Story by Lili Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News
At the Stewards of the Wild Dallas Chapter second annual wild game cooking class in conjunction with the Central Market Cooking School, the demonstration taught 20 young outdoorsmen and women how to “clean out their freezer” with recipes that utilize wild game.
The recipes were specifically selected to showcase the flavors of wild game while keeping them simple and not complicated nor intimidating.
“The cooking classes have been a great way to help teach the next generation the techniques to prepare healthy and delicious wild game recipes for their friends and family,” said Chris Landers, president of the Dallas chapter.
The four courses were served with wine pairings, while the chefs of Central Market demonstrated specific techniques for each recipe.
“These are things you can actually cook on a Tuesday night,” Stewards member Will Achey said.
The class favorite was the homemade chorizo breakfast tacos. The wild boar was marinated with Mexican flavors such as cumin, chipotle powder, achiote paste and tequila served on warm tortillas with guacamole, cotija cheese and fluffy scrambled eggs. Next, the chefs prepared seared duck breast on crostini with red onion jam. The jam complemented the richness of the duck breast and could be made ahead of time. Leftovers could be served with a room-temperature brie cheese, for example. The chefs recommended using a cast-iron skillet to get a nice texture on the fat. Chef Mark Varnado suggested saving the leftover duck fat to fry potatoes in the next morning.
“There’s an umami flavor and crispness you just can’t get with regular oil,” he said.
Duck can and should be served medium rare, unlike their other poultry counterparts like chicken or turkey. The reason being, ducks are migratory so they aren’t as susceptible to disease or bacteria.
The first main dish of the evening was a peppercorn-encrusted venison served with a sage and dijon cream sauce, a take on a classic French dish.
After removing the silver skin and hand-crushing the pepper- corns, the backstrap was placed in a smoking hot cast-iron pan.
“It stays where it lays,” Chef Duane Dubay said. “Once you put the meat in the pan don’t mess with it, so you can get a nice crust.”
Once the meat was cooked, shallots were sautéed in butter until fragrant. Wine, cream and
fresh sage were added to cut the intense game flavor of the venison and added a layer of richness to the dish creating a simple sauce that could be used on a variety of dishes.
As the guests finished off the last of the venison, the smell of bacon and biscuits filled the air. A pheasant pot pie with a bacon and thyme biscuit crust was bak- ing in the oven.
A pot pie is a great example of being able to utilize all aspects of the bird, using all the meat for the filling and creating a broth from the bones. The recipe called for brussels sprouts, red potatoes, peas and carrots but the chefs encouraged flexibility and creativity with the ingredients. This dish would be a good chance to clear out the refrigerator of vegetables or swap some ingredients for an- other more suited to your specific taste.
With full bellies, each guest received the recipes and instructions used in the class to take home and make for themselves. The biggest takeaway of the class was that these recipes could be used with any type of meat and can be tweaked to suit your personal palette.
“Sharing a meal is a great way for outdoorsmen to introduce nonhunters to the other side of hunting and the health benefits of wild game. Often times people have a preconception that wild game tastes gamey and is tough,” Landers said.
Central Market offers monthly hands-on cooking classes in con- junction with Texas Parks and Wildlife. Teaching recipes and techniques with a menu that features the best game Texas has to offer.
Stewards of the Wild is a young professionals group aimed at creating friendships with like-minded people who share the same passion for the outdoors.
