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Game for Anything: Wild game is occasion for adventurous cooking
• by Ligaya Figueras • Photos by Josh Monken
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Wild game has all but vanished as a mainstream food source. It is hard to find on restaurant menus, let alone in grocery meat cases. Unless you have a hunter in the family, you probably don’t keep a stash of wild game steaks, sausages, ribs or ground meat in the deep freeze.
Determined that I would do my part not to let wild game disappear from the American table, I set out to plan a wild fete. I’d track down victuals and unearth Grandma’s cookbook. My friends and I would feast on pheasant, dine on duck and regale over rabbit. Better yet, we’d gorge on a beast – elk, antelope, deer or wild boar. I, the woman who went vegan for Lent, would add wild game to her culinary repertoire!
Then reality set in. Apart from having some braised venison steaks that my country cousins handed over, I had no experience whatsoever cooking wild game. So I hunted down a guy who does. Joshua Galliano is the chef de cuisine at An American Place, a downtown restaurant that offers wild game dishes on its cutting-edge carte du jour.
Galliano’s wild boar prosciutto would be a winning appetizer. The meat is thinly sliced and served with a small amount of arugula drizzled with olive oil and apple saba (a sweet, dense balsamic syrup) and garnished with nasturtiums. I saw visions of myself carpaccio-ing wafer-thin slices of cured meat for my dinner guests – until I actually got the recipe from Galliano. It would take two months to cure the meat. (He cures his own at the restaurant.) I’ve tasted this dish and it is amazing. Adventurous cooks who have the foresight to plan ahead should go for it.
But my dinner party was a couple of weeks away, so I needed another solution. I substituted the prosciutto with some smoked elk salami that I bought online from Burgers’ Smokehouse, a third-generation meat-curing company located in California, Mo., about 25 miles west of Jefferson City. Burgers’ products are U.S. farm-raised as opposed to the really wild meat that An American Place orders from Broken Arrow Ranch in Texas. I served thin salami strips over a bed of arugula with snippets of radicchio for extra color. I’d forgotten to find the apple saba that added such an exotic note to Galliano’s dish, so I used a quality balsamic.
Next, I ladled out a savory soup that paired pheasant with chestnuts. Galliano’s recipe called for pheasant confit whereby the dry-fleshed bird is salted and larded with duck fat to keep it moist as it cooks. Chicken stock, seasoned with herbs, vegetables and the pheasant carcass, was lightly thickened with the shredded pheasant and candied chestnuts – a delicate harmony of flavors. Galliano recommended serving this mild-tasting white meat with a white wine like an Alsatian Gewürztraminer or a German Riesling. “Something around the Spätlese quality,” he added.
For the main attraction, I wanted to serve venison but couldn’t decide the best way to prepare it. Its many cuts presented endless possibilities: legs or shoulder for a roast, loin or fillets for steaks, ribs for chops, and flank for stew. Wild animals don’t enjoy as lavish a diet as domestic animals, so their meat is leaner. Marinating, aging the meat, slow cooking, stewing and larding the meat with fat from another source – as in the pheasant confit – are ways to compensate for the low fat content. Galliano suggested braising the venison shoulder in red wine with cinnamon and coriander. His recipe called for layering the long-braised meat under a cushion of mashed potatoes, or parmentier. I have only avocational cooking training, so this French culinary style was a bit daunting.
That’s when I turned to Jeff McKee of St. Peters, a former big game guide in Florence, Mont. After 30-plus years of bagging wild game, this seasoned hunter shared some down-home cooking advice. “Every recipe that is good with beef is good with deer and elk, in my view,” said an enthusiastic McKee. “Fried, grilled, in gravy, roasted, broiled, boiled, in stew … you name it – it’s good.” Venison is, indeed, versatile and allows even us newbies to use traditional methods on a different-tasting meat. I did, however, learn not to substitute a beef or chicken recipe for a wild meat or poultry dish because of the difference in fat content.
Ultimately, I opted to serve a roast on one large platter and carve it at the table. (Really, I just wanted to show off my bone-handled carving knife.) Taking my cue from Galliano, I served the venison alongside a medley of roasted brussels sprouts and root vegetables (carrots and parsnips) tossed in olive oil and sprinkled with herbes de Provence and a touch of salt and pepper, then arranged around a mold of mashed potatoes. It was a colorful, savory accompaniment to the meat. Again, Galliano came through with some outstanding vins: an Australian Shiraz or a Syrah-based Côtes du Rhône would bring out the chocolate-scented, leathery notes of the venison without losing its gaminess.
It seemed apropos to end the meal with a dessert that included berries or nuts. After all, that’s what wild animals eat. A scoop of French vanilla ice cream or a rich chocolate cake, topped with a berry sauce, would have been a nice, simple finish, but I got inspired to end in American style. Jack Daniels is a good après-hunting drink, so I settled on serving bread pudding with dried berries and bourbon sauce to my Davy Crocketts and their missus.
