Meat does not have a growing season in the sense that plants do however; there are times of the year where certain types and cuts of meat are more readily available or cheaper due to holiday tradition, game hunting seasons, politics, and consumer demand. For example, in the early spring (around Easter) lamb is more plentiful and cheaper than in other times of the year. Just before Thanksgiving turkey prices drop drastically and due to the deer hunting season venison becomes more available. At the height of the summer cuts of grilling steaks become more expensive then if you purchase them in the dead of winter and winter stewing and braising meat becomes cheap in the summer when everyone is cranking up their grills. Supply and demand influences the pricing and availability of meat more than anything else these days. So what our pick for featured meats during the fall? Read on…
VENISON
Interesting Trivia: The word “Venison” comes from the word venatus, meaning “To Hunt” in Latin. Up until the 20th century, the word venison was loosely used to include the meat of all hunted game meat (large and small) such as deer, boar, bear, goat, sheep, buffalo, camel, elephant, zebra, kangaroo, rabbit, squirrel, beaver, raccoon, muskrat, porcupine, rabbits etc. But, in more recent times it is used mostly to reference only the meat of wild or domestic types of deer (which also includes elk, caribou, reindeer, moose and antelope).
Deer was most likely one of the first big game animals hunted and eaten by prehistoric man. The earliest ancient writings recorded deer hunts a half a million years ago. Deer are native to all continents of the world except Australia and Antarctica. Today there are between 20 and 100 species of deer known to exist worldwide. American native and wild deer have been protected from extinction (for centuries now) by laws that place restrictions on hunting and the selling their meat. Unfortunately, this was not always the case with other native game species such as bison.
Prior to the 20th century, Americans considered venison as one of the most esteemed of all meats. However, after the turn of the last century, venison’s appeal fell due to the growing accessibility of domesticated beef, chicken, and pork. Now, venison is making a renewed surge in popularity due to the success of the farm-raised and free-range ranched venison industry, in Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Kentucky, Missouri, and Minnesota and the growing awareness that venison is high in protein, lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, and more resourceful to produce than beef. Domestic producers supply about 20% of the venison consumed in this country and the other 80% of our domestic production is sold to game hunting and breeding programs. This country imports (from New Zealand) the remaining 80% of the venison consumed in America.
Wild or free-range ranch venison has a gamier taste than farmed venison, which is milder in flavor. Whether you prefer wild meat, which has a complex flavor of grass, herbs, wood, nuts and berries, or the milder flavor of farm-feed game meat, is of personal preference. But, for any venison to be sold to the public, the deer must be processed under government inspection in an approved facility. In order for meat from a wild animal (killed out in the field) to be legally sold to the public, the animal must be inspected by a government inspector who is also present out in the field during the kill and harvest of the animal and its meat (out in the field).
Storage Tips: If you have hunted and killed a deer be careful to properly field dress (bleed and gut) the animal so as to not contaminate the carcass, then get it refrigerated to below 40 ° F within 3 – 4 hours if the temperature is above 45 ° F. If you are then butchering it yourself, hang and age the carcuss for a few days and up to about three weeks (lean animals tend to take a longer time) in a temperature range of 33° – 35° to let enzymes break down the muscle cells, which will improve the texture and flavor of the meat. Butcher the animal into primal cuts and then trim the meat of fat, gristle, dry patches, or bad spots and continue to cut it into smaller end use roasts, chops, steaks, stew pieces etc. Wrap each piece of meat in plastic freezer bags and remove as much air as possible (vacuum packaging is even better) then wrap each package in moisture and vapor-proof freezer paper. Seal and label each package with the weight, contents, and date. Then quickly freeze the packages solid and store at 0°F or below for up to 12 months for steaks, roasts, and chops and up to 6 month for ground meat and burgers.
If you are purchasing already processed frozen cuts of venison from a commercial retailer keep it frozen until ready to cook. Thaw frozen venison in its original wrapping in the refrigerator. A good rule of thumb is to allow 4 – 6 hours per pound of meat for refrigerated thawing time.
Classical Uses: Venison congers up thoughts of meat pies, chili, stew, jerky, sausage and fall pot roasts cooked with apples and cranberry. Sauces of currant jelly, juniper, herbs, peppercorns and mustard pair well with venison steaks and roasts. And, ingredients harvested from the fields and woods where deer live and thrive, such as corn, pine nuts, mushrooms, berries and greens match quite perfectly with venison of any cut.
Other Inspirational Uses: Make venison tacos using ground or diced venison simmered with burgundy wine and mushrooms then fold into corn tortillas with crumbled farmers cheese, shredded raw tart apple, dried cherries, watercress, and scallions.
