Just In Case . . .

We had the first of the venison last night, and it was very, very good. Especially for roadkill.

I have learned many new skills since moving to Blackrock, and a lot of those revolve around food. One of those skills is how to cook strongly-flavored meat. Meaning, in our case, wild game and lamb. I had never eaten either of those things, not once, before moving here. And if you're accustomed to the mild (some might say tasteless . . .) meat at the grocery store, cooking (and actually enjoying) these different kinds of meats can be a challenge. So I thought I should share with you some of my acquired wisdom, in case you ever find yourself with roadkill that you plan to eat*.

I think the most important factor in the flavor of wild meat, and venison in particular, is the way it is treated when it's dressed and butchered. But beyond that, a good rule of thumb is strong flavorings for strong meats. Also, low, slow cooking methods. When I cook the venison roasts, I sprinkle them with salt and a tiny bit of French Four Spice (which is white pepper, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves--I know, it sounds weird, but you'll just have to trust me here), brown the meat, soften some sliced onions in there, then deglaze the pan with a bunch of red wine, add some water, and simmer the meat in that mixture for a few hours. That creates a nice pan sauce for the meat, too, that you can finish however you want. Thicken with flour, add a little bit of cream, whatever. But the wine and the long cooking will mask some of the wild flavor and make the meat very tender. It can be very tough if you're not careful.

For lamb, take a cue from Middle Eastern cooking (which uses sheep as its primary meat, after all) and use a bit of cinnamon. I do not like cinnamon in savory dishes as a general rule, but it does work well with the distinct flavor of lamb. And again, red wine is your friend if you're trying to create a sauce for lamb.

I'm not saying this will make deer and sheep taste like chicken breasts, but it will make them a little more palatable if the flavors are new to you. And anyway, why would you WANT them to taste like chicken breasts, which taste like . . . nothing at all.

Anyway, go get you some roadkill and get to cookin'. You might be pleasantly surprised.

* Hey, IT COULD HAPPEN.