Be a deer and pass me the venison (while I chit chat with Chef John Varanese)….

Venison medallions at Varanese

 Hunters donning camouflage are sexy.  And what are even sexier to me are the fruits of their labor – the exotic, game meats they return with after a 3am wake up call and 8 hours of perching in the adult version of a tree house.

This is my cousin's husband, Luke, at my family's annual "deer camp" in Arkansas.

“Game” meats, otherwise known as “exotic” meats, encompass any type of animal that is hunted for food or sport but not domesticated.  Common examples of game meat include venison (deer), elk, duck, ostrich, quail, rabbit and antelope.  Not so common game meat includes camel [See Camel Burger Post], alligator, crocodile and kangaroo.  I am not sure if guinea pig is considered a game meat, but it’s a delicacy in Peru, and I ate it while visiting Machu Picchu, so I’ll throw a picture of it in here for good measure.

Kentucky is steeped with tradition when it comes to hunting game, deer in particular.  Archery, cross bow, gun, muzzleloader (Okay, seriously??  Does anyone actually use a muzzleloader?!)… There are more deer seasons in Kentucky than there are counties to hunt in.  And while I have gone to Argentina to drink Malbec, eat at a parilla, watch tango and teach myself how to make an empanada, I have friends who have crossed the equator for no other reason than to take an exotic dove hunting trip.  From my Pepaw and Uncle Roy and their annual trek to “deer camp” in Arkansas to current friends who flock to Idaho once a year for quail hunting with their gaggle of hunting dogs, I have always been exposed to men who love to hunt game for SPORT.   But I feel like I don’t know many people who actually hunt game to EAT. 

 The odd thing to me is that game meats are, across the board, the leanest and cleanest protein out there.  Yet most people will eat a processed hamburger from a fast food chain while snubbing their nose at the thought of a venison burger.  Here are some quick and dirty facts about how healthy game meat is for you:

• Game meat is naturally leaner, because the animals are caught in the wild where they run around, eat grass (not grain) and burn calories all day.
• Even farm raised game meat, which is typically what is served in restaurants, is extremely lean because the animals get so much exercise on the game ranches.
• Game meat is typically darker and richer because of this exercise and the increased muscle activity.
• Deer meat (venison) is especially lean because the fat is stored right underneath the skin rather than marbled throughout the meat like beef, so butchers and processors can easily cut it off. 
• Game meats, like salmon, are a good source of vitamins and minerals such as Omega 3 fatty acids.  Venison and some other game meats are also rich in iron and B vitamins.
• Game meats are antibiotic, hormone free.

 I’ve surmised that there are three different breeds of people when it comes to EATING gamey, exotic meats:  1) those who are absolutely grossed out at the thought of eating a Bambi or a bunny (including some of the very hunters who seek it out!); 2) those who will try it at a restaurant or in the form of jerky but wouldn’t ever cook it; and 3) those of us that have a freezer full of venison and cook it on a regular basis. 

 So this blog is mostly an introduction into game meats for those of you that fit into Categories #1 or #2.

 For those of you who consider yourself lumped into Category #1, try to ease your way into Category #2 by going out and trying some game meat at a restaurant.  I think one of the biggest apprehensions about eating game meat is the fear that it will taste “gamey,” so take yourself somewhere where a professionally trained chef has perfected the art of braising, marinating, and/or searing a piece of game meat into non-gamey perfection. 

 When I decided that this would be my next blog topic, it took me less than 5 seconds to decide who has created such perfection in Louisville.  It is none other than renowned chef, John Varanese, owner and head honcho of Varanese, the hip fine dining establishment that has been hugging the railroad tracks of Crescent Hill since the summer of 2007.  Any night of the week you will find it filled to the brim with chattering people clinking wine glasses while a jazz band subtly fills the space above the conversation.  In the summer months, the garage-type doors will be open and the tables spill onto the sidewalk of Frankfort Avenue like a European bistro.  In the winter months, Chef Varanese keeps his clientele warm, cozy and happy with earthy, eccentric meals – including a plethora of game meat selections.  The last time I dined there recently, I chewed every fingernail off trying to decide between his famous Turducken (chicken wrapped in duck wrapped in turkey), wild boar pot pie and duck stuffed ostrich wrapped in bacon.  I went with the latter, and it was the best meat entrée I’ve ever eaten anywhere. 