TURKEY
Interesting Trivia and Facts: Wild turkeys are indigenous to North and Central America. They are members of the partridge family and are classed in the subspecies genus known as (meleagris). However, some folks might guess that turkeys are some type of peacock or grouse due to the male’s method of fanning out their tail feathers in display during courtship. Mature male turkeys are called “Toms”, females are called “Hens” and juvenile turkeys are called “Poults”. A group of turkeys are called a “rafter” instead of a “flock” or “gobble” as some people seem to think.
Wild turkeys are typically smaller and gamier than domestic turkeys. They have longer legs and a broader (yet less ample) breast. Wild turkeys are able to fly well and they can breed naturally. Wild turkeys eat a diet of wild forage, fruit and insects and their meat is gamey in flavor, dark, lean and firm. A fresh wild turkey is totally worth the special effort to find if you wish to prepare a truly exceptional, delicious and authentic-style American Thanksgiving feast.
On the other hand, most domesticated turkey (excluding the smallest breeds and the heritage breeds) cannot fly due to their industrialized, unnatural body weight distribution ratio. Because they have been genetically selected to become so oversized, they have to be breed by artificial insemination. Furthermore, industrialized turkeys are feed a diet of mostly fortified corn and soybean meal so their meat is milder, whiter, higher-yielding and tenderer than wild turkey meat. But because of their diet, which is high in processed grains, the meat of domesticated industrialized turkey is higher in the polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid known as “ARA” (arachidonic acid) than meat from wild turkey. Arachidonic acid promotes the production of inflammatory chemicals throughout the body and therefore industrial grown turkey meat tends to be more inflammatory then wild grown turkey. (Eating a low-inflammatory diet is advised by the medical community to promote better health).
The domesticated turkey is a descendent of the native North and Central American wild turkey. And it was the people of the ancient Americas who first domesticated the wild turkey. The bird was then introduced to the European continent by the Spanish explorers who traveled to the New World in the 16th century. Many different breeds of domesticated turkey were then developed that varied by size and color. However, since the 1960’s the most widely produced industrial-grown domestic breed of turkey has been the “Broad-Breasted White” developed for its ample size, ample breast, and white pin feathers, which produce an un-speckled and white carcass.
Whether you purchase a wild or industrial-grown turkey, both are delicious and hearty additions to dining tables around the world.
Storage Tips: Although wild turkey meat is in relatively small supply, it is available from game bird farms and suppliers, specialty markets, on-line providers or friends who hunt. Domestic, industrialized, turkey meat is widely available in just about any local grocery store you can set foot in. When buying a whole turkey, fresh is preferred to frozen but, unless it is the Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday season, frozen is the most prevalent way it will be available.
A whole frozen turkey can be stored in its original wrapping in the freezer at 0° F for up to one year before its quality will begin to deteriorate. But, if you freezer maintains at a temperature between 0° and 32° F your turkey will start to deteriorate much sooner
To thaw a frozen whole turkey under refrigeration (the recommended method), allow 5 hours of refrigerated thawing time per every pound of frozen bird (or one full day/24 hours per every five pounds of frozen bird). As an example, a twenty pound bird will require 4 full days to properly thaw under refrigeration. Never thaw a frozen turkey in room temperatures!
To “Quick Thaw” a frozen whole turkey, submerge the bird (still in its original un-opened wrapping) in a sink full of COLD water. Drain and re-fill the sink with fresh COLD water every 30 minutes until the bird is thawed. Allow 30 minutes per pound (or 1 hour per every two pounds of bird) to “Quick Thaw” a frozen turkey in a sink full of cold water. As an example, a twenty pound bird will require 10 hours to “Quick Thaw” in a sink of cold water. Never thaw a frozen turkey in warm water!
To thaw packaged frozen turkey parts follow the methods described above using the same time and weight guidelines as described above.
A properly thawed frozen turkey can be stored under refrigeration in its original wrapping from 1-5 days. A refrigerated fresh turkey (un-frozen at purchase) should only be stored under refrigeration from 1-3 days, or kept under refrigeration and cooked by the “Use by” date which is indicated on the suppliers un-opened packaging.
Classical Uses: A whole roasted turkey with dressing, gravy and cranberry sauce have become traditional fare during the American Thanksgiving and winter holiday season but now turkey parts are eaten year round due to the advent of industrialized mass production, economy of scale pricing that is passed on to the consumer, and improved freezing and storage methods. Wild Turkey was first domesticated by Mesoamericans and is still enjoyed in classical central American turkey dishes such as; the Yucatan’s “Chilimole”, (a favorite festival food made with turkey and a dark spicy sauce), Puebla’s “Torta Azteca” (a lasagna-like dish made with turkey, tortillas & mole sauce), and the Turkey dishes of Chihuahua that are served with a cider sauce made with the local apples that are grown prevalently throughout that region.
Other Inspirational Uses: Use leftover cooked turkey bones for props with Cave Man Halloween costumes or to make clever Christmas tree ornaments. Use turkey feathers to embellish hat bands and for crafts and sweatshirt decorations.
