2005 Year in Review

Wild Game: Keeping It Safe from Field to Table

Source: Martha J. Winter, Extension Educator, Nutrition and Wellness

It's deer season in Illinois, and hunters are bringing venison home for the dinner table. For the best eating quality, the meat needs to be properly handled from the field to the table -- that's the advice from Martha Winter, nutrition and wellness educator with University of Illinois Extension.

Improper temperature is meat's worst enemy, so wild game needs to be field dressed and cooled as quickly as possible to keep the meat safe.

Deer meat, or venison, can be substituted for beef in most of your favorite recipes. Venison can be cut into roasts, steaks, and stew meat. As a ground meat, it can be used in chili, spaghetti, meat loaf, tacos, sloppy joes, casseroles and most any recipe that requires ground beef.

"Venison is usually leaner than beef, but the fat has a stronger flavor", explains Winter. "To prevent a gamy flavor, trim all visible fat from the meat before cooking." Venison roasts and steaks tend to be drier than beef cuts, so a moist cooking method is recommended.

"You can usually get good results with a crock pot," says Winter. "But, these slow cookers don't get hot enough at the Low setting to kill all the bacteria. To keep the meat safe, always set the crock pot on High for one hour, before turning to the Low setting."

Another way to make venison moist and tender is to soak it in a marinade before cooking. Make sure you keep the meat in the refrigerator while it marinates.

Wild game has a greater chance for bacterial contamination, so proper cooking is essential. A food thermometer can help ensure that the meat is cooked to a safe temperature. Venison and other cuts of game meat need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. in order to prevent E-coli. Whole game birds should be cooked to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F. as measured in the thigh and 170 degrees F. as measured in the breast meat.

"If you make your own venison jerky, freeze it for 30 days before eating it," advises Winter. "If any parasites are in the meat, the freezing process will kill them."

More information and recipes are available in the updated booklet, From Field to Table, available at the Clinton County University of Illinois Extension Office. The $5 booklet includes 42 wild game recipes, a section on marinades, and safety information. Call 618-526-4551 for details.

by  Editor, theCity1.com
December 13, 2005