Blazing Trails On Cookery and Hunting
In my little neck of the woods in southeast Oregon, just south a bit of Crater Lake there is a lovely little meat shop called Howard’s. That would be one Dick Howard and he has a dandy little shop. In addition to the expected cuts of beef, they make their own hot dogs and sausages and that is something not often found these days.
Dick also vends condiments and local cheeses and his very own marinade.
This one
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In the refrigerator sits my partially filled jar. It is so good that is almost a dressing. Try it on a sandwich. But, it is best as a marinade.
Some Marinade Knowledge
Marinades impart flavor. That’s their main job. They also make the meat dry.
What!?
Yep. They break down the protein structure of the meat and when that happens, the mesh which keeps the moisture in goes away. So, there is a balance between just enough marinade and too much. The real puzzle is that there isn’t a real science to it since all meat vary in muscle density and structure and also in portion size. What is predictable and repeatable is the over marinading of meat will produce dry meat.
Proper cooking helps keep the moisture in. In this case, the cooking part is happening off the heat. Meats, from that steak to Thanksgiving turkey, need to rest. Resting allows the juices which are in the meat to slowly redistribute into the mess of the meat. Remember at grandma’s house the dry turkey sitting in a bath of it’s own juices? That was supposed to be in the meat. That-a pool of juices on the plate-is a sure sign that the meat too soon.
It is important to know that searing tastes good and does not do one thing to keep juices in meat. It isn’t waterproof.
What Did The Meat Do?
As a basic guide, the more work the meat did, the more marinade time it will need. So, a tenderloin needs very (It needs 0 marinade) and a skirt steak, even though thin, may need overnight.
Of course, as we approach fall, venison and game is increasingly more likely to be the meat of choice for hunters.
Game meats tend to be far more lean than domestic cattle. They are not fat free, of course, but with the beast actually running, much more of the muscles are used and they can tend to be a wee bit more tough. Knowing which cuts are best for stews and which are best for steaks or paillards is important.
Knowing how to cook them is also important. For that information I recommend a 
book by my friend Haley Heathman, Kill It, Clean It, Cook It, Eat It.
Haley knows more than a little bit about hunting which includes picking the right rifle and how to find where the deer will be.
Hunting isn’t as easy as BANG, Let’s eat!
Hunting takes education, patience, skill and luck.
Cooking it takes education, patience, practice and hungry kin. Haley covers venison and turkey-Upland birds, quail-lowland birds-water foul and Elk. In addition to teaching you how to find and clean the beasts, she has some very tasty recipes for each animal as well.
Click over and check out Haley’s e-book. It is well written with excellent tips interspersed with some humor. You’ll learn a ton and have fun doing it.
Happy hunting, fire up the grill, and eat well.