You don’t need a hunting license to score some of the best game meat for your home table. These days, there are plenty of choices in our supermarkets including bison, pheasant, rabbit and a whole lot more. Remember that your best source of information is the butcher on staff. But here’s a quick primer to set you on your way.
Bison
While many of us have had a bison (or buffalo) burger, there’s so much more to enjoy in this North American game meat. Basically, bison cuts are just like the cuts from its relative, the cow. There are bison rib roasts, bison tenderloins, bison briskets, and even bison pot roasts. Substitute the appropriate cut of bison for almost any beef cut in almost any recipe. And there’s this bonus: the meat is leaner than beef — and even a little sweeter. However, note that because the meat is so lean, bison burgers and steaks can get very dry when cooked beyond medium. (Of course, stewing cuts like briskets or pot roasts are routinely cooked beyond “medium” — but these preparations involve added liquid in the pot that will compensate for the drier nature of the meat.)
Boar
As bison are to cows, boars are to pigs. In other words, boar cuts are similar to pork cuts: chops, shanks, racks, shoulder roasts, tenderloins, rib roasts, stew meat, and even boar sausages. Boar meat can be substituted for pork in almost any recipe. The flavor is slightly stronger than that of pork — think of it as a halfway stop between pork and lamb. Farm-raised boar will be milder and sweeter than ranch-raised — and much milder than wild boar. By and large, boar is leaner than pork and can thus be easily overcooked. Have an instant-read meat thermometer on hand and be exacting: cook boar to an internal temperature of 145°F for whole cuts and 160°F for ground, then let the meat rest for 3 minutes before serving.
Duck
There are dozens of duck varieties in the wild. By and large, the meat tends to be strongly flavored, often livery, and quite chewy. In the supermarket, things are simpler — and milder, too. Most of the available ducks are of the Pekin variety, a misspelling of “Peking” (and also called “Long Island ducks”). These are white-feathered, orange-billed ducks; the meat is mild and flavorful without being too oily. Muscovy ducks, a bit rarer in our supermarkets, are larger fowl — and a favorite of restaurant chefs. The meat is more strongly flavored with a hint of that livery tang so prized in some game meats. Moulard ducks, quite rare but nonetheless available from internet suppliers, are actually a cross between Pekins and Muscovies; the meat is chewy and rich, sometimes even stringy, and best braised.
Elk
A relative of deer, elk (sometimes called “wapiti”) are now farmed throughout North America. Wild or farmed, elk yields an extremely lean, dry meat; elk jerky is notoriously chewy. Elk cuts from the legs and shoulders should be braised; chops, steaks, the loin and the tenderloin should be cooked about as you would the same cuts of beef — that is, quickly, and preferably on a grill over an open, high-heat fire. Elk has a strong, assertive taste, not for the faint of heart. It takes well to a spicy marinade or rub before cooking — and should then be served with a strongly flavored condiment, preferably a sweet/sour/spicy condiment like hot tomato chutney or a chipotle cranberry relish.
Goose
All geese are still raised in small populations on farms — or taken from the wild. Think of the butchered pieces of a goose about the way you would any bird: breast meat, legs, thighs, wings. However, the entire animal is dark meat. What’s more, the legs have very little meat on them. Goose meat is a bit of a conundrum: while the overall effect is of a very fatty meat, individual pieces can be dry. That’s because so much of the fat sits in layers over the meat — and can be removed for a healthier meal. To that end, it’s best to prick the skin and steam a whole goose for up to 1 hour; you’ll remove much of the fat before you roast, smoke or braise the meat.
Grouse
This small ground bird yields some of the most tender poultry you can imagine — mostly because a grouse doesn’t fly much in its life. A dressed grouse is small, usually 10 to 12 ounces for a whole bird. Grouse has one of the strongest flavors (and, indeed, smells) of any game bird you can find in the grocery store. It’s probably not the best place to begin exploring game fowl, but it does take well to spicy and piquant flavors in rubs, marinades and sauces. Professional chefs often recommend cooking the legs separately from the very lean breasts to avoid overcooking the latter.
Partridge
Nope, not in a pear tree. Related to pheasants, partridges are a European favorite, like very plump, tiny, juicy game hens. They have just recently started showing up regularly in North American supermarkets. Partridge meat is mostly white — and exceedingly lean. In fact, partridges provide some of the mildest, sweetest meat of any game bird — and so are a great place to start exploring game birds, in simple roasts and braises. However, there’s a high bone-to-meat ratio, so figure on one partridge per person.
Pheasant
This thin-skinned, low-fat game bird offers a subtle, tasty flavor, reminiscent of heritage-breed chickens, although with a drier texture. Most dressed pheasants weigh in at about 2 1/2 pounds per bird, enough for 3 people because of the high bone-to-meat ratio. But those bones bring big flavor to the meat! Of any game bird, cooking a pheasant can bring up the same problems as cooking a turkey — only more so! The legs are tough and sinewy; the breast, lean and easily overcooked. The legs are often removed and braised separately; the breast, roasted or grilled with high heat. Since a pheasant is a larger bird, it does need longer in the oven than other game birds. Most professional chefs resort to wrapping the breast meat in bacon or pancetta to protect it from the oven’s heat. You can get a similar effect by repeatedly basting the roasting meat with fat-free, reduced-sodium broth.
Rabbit
Rabbits were once a primary source of protein for North American settlers; they have now been relegated to the game category, despite being farm-raised across North America. The meat is like a cross between very mild pork loin and white-meat chicken. In fact, you should think of preparing rabbit in exactly the ways you would chicken: frying, oven-frying, stewing, braising, roasting or grilling. The meat takes well to savory preparations, particularly those that rely on fresh herbs, spring vegetables and ripe tomatoes. One note: a rabbit’s anatomy is the most unusual of any animal you’ll encounter at your supermarket. Ask the butcher if she or he will cut the rabbit up into 8 to 10 pieces so you can more easily handle it when you get it home.
Squab
These are baby pigeons — and they’re the darlings of both French and Chinese chefs. But don’t think of the pigeons that fly around our cities; squabs come from specialized hybrids, bred over the years to produce this succulent treat. In fact, squabs are technically “unfledged pigeons,” meaning they’re too young yet to have flown. As such, they’re tiny with a very dark meat that yields a rich, vaguely minerally flavor, not at all greasy. Most often grilled, fried or roasted, squabs take to citrusy preparations (with an orange sauce, with a lemon vinaigrette) or pair well with dried spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.
Venison
That is, deer. Although now farmed across the globe, deer are these days the most widely hunted mammal in the world. Whether farm-raised or taken in the wild, a deer’s meat is very dark red and lean. Wild venison will have a much stronger flavor, a much denser chew. In any event, all forms of venison take to braising, stewing, grilling and roasting. In the modern butcher shop, venison is cut up about like veal. You’ll find venison osso buco, chuck roasts, shoulder roasts, loin, tenderloin, sirloin, chops and a variety of steaks. You can even find whole leg roasts, making a steamship round of venison! However, the leg meat is most often cut into thin cutlets, scaloppini or even cubes for kebabs.