West Virginia Department of Commerce THE OTHER MEAT

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THE OTHER MEAT





Wild – The Other Meat

By Hoy Murphy

Farm-raised beef, pork and poultry are the typical meats served at holiday dinners, but in a state that has a large percentage of its population that hunts in the fall, the meal is just as likely to include venison, bear, fresh fish, wild turkey, or even wild boar.

DNR fisheries biologist and “master chef” Mark Scott cooks wild meat in a variety of ways and provides samples to the public each year during West Virginia’s Celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Days, held the last weekend of September at Stonewall Resort State Park in Lewis County. Working over the weekend in an outdoor kitchen and depending upon what kind and how much game he can acquire before the event, he serves items such as bear chili, roast waterfowl, native fish, and at least six different venison dishes. “I go through about 10 deer in two days,” Scott says.

“It’s all about making the meat taste good. There are always one or two recipes they like best and that goes fast. I cook a lot of different wild meats, but the one I like to cook most is walleye because it’s the one I like to eat the most!”

In addition to samples, Scott provides cooking advice to visitors who want to learn the best ways to prepare wild meat at home. At the top of the list is handling the meat correctly before it even gets to the kitchen.

“A lot of problems happen before you’re ready to cook,” Scott warns. “You wouldn’t throw a t-bone steak on your truck and drive it all over the place before you cook it. Preparation begins as soon as you take the animal. Skin it and debone it and get it in the fridge as soon as possible. That’s true for any kind of wild animal – ducks, geese, deer, bear. Fish on a stringer builds up lactic acid and makes it taste bad. Keep it on ice.”

Once you’re ready to cook, do it right.

“Learn to cut the meat correctly. Any butcher will tell you that if you cut it wrong it’s going to be tough no matter what else you do,” Scott advises. “Trim off all the fat you can. Fat from deer and bear is different from beef because it tastes nasty. Trim out all you can. That makes the meat more tender, leaner and healthier.

“Don’t overcook it. If you overcook something like deer or waterfowl, it’s going to taste nasty. You’ve got to cook it no more than medium and no less than medium rare, and cook it slowly. Lower temperatures and slow cooking seem to work best. Bear and boar can harbor parasites, so each of those meats should be cooked to done or well done. However, you must take measures tot not dry out the meat by overcooking it. A good meat thermometer is key here.”

Scott’s final advice is to be creative. Don’t be afraid to try new things when preparing your main dishes.

“A lot of recipes I use are ones I’ve made up out of my head. I keep trying and sometimes I hit upon something that’s really delicious. Experimenting is good. Branch out and expand your horizons.”

Hoy Murphy has lived in West Virginia all his life, currently in Kanawha County. He enjoys camping with his family, especially at Audra and North Bend state parks. Contact: hoy.r.murphy@wv.gov.