My Slow Cooker is an Invaluable Ally
My slow cooker is an invaluable ally. Without its reliable service, I would long ago have surrendered all hope of ever turning the wild game my husband brings home into something tender and tasty. I’ve learned to appreciate a slow-cooker’s unique cooking technique. Low-temperature roasting over a long period of time is excellent for tenderizing just about any wild meat. Because game meat is leaner than beef, it responds exceptionally well to the moist, low heat cooking of a slow cooker.
Two Japanese college students enjoying a Christmas bear roast.
When my husband started hunting, I said I would cook any meat he brought me as long as it looked like what I normally get at the grocery store. It had to be wrapped and frozen and it couldn’t contain shotgun pellets or hair. Throughout his hunting career, I’ve cooked caribou from Labrador, wild pig from Texas, black bear from Maine, elk from Utah, wild turkey from New Jersey and whitetail deer (venison) from Pennsylvania.
Many folks try to camouflage the taste of wild meat and turn it into the familiar taste of beef. Instead, think of cooking wild game as an opportunity to try something new and expect it to taste different. Pricy restaurants charge an arm and a leg for what your successful hunter has happily presented to you.
With a few simple changes in cooking technique, I’ve learned to appreciate the flavor of wild game. Yes, it will never taste like beef, but it doesn’t have to be “gamey” and drenched with barbecue or teriyaki sauce to make it palatable.
Some of the reasons wild meat has such a bad reputation is not the cook’s fault. What happens after an animal is harvested impacts the meat’s taste. My hunter is an excellent butcher and takes great care when field-dressing his animal. (For those who don’t have a hunter in the family, “field dressing” is a polite euphemism for removing the guts and preparing the meat for butchering.)
During this process, my husband tries not to touch the meat too much, and he makes sure the “innards” don’t contaminate it either. He also drains as much blood as possible by hanging the carcass. This allows air to circulate as well, rapidly cooling the meat. Fortunately I don’t see this process, although he’s told me that a big “gut pile” is a happy sight to a hunter because it means a big deer.
Before I cook any wild game, one of my goals is to thoroughly drain the blood, where much of the “gamey” smell that I find so objectionable originates. I also leave the meat in a covered colander in the refrigerator for 3 to 6 days (depending on the size of the cuts or roast). Not only does this allow the blood to drain, but the muscle cell walls also start to soften, tenderizing the meat. I rarely use a marinade during this step because it mixes with the draining blood, creating a disgusting liquid that is unusable.
Browning a roast or chops before slow cooking is an excellent way to add color and enhance the flavor of the meat. To brown the meat, heat a heavy skillet on high and add the fat of your choice. Sear and brown all sides of your chops and roasts. This holds the good juices within the meat and the brown color is more appetizing.
Use a marinade packet as a dry seasoning. Try rubbing it onto the seared meat instead of preparing it as directed. It’s a bit messy, but you can toss everything into a big zipper seal bag and really press the dry mix into all sides of the chops or roast. After the meat is in the slow cooker, I dust the top of it with the remaining dry seasoning and some cracked pepper. I add salt just before serving the meat because I prefer to let the original flavors develop first.
I always add vegetables to the slow cooker when cooking game. Whole small onions, peeled garlic cloves, whole mushrooms, baby carrot or celery chunks, all add wonderful flavor to the meat and make a tasty contribution to the gravy stock in the pot. If I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll add a ½ cup of red or white wine, flavored vinegar or beer.
Don’t be intimidated by a long cooking time. It’s not unusual for my roasts to take 8-12 hours or more on low, and chops often cook in 4-8 hours on low. When the meat falls apart easily, it’s ready to serve. I often begin the process the night before, let it cook all day and portion the meat in the evening. I reheat it on low the following day for supper.
One of my most memorable slow-cooker moments came when I slow-cooked a bear roast one Christmas. We were hosting two Japanese college students for the holidays. As the girls were enjoying their supper, we explained to them that they were eating bear meat. They were astonished, and it took several minutes to convince them.
We were puzzled when they suddenly asked permission to leave the table and, taking their plates with them, ran to my husband’s trophy room, grabbing their cameras on the way. Once there, they posed for photos beneath the mounted bear head, holding their plates and smiling broadly. I’m sure they needed a photo to prove to their families back home that they actually ate bear meat.
Sue’s Venison Roast
5-8 lb. roast
1 whole onion, peeled and cut into quarters
5-6 peeled garlic cloves
1 envelope marinade mix, any flavor
Olive oil
Ground fresh pepper
Optional Ingredients: Add 1 cup vegetables (baby carrots, celery chunks, mushrooms) ½ cup wine, flavored vinegar, or beer
1. Age the roast in a covered colander in refrigerator for 4-6 days.
2. Heat a heavy skillet and coat with olive oil. Quickly brown all sides of the roast.
3. When cool enough to handle, place browned roast in a large plastic zipper bag with a dry marinade mix. Toss and press the seasonings into the meat. Rub it in well.
4. Place the roast and vegetables in your slow cooker. Dust with pepper and the remaining marinade mix.
5. Cover and cook on low for 8-12 hours. The meat is finished when it is soft enough for a fork to enter easily with very little pressure.
Variation
The juices are a great base for gravy.