Duck stuffed ostrich wrapped in bacon with a golden beet gratin

 Somehow between putting the finishing touches on the appetizers he was serving at the Girls Scouts “Dessert First” event being held in Louisville tonight (who else would think to put lemon chiffon infused Stilton cheese and house cured pork on a Savannah Smiles cookie?!) and testing and photographing the dishes he will serve 88 guests in New York City on March 13^th at the esteemed James Beard House, John Varanese was kind enough to take a break and sit at his bar with me this afternoon to dish about game meats. 

Varanese's famous "Turducken" - chicken wrapped in duck wrapped in turkey

I threw out my concept about how everyone fits into Categories 1-3 when it comes to game meats, and he agreed.  With regard to Category #1 (a.k.a. “Eww, gross, get that elk away from me”), he estimated that 95% of his clientele who try game meat for the first time in his restaurant leave raving about it and wondering why they avoided it so long to begin with.  He eases Category #1 people into the game meat contingency by offering them a small appetizer so that they will not feel overwhelmed with the choice if they end up not liking it (rather than committing themselves to an entrée that they may not care for).  For instance, his recent appetizer specials have included fried quail legs. 

Cherry BBQ quail legs

 He also takes the opportunity to work a game meat dish into the wine dinners that he regularly has at Varanese.  [See http://www.varanese.com/calendar.php for upcoming themed wine dinners.] 

Bourbon Barrel Infused Wild Boar Ribs

Category #2 people are self explanatory, because they obviously come into Varanese to eat the best exotic meet entrees available. 

Wild Boar Pot Pie

For those of you who consider yourself lumped into Category #3 and are already adventurous at heart, Chef Varanese encourages you to call ahead for special requests.  Kangaroo…alligator…you name it and he is willing to get it and figure out something fabulous to do with it.  Just give him from a few days up to a week to get his hands on it from one of his vendors.  There is one caveat though.  He is a cat lover, so please don’t call and ask him to try to get farm raised lion:)  You laugh, but this is apparently a new craze in the culinary world. 

 So, the moral to this blog story is that, if you have shunned exotic meats for fear of them tasting gamey, take the plunge and get yourself to Varanese.  I have not had a meal there I did not love.  And maybe by the time you get there he will have the Savannah Smile cookie/lemon chiffon stilton cheese/house cured pork on the appetizer menu.  He let me sneak into the kitchen to try one.  I’ll have to say – I’m not a sweets person, so I never knew a Girl Scout cookie could taste so good!

 For a more casual option in Louisville, the famous Germantown dive, Hammerheads, has elk and venison burgers on their menu.  My favorite is the elk burger with brie on a pretzel bun.  Try the truffle oil or “Grippo” fries with it! 

To close, I will leave a few ideas for those Category #3 daredevil game eaters that cook exotic meats at home like me.  I have a whole freezer full of venison from my camouflaged colleagues.  [It seems they are mostly surrounded by Category #1 people and can’t pay people to get it off their hands...]  So I have been cooking venison quite regularly since the 1,000 deer seasons in Kentucky came to a close.

 As for ground venison, I recently sautéed it in the skillet with onion and minced garlic clove (like you would do with ground beef), threw it over wheat penne (boiled in salted water) and added a ton of arugula, which wilted down nicely.    It was a deliciously earthy, winter meal.

For the venison roasts that have been graciously donated to me, I often slow cook them in the crock pot all day while I’m at work with a can of organic cream of mushroom soup.  I shred it and do anything with it that you would do with roast beef.  This is the photograph of a “pizza” I quickly threw together one night between work and spinning.

I spread artichoke feta spread (found at Rainbow Blossoms) over organic wheat lavash, layered it with organic spinach, shredded venison and a dash of shredded parmesan cheese on top.  I popped it in the oven at 425 degrees for about 12-15 minutes to make sure the lavash turned into a crisp, crackery crust. 

 According to Chef Varanese, who clearly knows way more about cooking game meats than me, the key is to remember how much leaner it is than beef or other common meats you buy at the grocery and cook.  Marinating it in vinegar, wine, citris juice or some other acidic combination will help break the muscle down and tenderize the meat.  Slow cooking and shredding is always an easy way to make sure it’s not tough or overcooked.  He also suggests braising game meats and using the leftover juices to make a sauce – like adding flour to make a rue/gravy.  Avoid cooking game meats at high temperatures or you will end up with dry, chewy meat.

 Until my next blog, happy hunting and exotic meat eating!