Now that my feast has ended, are you game to make merry over meat? Braised, stewed, fried or sautéed, wild game is tasty eating. Its hearty flavor and versatile pairings offer creative cookery that your bravest friends will devour.
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Wild Boar Prosciutto With Apple Saba, Arugula and Nasturtium
Courtesy of An American Place’s Joshua Galliano
8 servings
For the boar:
1 Broken Arrow Ranch boar leg, approximately 7 lbs.
4 cups kosher salt
1 tsp. pink salt*
4 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
10 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
16 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
1/2 bottle (375 milliliter) red wine
1/2 bottle (375 milliliter) balsamic vinegar
1 head garlic, peeled and minced
3 cups lard
Cheesecloth
Butcher string
•Remove the aitchbone from the boar leg. Mix together the kosher salt, pink salt, cayenne pepper, 8 tablespoons of black pepper and the dark brown sugar to create the dry cure. In a nonreactive pan big enough to fit the boar leg, sprinkle 1/3 of the dry cure. Lay the leg on top of the cure and cover with the rest of the dry cure. Make sure to pack the dry cure around the edges of the leg, the exposed femur and by the ankle. Cover the leg with plastic wrap then place an even amount of weight on top of the leg. Refrigerate. (If space allows in the refrigerator, cure the leg in a wooden wine box that is arranged on top of a drain pan. It is better to keep the meat as dry as possible during curing.) Cure the leg 2 days for every pound the leg weighs, approximately 2 weeks. During the curing, flip the leg every other day, reapplying the cure that remains in the pan.
•After the curing time has elapsed, the leg should feel stiffer. Rinse the cure from the leg and dry the leg. Return the leg to the refrigerator while you prepare the sealing.
•Seal the meat by first reducing the red wine and the balsamic vinegar together until reduced by 2/3 of the original volume. Allow the reduction to cool at room temperature. Brush the boar leg with the reduction then return the leg to the refrigerator until the next day. The next day, mix together the lard, minced garlic and 2 tablespoons of black pepper. Thoroughly rub the entire surface of the boar leg with the lard mixture.
•Wrap the leg in cheesecloth and secure with a butcher string. Hang the leg in an area that is 58 to 68 degrees, 60 percent humidity and not exposed to sunlight. If possible, keep the air circulated with a small fan. (Basements are a great place to age meat; hang the meat from the rafters with a drip pan set under the meat. Make sure no animals can get at your aging meat.) Age the leg between 1 and 2 months.
•After aging, use a scrub brush to remove the lard mixture. Pat the meat dry.
For the assembly:
2 cups Claverach Farm arugula
1 Tbsp. apple saba, divided**
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup nasturtium leaves and/or flowers
Salt and pepper to taste
•Thinly slice 16 pieces of the prosciutto.
•Pick the stems from the arugula and place the leaves in a small mixing bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and lightly dress with a small amount of apple saba and olive oil. Gently mix the leaves with the dressing.
•Arrange two slices of prosciutto on each plate. Drizzle apple saba on the plate then drizzle extra virgin olive oil on the plate. Lay the arugula leaves around the prosciutto. Garnish each plate with the nasturtiums.
* Pink salt is available at most spice shops and specialty grocery stores.
**You can find apple saba at Soulard Spice Shop or order it online at www.zingermans.com.
Otherwise, substitute with quality balsamic vinegar.
Pheasant Broth With Candied Chestnuts and Pheasant Confit
Courtesy of An American Place’s Joshua Galliano
8 servings
For the soup:
1 pheasant
Olive oil
1 onion, peeled and large diced
1 carrot, peeled and large diced
1 celery stalk, large diced
½ cup white wine
12 cups chicken stock
Bouquet garni
2 star anise
1 Tbsp. coriander seeds
1 Tbsp. white peppercorns
•Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
•Remove the breast and the thigh from the pheasant, and reserve for the confit. Chop the drumsticks, wings and the rest of the carcass into small pieces.
•In a large pot, heat the olive oil until just smoking. Add the pheasant bones and brown in the pot. Do not scorch. When the bones are browned, add the onion, carrot and celery stalk. Once the vegetables begin to brown, add the white wine and scrape any bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the chicken stock.
•Secure together the bouquet garni, star anise, coriander and white peppercorns in cheesecloth. Add the sachet to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to simmer for approximately 1 hour. Skim any impurities that rise to the top. Season with salt and pepper, then strain into a new pot.
For the confit:
2 cups kosher salt
1 cup mixed herbs (chives, thyme, basil, oregano, tarragon, bay leaves, parsley)
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 shallot, peeled
Reserved breast meat and thighs
Duck fat
•Place the salt, mixed herbs, garlic clove and shallot in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is bright green. Sprinkle ½ of the salt mixture in the bottom of a nonreactive pan. Lay the 2 breasts and 2 thighs in the pan, and then cover with the other half of the salt mixture. Cure the meat for 30 minutes at room temperature, then rinse the pheasant meat and dry.
