The Hunter Is Called On To Cook
Has the siren of the high country called you apart to partake of its bounty? Are hairy and wild beasts begging you for the chase? If you will take to the hills in order to procure delicious and nutritious wild game, hats are off to you.
Once you have procured the wild meat, you must dress it, and dress it well. This is a bloody, thankless task, and is better considered elsewhere in deference to the squeamish. But know that you will have meat, and sometimes plenty of it. Whither then, fair woodsmen?
After the initial dressing of the animal, with any luck you will have a large quantity of meat pieces to deal with, and larger ones at that. At this stage you can forget about the usual kitchen knife set you use at home. You will need something substantial in order to convert the big chunks of meat in to smaller and more manageable chunks.
When chopping up the big pieces into little pieces you will want a much larger and heftier knife set. Sporting goods stores and butcher supply shops may have what you will need. This is serious work, cutting a quartered animal into steaks and chops and loins and roasts. You will need serious tools for the task. Set aside some fresh tidbits for your first banquet and freeze the rest.
For your first foray into the culinary delights of wild game, try your hand a cooking up a simple stew. This is a very tasty dish, and it can be doctored up for almost any taste. It is incredibly simple to do, too. Get yourself a large roasting pan and place the chosen meat morsels in to it.
Along with the meat, add some chopped up earthy vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and other such tubers and roots. Nothing else will be needed, and too many veggies will get in the way of the real meat you will want to savor. Add enough water to cover it all and get the whole thing to boil. And spices at will at any stage along the way.
After getting it up to full boil, drop the heat down for a nice long simmer. Let it sit there for a good while, and enjoy the smells of it all cooking. Keep the water level high enough as it will reduce down over time. Stir it up once and again, and when everything is tender, it is good to go. Chase it all down with plenty of cold brew, and that is living country style.