within the collection is BGA-assured, meaning it's guaranteed to be high quality and sustainably sourced. 

"At BGA, we ensure that shoots across the country follow high welfare standards with our independently-audited Assurance Scheme, allowing a reliable and reassuring route for game meat to make its way into the market and onto our plates. We seal it with a BGA stamp of approval; the game equivalent of the Red Tractor stamp.”

Wild British Game Collection

Venison Loin Fillet - £28 (min 450g)

Sourced from approved British estates supporting the British Game Assurance scheme, DukesHill's wild Venison Loin Fillet is of the highest welfare standards. A tender and succulent fillet, it's versatile with a delicate flavour and is perfect for frying or roasting.

Venison Wellington - £38 (min 700g)  

A luxury twist on a classic British dish, this Venison Wellington makes for a delicious dinner centrepiece with a rich and robust game flavour. Tender British venison fillet is wrapped in mushroom duxelles and buttery crisp puff pastry. 

Venison Rolled Haunch Joint - £15 (min 500g) 

Cut from the top of the hind leg, DukesHill's tender and flavoursome Venison Rolled Haunch Joint is simple to cook and easy to carve and makes a great Sunday roast. 

Three Bird Game Roast - £65 (min 1.3kg) 

DukesHill's magnificent Three Bird Game Roast of pheasant breast is stuffed with both partridge and pigeon breast along with a pork, sage, and onion stuffing. It's topped with smoked streaky bacon and a rosemary sprig and carries the British Game Assurance stamp to ensure the provenance of this meat is of the highest regard for animal welfare.

Stuffed Pheasant - £22 (min 600g) 

A British seasonal speciality, this delicious Stuffed Pheasant is lean and rich in flavour. 

It is pointed out that all game from the collection may contain small fragments of shot although every effort is made to ensure that it is removed.

https://www.dukeshill.co.uk