•Heat the duck fat to 200 degrees in a pot large enough to hold the fat and the pheasant.
•Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Gently place the meat in the duck fat. Cover and place in oven. After 45 minutes, remove the breasts. Continue cooking the thighs for 30 more minutes. Let the meat cool in the duck fat.
For the assembly:
2 cups candied chestnuts*
•Shred the confit pheasant and place equal portions in the bottom of 8 soup bowls.
•Divide the candied chestnuts into 8 portions and add a portion to each bowl.
•Ladle hot soup into each bowl.
* To make your own candied chestnuts, prepare a fryer to 350 degrees. Place 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water in a pot and bring to a boil. Add 2 cups of chestnuts and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain completely, then fry. Stir often so as not to have the nuts stick together. Drain on a rack.
Axis Venison Parmentier With Mashed Potatoes, Glazed Root Vegetables and Truffle Oil
Courtesy of An American Place’s Joshua Galliano
8 servings
For the venison, allow 3 days:
1 axis venison shoulder
1 bottle (750 milliliter) red wine
½ bottle (350 milliliter) port
2 onions, large diced
1 carrot, large diced
1 celery stalk, large diced
Bouquet garni
1 cinnamon stick
1 Tbsp. juniper berries
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
8 to 10 cups chicken or beef stock
•Ask your butcher to cut the venison shoulder into 3 parts in order to accommodate marinating and cooking. Place the venison, wine, port, onions, carrot and celery in a nonreactive container. Place the bouquet garni, cinnamon and juniper in a cheesecloth sachet and add to the marinade. Cover and marinate overnight.
•The next day, drain and dry the meat, reserving the marinade. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the venison lightly with salt and pepper, then sear it on all sides. The meat will brown quickly. When brown on all sides, remove to a casserole dish. Add the marinade with veggies to the pot, and bring the liquid to a boil. Skim the impurities, and then add the venison and enough stock to cover the venison halfway. Bring the pot to a boil once more, then cover with a lid and place in the oven.
•After 45 minutes, turn the meat, and then return the pot to the oven for another 45 minutes. The meat should give easily when pushed in with your fingers. Test at the thickest point on the shoulder.
•Transfer the meat to a casserole dish big enough to hold the meat and the liquid. Strain the braising liquid over the meat. Rest the meat for 30 minutes at room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.
•Gently warm the meat in a 300-degree oven. When warmed through, shred the meat off the bone and discard any sinews or fat.
•Place the braising liquid in a pot and begin reducing. When the braising liquid has thickened to a sauce consistency, add the meat to heat through.
For the potatoes:
6 Yukon gold potatoes
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
4 Tbsp. crème fraîche*
Salt and pepper to taste
Truffle oil**
•Peel and coarsely dice the potatoes.
•Place the potatoes in a pot with cold water; salt the water to taste. Bring the pot to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes are very tender.
•Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes.
•Mash the potatoes, and then mix in butter and crème fraîche.
•Season with salt and pepper.
•Mix the mashed potatoes with truffle oil to taste. (Too much truffle oil in the mashed potatoes will not taste good. The heat from the potatoes can make the truffle oil oxidize and taste very bitter and harsh.)
For the vegetables:
3 carrots, peeled
3 parsnips, peeled
4 Tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. sugar
•Peel the carrots and parsnips.
•Cut each vegetable in half lengthwise then slice into thin semicircles.
•Place the carrots and parsnips, respectively, into 2 sauté pans large enough to accommodate the vegetables in 1 layer.
•In each pan, place 2 tablespoons of butter, salt and pepper to taste and 1 teaspoon of sugar.
•Fill each pan with water to almost reach the top of the vegetables.
•Cook the vegetables over high heat until the carrots and parsnips are tender and glazed over.
•Transfer to plates to cool down.
For the assembly:
3-inch ring mold, about 2 inches in height
Cheesecloth
•Heat the vegetables and make sure the potatoes are hot.
•Place a ring mold in the center of a plate. Place mashed potatoes to fill 1/3 of the ring mold, then top with some drained venison. Fill the rest of the ring mold with mashed potatoes until flush with the top of the mold. Top the potatoes with more venison.
•Unmold onto individual dinner plate. Arrange glazed carrots and parsnips around the venison mold. Repeat for each serving.
•Drizzle truffle oil over each plate.
* You can find crème fraîche premade at specialty grocery stores. To make your own, combine 2 cups of whipping cream with 4 tablespoons of buttermilk. Let stand at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours until the mixture is very thick. Stir, then refrigerate for up to 10 days.
** Truffle oil is an olive oil infused with truffles. If you cannot find truffle oil at a specialty grocery store, substitute with an herb-flavored olive oil.
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